186 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.
140,000,000 was softwoods and 90,000,000 hardwoods. Nearly 90
per cent of the softwoods and about 7 per cent of the hardwoods came
from North America, yellow pine from the United States forming 62
per cent of the total softwood imported; spruce from the United
States and Canada, 18 per cent; and white pine, principally of
Canadian origin, though shipped from United States ports, 7 per cent.
About 7 per cent of the softwoods came from Paraguay and Brazil,
In spite of the preponderance of yellow pine among the exports
and the popularity of this wood among consumers, the present conditions
 under which the trade is handled leave much to be desired.
The distributing trade is controlled, in large measure, by a small
number of importing houses, who handle several other lines besides
lumber. Much of the lumber is bought through brokers in Europe
and the United States, and not direct from the manufacturers in the
United States.
The chief obstacles in the development of the trade are the complaints
 that constantly are raised by the importers over cases of
short measurement and off-grade stock and by the manufacturers
over the deductions made in settlements by the importers because of
such claims. Were the yellow-pine manufacturers able, by a closer
form of cooperation than now exists, to establish a better control over
the marketing of their product, matters might be much remedied.
An organization of the exporting manufacturers might promote a
more direct trade between them and the River Plate lumber dealers.
By supervising the export shipments of its members and, through
its branches in Uruguay and Argentina, being in a position to
insure fair treatment in the settlement of claims between its memabers
 and the local dealers, it could eliminate some of the present
lifficulties.
Very little Douglas fir is imported into the River Plate market. In
1913 the total was less than 800,000 feet, or less than two-tenths of 1
per cent of the total softwoods used in that market. The relatively
 small amount imported is confined to timbers of large dimensions
 not readily procurable in other woods. No use is made of this
wood in general construction and as a finishing wood.
The reasons locally assigned for the lack of the fir trade embracing
 all the grades and sizes which it might be expected that this
market could consume are that the local builders are not generally
familiar with the use of the wood except in the form of large timbers;
that attempts to use it in other forms have proved unsuccessful, due
sither to unsuitability because of the climatic conditions encountered
ar the lack of knowledge of how to handle it to best advantage. It
is stated that other woods available to this market, particularly yellow
 pine, have given much better satisfaction and are demandedby
the consuming trade. Since fir and yellow pine can be delivered in