A fairly active demand prevailed throughout 1923 for stone of all kinds, and conditions at the quarries were better than in 1922. There were practically no strikes, and more cars were available for transportation, especially for crushed stone, than for several years. Labor was scarce and wages were high, yet, owing to improved methods and economies in operation, the cost of quarrying apparently remained about the same as in 1922. Prices varied, the average being higher for some kinds of stone and lower for others. Stone sold or used by the producers in the United States, 1922 and 1923, by uses • Chiefly agricultural limestone. (See pp. 219, 222, and 223.) All products shown in the preceding table, except stone for flagstone, increased in output in 1923, and stone for building and monumental work, curbing, crushed stone, refractory materials, and other uses exceeded the output of 1916, which had been the year of greatest output. Building stone increased 9 per cent in 1923, after an increase of 43 per cent in 1922. The Indiana oolitic limestone used for building increased 22 per cent, Carthage (Mo.) building stone increased 20 per cent, and Ohio sandstone for architectural building increased 16 per cent, but there were decreases in output at less well known localities, and granite for architectural building stone did not fully recover from the effects of the strike among the quarrymen and stone cutters in 1922. Stone for both rough architectural work and dressed and cut stone increased, but stone for rough construction work, which includes rough blocks for foundations, face stone for walls, sea walls, retaining walls, bridge work, and similar stone, decreased in output in 1923. The average value per cubic foot of all building stone increased in 1923, although the average value of the rough architectural stone was slightly lower than in 1922. Building stone sold or used by the producers in the United States, 1922 and 1923, by kinds 3,746, 740 $550, 247 791, 610 Sandstone. 1,250, 600 157, 995 624, 500 $778, 366 353, 047 Limestone 2,421, 800 2, 966, 400 271, 343 4,352, 030 1, 947, 557 2,577, 416 Marble. 3,880, 950 3,713, 028 1,962, 600 807, 420 1,880, 861 Basalt. 620, 980 1,626, 752 535, 360 603, 070 5,857,086 3, 414, 770 12,617, 380 12, 418, 873 71, 685 1,963, 760 6, 922, 383 Miscellaneous. 1,053, 320 603, 070 9,075, 530 Average value. 141, 769 1, 193, 039 $0.13 71, 685 . For granite, sawed stone corresponds to dressed stone for construction work (walls, foundations, bridges) and cut stone to architectural stone for high-class buildings. 1,894, 033 70, 145 5,975, 769 $0.82 1,096, 390 4,925, 510 711, 820 • 307, 537 1, 156, 313 5,676, 658 1,476, 525 642, 3703, 878, 025 172, 310 5, 342, 750 5, 405, 362 397, 877 3, 229, 450 2,267, 300 7, 120, 700 14, 639, 950 2, 130, 552 16, 221, 095 869, 480 5,090, 735 2,428, 680 8, 461, 293 463, 380 17, 210 25, 000 411, 310 6, 872, 700 8, 617, 033 $1.25 $1.22 Stone sold or used by the producers in the United States, 1922 and 1923, by States To avoid disclosing confidential information, certain State totals are slightly incomplete, the figures not included being combined under "Undistributed." Included under "Undistributed." 1 The tables of exports and imports were compiled by J. A. Dorsey, of the United States Geological Survey, from the records of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce. From "other building or monumental stone" is excluded by the Geological Survey 167,652 cubic feet of stone, valued at $1,712, shipped from Andrade, Calif., into Mexico for the protection of levees and other riprap work. The value of this material is, however, included in the total value for Mexico and in the grand total value. Stone imported for consumption in the United States, 1922 and 1923 Onyx not separately classified after new tariff went into effect (Sept. 22, 1922), but included under "Marble." General imports of marble and onyx, rough and manufactured, into the United States, 1922 and 1923 Grand total... 551,859 1, 169, 298 312, 828 1,482, 126 697,999 1,506,752 360, 318 1,867, 070 1922: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland and Danzig, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland. 1923: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Gibraltar, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey in Europe. 1922: Algeria and Tunís, Australia, Egypt, Hongkong, India (British), Palestine and Syria, and Venezuela. 1923: Ceylon, Hongkong, India (British), Palestine and Syria, and Uruguay. |