The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-07
s,sss.s1s 10 1875
Ia Included in "other states.

(alIncluded in 'other states"
The estimated sales OF hydrated lime
in 1917 amounted to 7l9,757 short tons
slight gain t2,375 tons, or o.3 per cent?
over the sales shown by the revised fig
lures for 1916 This difference is so small
that the final figures may not show a
gain. This is the first year since Stats
tics of hydrated lime have been collected
by the survey in which there has been no
substantial gain in its production. The
fact that hydrated lime held its own,
however, during a year in which the de-
crease in the production OF lime was so
general indicates a relative increase in
! its use. No companies reporting sales of
! hydrated lime in 1916 failed to report
sales in 1917, and two new hydrating
plants reported production, one in Ar
| kansas and one in Idaho. The largest
percentages of decrease in the production
of hydrated lime shown i'll the foregoing
table were made in states whose prod
uct is used largely for building
The prices of lime, which generally in
creased in 1916, continued to rise
throughout the country in 1917, though
not in proportion to the continued in
crease in cost of production. A few com
panies in widely separated parts of the
country were obliged to close their
plants, partly on account of excessive
costs, but particularly because of short
age in fuel and labor. These conditions
and a shortage of railway cars caused
decreased production even where the de-
mand for lime was reported good.
The building-lime trade declined in all
parts of the country The unprecedented
demand for building lime in 1916 contin-
ued until February, 1917, when the eff
fects of the war, augmented in some
northern districts by severe weather,
brought it to a close fair to good de-
mand continued in many districts, how
ever, through the spring, and then gen
eral decline in building set in. This de
cline was due to the uncertainties of
war, to increased shortage of labor, fuel,
and cars, and to the fact that, lime being
perishable, the trade would not order
large CARROTS as demanded by the rail
roads.
The demand for lime by chemical and
metallurgcal plants surpassed that of
the previous record year, 1916, and the |
demand by paper mills and tanneries APP |
parently also appeared good. The sales |
of agricultural lime increased in some |
and decreased in others, owing |
mainly to the difficulties attending man
ufacture and to shortage of farm labor.
In the New England states the esti
mated total production of lime in 1917 |
showed decrease of II per cent. com
pared with the production in 1916. The
output of hydrated lime in 1917 how
ever. showed an increase of 50 per cent.
All producers reported increases in prices
up to 40 per cent. Costs also were high
sr, and some producers stated that by
The close of 1917 the cost of production
1ad more than doubled. Labor and fuel
we're scarce and transportation facilities
poor. In some districts the shortage of
abor for supplying wood fuel has become
20 great that it is feared that wood
burning kilns may remain idle during a
considerable part of 1918. The demand
or building lime as a whole was decid- .
IDLY less than in 1916, some producers .
'eporting a decline of 40 per cent. A
ew companies. however, reported good ,
demand. and some stated that the de-
line was not evident until late in the .
1ear.
In the middle Atlantic states New |
FORK. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and !
the estimated total produc
ion of lime i'm 1917 was IA per cent. less
han in 1916, but that of hydrated lime /,
increased nearly eight per cent. Prices
we're almost uniformly reported higher, a /
ew producers reporting increases OF 25 !