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Indiana University Studies 



represent fairlj'- well the cost of turning out a ton of the product 

 in a mill of this size. 



Labor at the mill $0 . 08 



Total labor charge, including sales 31 



Power 06 



Upkeep 05 



Stone .15 



General expense 05 



Total cost per ton for present output $0 . 70 



With an additional 10 cents per ton added to cover deprecia- 

 tion of machiner}^, the total cost will be 80 cents per ton. The 

 price charged for the product free on board the cars at Oolitic, 

 Ind., at present is $1.18 per ton. The present equipment could 

 be made to produce 75 tons per da}^ if the demand were large 

 enough, but at the present time the output is considerably below 

 this figure, since the market has not as yet been worked up 

 to its greatest development. The plant is equipped with storage 

 bins for 10 tons only, and this hampers the output, but the 

 company has already made plans to enlarge this part of their 

 plant, and by so doing a larger amount of the crushed product 

 can be handled. Any increase in the output will not be accom- 

 panied b}^ a corresponding increase in the cost of production, 

 because the fixed charges on the equipment which represent a 

 large part of the cost of production will not be increased. The 

 per ton cost of production therefore decreases with the increase 

 of the output. The product is at present sold for agricultural 

 purposes during the summer months and for use in fluxing, and 

 in the glass industrj^ during the winter. 



The machinery in use at the plant consists first of a Forster 

 type crusher manufactured hy the McLanahan Machine Com- 

 pany of Hollidaj^sburg, Pa. This reduces the stone to IJ^^-inch 

 size after which it is carried by a belt conveyor to a pulverizer 

 in which it is reduced to 20-mesh. The crusher, according to the 

 statement of the superintendent, is not giving satisfaction on 

 account of the high cost of upkeep, and the owners are thinking 

 seriously of instaJhng a gyratory crusher of the Gates type. 

 Power for the machinery is purchased from the Southern Indiana 

 Power Company, and the investment mentioned included the 

 cost of wiring and of motors. 



The stone for the plant is purchased from the mill and is of 

 the smaller sizes so that the crusher can handle it without further 



