2a6 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



materials and the quarry dumps are being utilized to a larger extent 

 than before. 



Presemt conditions of industry. The recent record of the slate 

 quarrying industry has been disappointing in view of the enterprise 

 and activity that once prevailed in the district. As indicated by 

 the following table of production for the period 1904-18, there has 

 been a marked decline in the quantity of slate quarried, especially 

 in the last five or six years, and the continuation of the downward 

 trend much longer v/ould m.ean the extinguishment of the industry. 

 The poor showing seems to be the result of a number of unfavorable 

 conditions — some that ha,ve a wide application and others that 

 are peculiar to this particular region. The falling off in the building 

 trades within the last few years naturally has influenced the deman d 

 for roofing slate which is the principal variety quarried in Washington 

 county; and this has been felt in all the other districts to a greater 

 or less extent. Lack of capital and adequate equipment has been 

 responsible for some of the failures that have occurred in the district. 

 As one writer has remarked: " But the chief cause of failure appears 

 to be the lack of capital properly to push the work, coupled with 

 clumsy methods of quarrying and sharp competition in the market." 



In the last year or two a livelj^ demand has sprung up for crushed 

 slate in the manufacture of prepared roofing materials, and this 

 development has contributed to the revival of slate quarrying. 



Production of slate in New York 



1904 



1905 

 1906 

 1907 

 1908 

 1909 

 1910 

 1911 

 1912 



1913 

 1914 



1915 

 1916 

 1917 

 1918 



ROOFING SLATE 



Squares 



18 

 16 

 16 

 II 



13 

 21 

 14 

 II 



9 

 6 



4 



5 



090 

 460 

 248 

 666 

 735 

 187 

 107 

 273 

 738 

 109 

 998 

 000 

 727 

 069 



Value 



$86 159 

 94 009 

 57 771 

 53 625 

 III 119 

 126 170 

 79 857 



52 311 

 83 222 



53 074 

 40 650 

 45 000 

 21 345 



27 511 



II 383 



OTHER 

 KINDS 



Value 



■$7 441 



000 



150 



175 



98 



3 233 



27 696 

 102 175 



TOTAL 

 VALUE 



^93 600 

 95 009 

 61 921 



54 800 

 III 217 

 127 050 



83 090 



52 311 

 83 222 



■53 074 

 40 650 

 45 000 

 21 345 



55 207 

 113 558 



