﻿90 



JNTDIAXA UXIVEESITY 



panies when hard pressed have often asked for and received per- 

 mission from such organizations to sell at less than the agreed 

 rate. On stone of the first grade, there is in the entire district 

 little or no price-cutting, with or without producers' agreements, 

 for custom appears to have fixed a price which, in the absence of 

 severe competition on this grade of stone, has been quite stable. 

 The Xew York market uses practically all the strictly first-class 

 stone, which it takes in the form of mill blocks, and the supply, 

 which is rather more limited than that of the other grades, rarely 

 outriuis the demand. Price-cutting is more frequent in the lower 

 grades of stone, in which there is keener competition, owing to 

 greater supply, greater variety of grades, and more opportunity 

 for bidding on specifications for sawed stone. 



Besides these local organizations, many of the producers of 

 oolitic stone are members of more general quarrymen's associa- 

 tions, having for their objects the general interests of the quarry 

 industrj^, especially as to the development of trade and the regu- 

 lation of credit. These, however, have little direct influence on the 

 local industry. 



Wages and Employment. The following table, showing the 

 classification and wages of the workmen employed in the oolitic 

 stone industry, is deriv^ed from data furnished by the producers. 

 While it comprises only about one-third of the workmen, it may 

 fairly be considered representative, since all the important places 

 of production are included in the table except Stinesville and 

 Romona : 



Bedford District. BJoomington District. Annual 

 Class. Xo. Bate ijer Sr. No. Bate per Sr. Earnings 



Cutters^* 



20 



50c 



14 



50c 



$1,040 









2 



m 



455 





5 



22i 



3 



22i 



585 









1 



23 



598 









1 



25 



650 





2 



20 







520 



Assistant sawyers 







2 



16 



416 









10 





455 









1 



18 



468 





13 



18* 







481 



Head hookers 







1 



m 



455 





9 



22* 



1 



22i 



58c 



Hookers^ 







8 



15 



390 



Ci.itters ork eight hours 



per day. 











-5 Hookers in the quarries, 



or derrick 



helpers 



as they are 



also called. 



receive 



somewhat less tnan do hookers 



in the mill 



Is. whei-e 



their employment is also more 



constant. 



