THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY 1912 Za 
In the nine counties within New York State are included about 
125 yards with a capacity of one and one-quarter billion brick in 
the six or seven months that constitute the average season. So 
large an output is seldom warranted by the market requirements, 
however, and the average outturn may be placed at about one 
billion. The maximum number reported in any recent year was 
1,230,000,000 in 1906. 
The principal market for the product, of course, is New York 
and its environs, though some are shipped to the New England 
towns. Practically the whole output goes by water, on barges 
which hold upward of 200,000 each and which are made up into 
a fleet towed by one or more tug boats. In the lower stretch of 
the river, the shipments from the yards continue throughout the 
year, whereas the more remote ones have to concentrate their 
shipments during the months of open water. Formerly the product 
was handled by several commission agents operating independently 
and in competition, but in 1911, a general selling agency was estab- 
lished under the title of the Greater New York Brick Company, 
which now disposes of the output of all but a few yards. The 
total costs of shipment, storage in New York and commission for 
sales may be placed at about $1.25 a thousand. 
The season of 1912 may be considered a fairly prosperous one 
with respect to the number of brick marketed and prices, comparing 
favorably in the latter particular with the preceding year or two. 
The output was larger than in 1911, but fell considerably below that 
of 1910 when under the effects of a period of overextended activity, 
the production far exceeded the market requirements. The surplus 
of that year amounted to fully 350,000,000 which were carried over 
into 1911, and which justified a policy of curtailment on the part 
of manufacturers so as to maintain a closer balance with the market. 
By thus restricting the outturn, manufacturers were able to maintain 
prices during 1911 and even to receive somewhat higher returns 
than the average for the previous year. The opening of the 1912 
brickmaking season ranged from the middle to the latter part of 
May and was delayed about two weeks beyond the average date 
on account of wet weather. There were about 100,000,000 old brick 
on hand at that time. Prices started at around $6.50 a thousand, 
New York basis, or say $5.25 at the yard. They gradually advanced 
with the progress of the season and reached $7.25 in December. 
The open weather in the early winter enabled manufacturers to 
continue shipments much longer than usual, so that the stock in 
New York was unusually heavy at the first of the year. 
