Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-04-20
Great Lumber Market
Opens In South America

Washington, D. c., April l0.-Claims
and controversies over measurements
are the disturbing feature OF the other
wise satisfactory lumber trade the Uni
! ted States is now doing with Argentina,
Uruguay and Brazil, declares Il report
on the "Lumber Markets of the East
Coast of South America" just issued
/ by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce, of the Department of Com
merce These disputes arise principally
in connection with shipments Of south
ern yellow pine which makes up the
bulk Of the lumber sold to the east coast
of South America. This great district
imports annually 565 million board feet
of lumber, Of which $40 million feet are
yellow pine from the United States. The
total lumber consumption of the three
countries is 1856 million board feet.
Argentina and Uruguay, although
about 1000 miles distant from the Uni
ted States, constitute virtually an ad-
dition to our domestic wood-consuming
field, so similar are market conditions.
For more than 10 years Sc per cent OF
all lumber going into commerce in the
two countries has come from the forests
cf North America, and nearly 90 per
cent Of the imports exclusive Of those
from other South American countries, is
credited to the United States and Can
ada. These figures might seem to indi-
cate that the markets do not warrant
investigation, but the opposite is true,
according to Speciar Agent Roger +.
Simmons, author of the report. There is
not only a possibility Of further extend
ing the markets for American lumber,
but there is necessity Of calling at
tention to conditions prejudicial to the
interests of American lumber and TO
certain competitive forces operating to
lessen demand and affect future CON
sumption.
In 1914 the imports Of lumber into
Argentina amounted 70 2l0S5l 600 feet,
made up as follows: yellow pine, l0l,-
100000 feet; spruce, 35GO0000 feet;
white pine, 30,4l0,000 feet; Spanish
cedar, II, ,SOO400 feet; South American
hardwbods, 15,G3O,O00 feet; oak, 2,445,-
600 feet; Douglas fir, 100000 feet
ash, 100000 feet; Panama pine $500
600 feet; walnut 225,000 feet; mahog-
any, ! 1000 feet. In other words, it is
necessary to buy abroad most Of the
soft.woods so necessary in nearly ev-
cry community Yellow pine is very
generally appreciated and comes almost
entirely from our southern ports. Spruce
is imported principally from Canada,
although important shipments are made
from Boston. Until 1911 there was no
outside competition with North Amer.
lean spruce, but between that year aud
the outbreak Of the war Austrian spruce
] became am important factor over So
per cent Of imports Of white pine comes
from Canadian forests, but is shipped
mostly from Boston Shipments from
Boston have been the rule for so many
years that consignments from other
PORTS are considered inferior. Do1glas
fir, Of course, is imported from our
! western coast. So far as price is con.
cemed, ii competes on about equal
terms with southern yellow pine.
Yellow pine is the principal export
from the United States, and every i'm
porter interviewed by Mr. Simmons in
, Argentina and Uruguay emphasized the
fact that claims over measurement dis
crepancies were the greatest factor pro-
noting dissatisfaction and discouraging
the importation of this kiud Of lumber
The yellow.pine industry should take up
the matter through its associations tie
report declares, and see TO it that the
faults Of the present system are removed
OF that some better method Of muking
aud guaranteeing measurements is
adopted. The cost Of measuring stcam.