The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-09-10
GRANITE BUILDING
STONE DECREASED
Total Sold in 1917 Was $685., 1928, Loss
Of Over a Million Dollars from
Previous Year.

The total value of granite sold for
building stone in 1917 was S2,ssl ,l2s,
decrease of Sl0s3,305, or p per cent,
compared with 1915. The rough stone
sold was valued at s590,3lO, which was
S3l2,796, or 35 per cent, less than in
1915; the dressed or manufactured stone
was valued at S2,290,8lS, which was
S770,56g, or rs per cent, less than in 1916
Accurate figures showing quantities are
not vet available, but owing to gen
eral increase in price the decrease IN
percentage Of output was considerably
more than that in value.
The statistics given were compiled UNI
der direction of G. f. Loughlin Of the
United States geological survey, in co.
operation with the National Building
Granite Quarters association and the
state geological surveys Of Georgia,
Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jer-
sey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsyl-
vania, Virginia, Washington and Wiscon-
sin.
Sales of granite for building were re-
ported from 26 states in 1917 compared
with rs in 1915 Massachusetts,, with a
total value of s646506, and Maine, with
1925, 604, ranked first and second. New
| Hampshire, second in rank in 1916, was
third in 1917, with value Of 1887 ,233,
| Massachusetts, with $780, 100, and Maine,
with Sl00o4l, were the only states whose
sales Of rough granite exceeded 100000
in 1917, and each of these showed de-
crease of about one-third compared with
1915 New Hampshire followed with
S7s,4s4 gain Of about one-quarter.
Pennsylvania, which ranked first in sales
of rough granite in 1915, with value of
1924 800, and credited with only $sT,97s
in 1917. The few other states that
showed gains had values of less than
$4,000
In sales Of dressed granite also Mas
sachusetts, with S5l3,s06, and Maine,
with S424,663, were the leading states,
| Maine, however, has made continuous
gains in 1916 q per cent and 1917 t55
per cent?, whereas Massachusetts, in the
same wears has suffered losses of IL per
cent and 10 per cent, respectively. North
| Cardinals output, chiefly stone for mau-
solemn work, though classed previously
as building stone, has been transferred
to monumental stone, the class in which
il more properly belongs New Hamp-
]
Rhode Island and Minnesota had values
in excess of 100000 in 1917. OF these
Georgia made gains in the last two years
its value for 1917 nearly doubling that
of 1915, and Rhode Island more thar
tripled its value for 1916. The other
states named showed decreases of 10 tC
so per cent,
The reduced output during the last
wear was due to a marked increase in
the cost Of labor, material, and freight
The general average increase was prob
ably about 30 per cent, but some item:
increased much more.
Prices increased, though in most places
not in proportion to the increase in costs
Some producers reported an increase o.
20 to 30 per cent. One company il
Maine reported an increase of 80 pc
cent, and two companies in New jersey
an increase Of 100 per cent for rough
stone. A few companies in New Hamp
shire, Maryland and the District Of Co
lumbia reported no increase in price.
The demand was preyailingly small
owing to a general curtailment in thu
erection of both government and private
buildings in which granite is ordinaril!
used. This curtailment in turn wa
caused by shortage of labor for build
ing, a shortage of other building mate
rails, and the increased price of thes,
materials and of building stone New
York's marked decrease was largely dut
to the completion of the kensico dam
for which a considerable quantity D
granite was sold in 1916 One produce
in Wisconsin attributed decreased de
mand in part to eastern competition, ant
two small producers in Massachusett
complained Of competition with artificial
substitutes for granite. The advers
; conditions compelled several quarlies il
= different parts of the country to suspend
, operations.
, One company each in California, Maine
New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania re
ported that the demand in 1917 equale
that in 1916, and few companies i
Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland an
Colorado reported that it was even bet
ter. Some of these, however, particular
ly those in Maryland, could not take ad
vantage of the favorable demand, OWN
to shortage of labor and cars. The in
crease in Georgia, Maine and Rhod
Island was due mainly to an increase j
the production of a single company i
each state, Arizona reported the sale o
considerable granite in both 1916 an
1917 This was used in building tn
Yavapai county courthouse.
As building operations were very ac
tive early in 1917, the curtailment j
them not becoming marked until abou
midsummer, the production in 1917 ma