108 EXPLOITATION OF THE FORESTS 



which pay very well in the dry forests of the west, could 

 not make the effort that is required here, and they use 

 oxen the finest beasts for a muddy country. The 

 long-horned, lean Creole cattle drag the waggons with 

 difficulty, and a correntino, with long slender legs, shod 

 with mud, guides and urges them, looking like a crane 

 with his slow and cautious steps. The work of these 

 drivers is much harder than that of the wood-cutters. 

 They earn nearly twice as much, and it is the difficulty 

 of getting enough men for this work that keeps down 

 production. 



The importance and stability of the large works has 

 fixed the labour market on the right bank of the Parana, 

 and there is no need to go to Corrientes to look for men. 

 They come of their own accord. A daily service of 

 small steamers brings them to all the ports which 

 dispatch quebracho. The left bank, on Argentine 

 territory, has also no hiring centre, such as there still 

 are at Asuncion and Concepcion in Paraguay. 



Even on its own land the works leaves the working of 

 the forest to contractors, from whom it buys the timber. 

 But the obrajeros, whether they work in the company's 

 forests or their own, are very dependent upon the works. 

 The contracts vary according as they are owners or 

 otherwise ; according to whether they undertake to 

 deliver the timber at the stations or leave it where it 

 is felled ; and according to whether they have the 

 requisite oxen and waggons or have to loan these from 

 the company. They draw advances from the company, 

 and, on the other hand, they pledge themselves to 

 purchase what they require for their workers at the 

 company's stores. The profit of these sales increases 

 the revenue of the works. The company monopolizes 

 all trade, both import and export. It exercises an 

 absolute sovereignty over the forest. It has merely 

 deigned to grant the railway company space enough to 

 construct its lines and its stations. 



The last forestry centre in modern Argentina is in 



