THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY IQL2 U. 
The opening of the year found the companies carrying heavy 
stocks and prices on the same low level they reached in the latter 
part of the preceding season. Demand was exceptionally heavy and 
served to absorb most of the surplus in the next few months, so 
that by spring the mills were able to make a slight advance in 
quotations. There was no check to activity and in midsummer an 
additional increase was made, followed by others from time to 
time until by December, New York prices reached a level fully 
50 per cent higher than that at the beginning of the year. The 
actual price movement was from about 60 cents a barrel in Janu- 
ary to 95 cents a barrel in December, the quotations being for 
cement in bulk at the mill. Inasmuch as much of the selling by 
the manufacturers is on contract, they were, of course, not able 
to realize the full benefits of the advarice and the average basis 
on which the year’s sales were made may be placed at around 
78 cents. 
The natural cement trade in which New York State is still 
represented, though to a much smaller extent than formerly, fol- 
lowed practically the same course as indicated for the portland 
branch. The demand was active and at increasing prices with 
the season’s advance. Owing to the adverse conditions experienced 
by manufacturers in the few preceding years, more serious in their 
case than in that of the portland cement companies, their plants 
were not in shape to allow them to take much advantage of the 
conditions ; consequently, the outturn was not materially different 
from the figure reported for IQII. 
In volume of production, the year was notable, the total having 
been exceeded but once or twice in the history of the industry. 
The actual quantity of portland and natural cements manufactured 
was 4,783,535 barrels as compared with 3,691,373 barrels in 1911 
and 3,657,015 barrels in 1910. The only other years that made a 
comparable showing were in the period from 1895 to 1900 when 
the natural cement business was at the height of prosperity and 
contributed an output about equal to that reported last year by 
the portland mills. 
As shown in the accompanying tables, the production of port- 
land cement in 1912 reached the figure of 4,495,842 barrels, against 
3,416,400 barrels in 1911. Its value was $3,488,931, as compared 
with $2,930,434 in the preceding year. The average value of the 
product, however, was only 77.6 cents a barrel, against 85.8 cents 
for 1911. There were seven mills in operation during the year, 
the same number as reported active in IgII. 
