The Washington herald., 1908-06-14
ARGENTINA WANTS MATERIAL
Great Market for Lumber in
Buenos Ayres.
EIGht-stOry Structure Going Up on
American Plan with Material
from United States.

Are the manufacturers and dealers in
lumber and building materials seeking
for their trade in other parts Of the
world with the aggressiveness that has
usually characterized American enter
prise?
The vast development TO the south OF
us. in the Latin-American countries. has
not seemed 70 have taken hold Of the
American business man as It should. II
IS possible that this is due 10 his activi-
ties in other directions. and yet the de
velopment in Buenos Ayres is so remark
able as 70 attract worldwide attention.
Vice Consul General Otto HoHender
makes the following statement of the
trade in Buenos Ayres. and the possibIIi-
ties for American building materials:
The rapid increase in the population
of this city and the consequent demand
for houses and apartments Of all kinds
has caused building to be very brisk IN
Buenos Ayres during the year 1901 Ac-
cording 20 Las Ventas. a publication deal
ing with real estate transactions. there
have been constructed during the veal
1907 buildings to the value Of S79. .O33. .S33 Ar
gentine paper money 81 Argentine paper
equal 10 SO,42 1-3 American currency. the
number having almost quadrupled with
in six years, the amount in the year 1s0-
being only S22.213,S24 In spite of this
enormous increase in building. rents con
tinue very high. and apartment houses as
well as Office buildings are generally lei
even before they are finished. which
would indicate that building Will be quite
brisk in this city for some time to come
a decided change I'm the style Of build
ing is to be noted all over the city. and
while a few years ago the old Spanish
style Of building. consisting OF one story
only. with large patio in the middle
and fronting directly on the street, was
in vogue, numerous buildings Of three
four. and even five stories may be seer
in the center Of the city, while in the
suburbs modern dwellings are gradually
taking the place of the old-style houses.
AT the present time there Is an eight.
story building being put up here by
Americans. on the American plan and
with materials from the United States
which bids fair to induce others to adopr
that style of building.
"Of the building materials, iron and
steel, as well as cement, are mostly i'm
ported from England, Germany. and
France, although lately considerabl,
quantities Of steel have also been import
ed from the United States. OF the lum
Der, the white pine, pitch pine, anC
spruce is nearly all imported from IN,
| United States, with an occasional ship
ment from Canada, while the hard woods
are nearly all found in this country.
Sand is imported from Uruguay. ther,
being hardly any in the Argentine Repub
| lie, but sometimes bricks are pulverizeC
and used in lieu Of sand the cost o.
| transportation making the latter an ex
| pensive article. Bricks are nearly al
made in this country, while tiles fo
| flooring and roofing are mostly importe,
| from France and Belgium
plumbing material has been importe,
lately to a small extent from the United
States, but the bulk OF IL stilI comes from
England. The United States certainly
ought to be able to obtain a larger shar
Of this business. This also applies I,
builders hardware and sanitary appli
ances.
with the tendency for modern building
prevailing at the present time there ough
to be a good market here for fireproofinl
materials of all kinds. as well as sanitar,
| appliances, plumbing materials. builders
| tools, and hardware of all kinds"