COST OF PRODUCTION 



175 



3 The owner of the clay bank gets so much per 1000 brick. 

 At Haverstraw this varies, for instance, from 25 cents to $1.25 

 per 1000. With this arrangement the manufacturer is bound to 

 a certain amount of production. 



Of the three methods for manufacturing brick, the soft mud 

 process is the cheapest as far as first cost of plant is concerned, 

 but it is probably not the cheapest to operate, as more labor is 

 required. The other two methods used, the stiff mud and dry 

 clay, require considerable outlay o F capital. Less labor is 

 required for operating either of the last-mentioned plants. The 

 actual cost of production by either of these methods I have not 

 been able to obtain. It is doubtful if the dry clay process is the 

 cheapest, as the manufacturers of this class of machinery claim, 

 for the economy gained, due to the shortness of the method, is 

 probably counterbalanced by the increased time of burning and 

 consequently greater amount of fuel used. With the soft mud 

 process one man per 1000 brick is what the manufacturer figures, 

 that is, if the yard has a capacity of 50,000 per day, a force of 

 50 hands is required to operate the yard. 



As regards fuel, for instance, a saving of 30 cents can easily be 

 made by using coal instead of wood, and gas is considered about 

 25 cents cheaper per 1 000 than coal. Further economy may be 

 made by the use of the proper class of machinery for haulage. 

 Carts can usually be used economically up to 400 feet, beyond 

 this it will usually pay to lay tracks and use cars hauled by horses. 

 Above 600 feet steam haulage has been found economical. Self- 

 acting planes and cable haulage have been used to advantage in 

 a few instances. 



Detailed account of brick yards 



As the brick yards are scattered all over the state, a division of 

 them into groups for convenience is more or less arbitrary. 

 However, the following classification has been made. 

 Brick yards of eastern New York 



" " u central New York from Schenectady to Buffalo 

 " " " Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties 

 " " " southern New York 

 " " " Long Island 

 " " " Staten Island 



