36 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Production of gypsum 



MATERIAL 



i 



913 



1 



914 



Short tons 



Value 



Short tons 



Value 



Total output, crude 



Sold crude 



532 884 



183 597 



8 521 



306 206 





513 094 



169 257 



7 096 



297 084 





$265 879 



17 807 



1 022 457 



$246 804 



15 342 



985 258 



Ground for land plaster .... 

 Wall plaster, etc. made 



Total 





$1 306 143 





$1 247 404 







There were few new developments in progress during the year. 

 Prospecting was practically at a standstill, but will doubtless be 

 resumed once the conditions begin to improve. The developed 

 ground in the western section is confined to a few areas which are 

 controlled by the present mining companies, and the future growth 

 of the industry will depend upon the discovery of additional de- 

 posits. The number of active mines was eight, one less than in 

 19 1 3. In the Akron district, the Akron Gypsum Products Corpora- 

 tion became a producer, having taken over the mines and mill 

 formerly owned by the Akron Gypsum Co. 



IRON ORE 



The iron trade was greatly depressed throughout 1914, and the 

 output of ore consequently showed a marked decline as compared 

 with the production for the few preceding years. The curtailment 

 .of demand was accompanied by a lowering of prices which worked 

 to the special disadvantage of the local industry owing to the fact 

 that most of the output is now made from low-grade milling ores 

 that involve treatment in elaborate plants with heavy costs of 

 operation. 



Besides the decreased demand and falling prices another factor 

 that discouraged activity was the putting into effect of the new 

 compensation act, the terms of which as applied to the mining 

 industry were regarded by the operators as rather drastic. One 

 of the companies that had been active for a number of years pre- 

 ferred to withdraw from business rather than comply with the 

 conditions imposed by the law. Some time must elapse before the 

 effects of the new regulations can be fully determined. 



