_Cresylic acid._—Domestic production and sales statistics for so-called crude cresylic acid are not publishable. It is known, however, that production of the crude is small compared with our output of refined cresylic acid. It is usually more economical for the producer to prepare the mixture of tar acids to the specifications of the purchaser, rather than to leave part of the refining operations to be performed by the latter. The fact that imports of cresylic acid are chiefly of crude is largely due to the different tariff treatment of crude and refined. Domestic production of refined cresylic acid was confined to one or two firms until 1928, when there were four makers. Statistics of production and sales are not publishable for the years prior to 1929, though it may be stated that the annual domestic output increased each year to supply the increased demand. Table 68 shows production and sales from 1929 to 1934, inclusive. Data for later years are not publishable. TABLE 68.—_Refined cresylic acid: United States production and sales, 1929-37_ -----+------------+------------------------------------- | | Sales Year | Production +------------+------------+----------- | | Quantity | Value | Unit value -----+------------+------------+------------+----------- | _Pounds_ | _Pounds_ | | _Per pound_ 1929 | 14,601,534 | | | $0.10 1930 | 17,305,308 | 16,026,407 | $1,267,155 | .08 1931 | 10,994,000 | 10,305,000 | 652,000 | .06 1932 | 8,060,000 | 4,805,000 | 251,000 | .05 1933 | 13,813,941 | 11,975,441 | 626,496 | .05 1934 | 10,949,860 | 9,230,255 | 489,231 | .05 1935 | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1]) | 1936 | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1]) | 1937 | ([1]) | ([1]) | ([1]) | -----+------------+------------+------------+----------- [1] Not publishable; figures would reveal operations of individual firms. Source: Compiled from annual reports of the Tariff Commission on dyes and other synthetic organic chemicals in the United States. As previously stated, the composition of cresylic acid has gradually been changed from a mixture of the isomeric cresols to mixtures of cresols, xylenols, and high-boiling tar acids. The cresols, formerly included under cresylic acid statistics, are now shown separately. For this reason the data in table 68 do not fully reflect the increased output of these tar acids in recent years. Statistics for years prior to 1931 probably include all of the tar acids except phenol, while those for subsequent years do not include the separated cresols. In 1934 the production of refined cresylic acid was 10,949,860 pounds, and in addition recovery of the several cresols amounted to 11,798,276 pounds making a total of 22,748,136 pounds as compared with a total of 14,601,534 pounds in 1929 and 17,305,308 pounds in 1930.