10 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



succumbed to the pressure or were reorganized on a better basis, so 

 that as a whole the industry is now in a healthier state than ever 

 before. 



The New York portland cement plants, with one or two excep- 

 tions, successfully withstood the critical test. No doubt they fared 

 somewhat better than most mills by reason of the exceptionally good 

 home market that enabled them to dispose of much of their product 

 without going into other territory, as there has been a very large 

 amount of construction work in progress in the State by reason of 

 the highway and canal improvements. The Hudson river district 

 also has a natural outlet in the western section of New England 

 which no other manufacturing center reaches on an equal basis. ' In 

 consecjuence of these relative advantages the local industry has been 

 able not only to hold its own in the trade, but has actually increased 

 its output steadily from year to year. 



The present favorable situation of the cement industry may be said 

 to be the outcome of a market change which began in the season of 

 1912. In the early part of the year conditions were almost on the 

 point of demoralization so far as prices are concerned, with quota- 

 tions on the basis of 60 cents a barrel in bulk at the "mill. Such 

 prices furnished an incentive to buying, so that the surplus held by 

 the manufacturers diminished rapidly and helped to strengthen the 

 market from month to month. Prices were raised in the spring and 

 again in the summer and with other advances later on raised the 

 basis to 90@95 cents mill quotation which obtained in the month of 

 December. The actual sales for the year, however, did not average 

 so high as the market prices would indicate, owmg to the fact that 

 a considerable portion of the output is sold on contract. Within the 

 year 191 3 the market held steadily around the high mark reached in 

 the preceding season. The New York City basis was $1.58 a barrel 

 inclusive of package for standard brands, X)t $1.18 in bulk. The 

 State planfs received somewhat higher prices in their local markets. 

 The average for the whole output was 95 cents. In 19 12 the aver- 

 age was 78 cents a barrel. 



At the close of the past season stocks were lower than at the 

 beginning, the plants being practically denuded of any marketable 

 surplus. There was good prospect of a continued steady demand 

 for the early part of the current season. The removal of the 

 former tariff of 32 cents a barrel probably will serve to prevent 

 any material increase in prices over the present level since that 

 would encourage importations from Germany, Belgium and Eng- 



