A A 1 1 7 7 o HERNREGIi CD 1 9 4 FACILITY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES HOW MANHATTAN IS GOVERNED ILLUSTRA.TRD WITH 58 PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN PREPARED AND PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF CITY BETTERMENT OF THE CITIZENS UNION OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 1906 PRICE, 25 CENTS HOW MANHATTAN IS GOVERNED ILLUSTRATED WITH 58 PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN PREPARED AND PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF CITY BETTERMENT OF THE CITIZENS UNION OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 1906 ^&1 THE BUREAU OF CITY BETTERMENT CITIZENS UNION 254 Fourth Avenue, New York. com:mittee. coi^. chas. h. jones r. fulton cutting john j. murphy isaac s. wheaton JAMES B. REYNOLDS, Chairman HENRY BRUIJRE, Secretary s) b IIA Y CONTENTS. 1. Digest. 2. Introduction. 3. Borough President : Historical Statement. 4. Chart of Organization. 5. The Borough President and His Staff. 6. Financial Statement of the Borough of Manhattan. 7. Bureau of Highways. 8. Purchase of Supplies Without Contracts. 9. Bureau of Public Buildings and Offices. 10. Public Baths in Manhattan and Brooklyn. 11. Bureau of Sewers. DIGEST. I. Introduction. 1. The pamphlet relates to the administration of the Borough of Man. hattan 1904- 1905. 2. The pamphlet presents facts relative to the administration of the borough and offers suggestions for improvement along specific lines. II. History of the Office of Borough President. 1. Established by charter, 1897. Borough president member of board of public improvements with vote limited to matters af- fecting his borough. 2. Powers extended by charter of 1900 and abolition of board of pub- lic improvements ; made member of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment and given control of public works in his borough. III. Biographies. 1. John F. Ahearn, President of the Borough of Manhattan, 1904 — a. District leader in Tammany Hall ; holder of public office the greater part of his life ; politician of local power. b. Selects as his aides associates in practical politics ; makes allegiance to his political organization the test for promotion among his subordinates. c. Member of the Assembly and Senate for many years ; advo- cate in the Legislature of measures in behalf of the teachers and firemen of New York City; sponsor in the Legislature for many objectionable measures. 2. William Dalton, Commissioner of Public Works. a. District leader in Tammany Hall ; holder of many public offices ; carpenter and butcher by trade ; sponsor as commissioner of Water Supply for Ramapo scheme. b. Technically incompetent to administer bureaus charged with pub- lic works. 3. Bernard Downing, Secretary of the Borough of Manhattan, a. Popular young man on the East Side. 4. John V. Coggey, Superintendent of Sewers. a. District leader in Tammany Hall; dry goods clerk; machine politician ; alderman. 5. George F. Scannell, Superintendent of Highways. a. District leader in Tammany Hall; pi-actical politician and office holder. 6. William H. Walker, Superintendent of Public Buildings and Ofifices. a. Contractor ; politician. 7. Edward S. Murphy, Superintendent of Buildings, a. Member of Tammany Hall ; contractor. IV. Finances of the Borough President. I. Budget appropriation for : 1902-1903 $3,447,999.53 1904-1905 3,994,09401 2. Street improvement fund for assessment work: iyO2-i903 $ 917,136.23 1904-190S 1,333,334-09 3. Stock issues : 1902-1903 $7,904,332.27 1904- 1905 4,287,020.00 4. Special Revenue Bond Issues : 1902-1903 $350,500.00 1904-1905 628,650.00 5. Analysis of the payroll of the office of the borough president, June I, 1906, showing: a. A total of 2,004 employees and an estimated annual payroll of over $2,000,000. b. Average term of service of civil service employees under the borough president, 7.66 years. Bureau of Highways. 1. The most important bureau under the borough president. a. Value of Manhattan pavements many millions of dollars. b. Condition of the pavement bears directly upon health. c. Defective pavements expose city to suits for damages. 2. Asphalt pavements. a. President Ahearn revised asphalt specifications, limiting the material available for asphalt pavement in Manhattan to two or three cements. b. This restriction has not af^'ected the price of asphalt; price in 1905 lowest in five years. c. Prices in various cities in 1905. d. Long guarantee results in increased initial price. • e. Guarantee period reduced in Manhattan. f. Possible that asphalt specifications are not fulfilled by paving companies; bureau of highways in no position to determine. g. 4-27.90 miles of paved streets in Manhattan. h. Statement showing kinds of pavement and amounts. i. The several kinds of material used in paving. j. Table of yardage and mileage of pavement in the borough of Manhattan for five years. k. Fable showing amounts of pavements contracted for by Presi- dent Ahearn ; number of contracts, 104 ; mileage of pavement laid, 20.53; amount expended, $1,050,627.90; this information pub- lished for the first time. 1. Impossible to determine cost of engineering supervision of pav- ing from books kept by borough president's office. m. $8,000,000 appropriated for pavements, new and repaired, from 1902-1905, inclusive. 3. The maintenance of pavements. a. Method of maintaining pavements described in detail. b. No explanation found for the ten-year maintenance provision in the case of wood block pavement. c. The borough of Manhattan has no plant for repairing asphalt pavement ; repairs made by contract. d. Repairs guaranteed only during term of contract; contracts made year by year ; price in 1906, 75c. per square yard. e. Problem of keeping pavements in good condition a difficult one. f. Bureau of highways responsible for damage to pavements caused by cuts made by plumbers and others than city departments and public service corporations. g. Cost covered by permits to open pavements issued by the bureau of highways. h. Public service corporations responsible for restoration of opened pavements. i. In 1904, 87.90 miles ; in 1905, 108.72 miles of pavement opened by plumbers, public service corporations and city departments, j. Summary of pavements opened for four years. 4. Pipe Galleries. a. Streets in Manhattan cannot have good pavements so long as the street surfaces are constantly disturbed to gain access to sub-surface pipes and conduits. b. Solution of this problem found m pipe galleries. c. To .supply pipe galleries would involve enormous expenditures of public money. d. Less pressing than the provision of adequate transit facilities; nevertheless important to provide pipe galleries in connection with all future underground railway systems. e. Pipe galleries discussed in detail. f. Pipe galleries and the Rapid Transit Act; rapid transit rail- road commissioners given power to build pipe galleries in con- nection with all new subways. 5. Corporation Inspectors. a. City employees paid by corporations to inspect corporation work. b. Anomalous and unsatisfactory method of enforcing municipal regulations with respect to the laying of conduits ; unbusiness- like and unprofitable method of dealing with the problem of paving restoration. c. Office of corporation inspector valuable as a vehicle for patron- age. 6. Condition of pavement in streets below 14th Street as shown by inspection made by Bureau of City Betterment. a. 42% of blocks in streets ujider maintenance contract found in poor condition. b. 65% of blocks in streets not under mahitenance contract found in poor condition. c. Results of investigation reported to the bureau of highways. 7. Maintenance of macadamized streets. a. 18 miles of macadam roadways maintained by the bureau of highways. 8. Incumbrance of highways. a. Conflict in charter provisions ; department of street cleaning and borough president charged with keeping the highways free from incumbrances; no adjustment of responsibility between these two departments. b. Permits issued by bureau of incumbrances to builders and others. 9. Incumbrance principle stretched to a dangerous degree a. 'L' erected by Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 32d Street, from 9th Avenue to the North river, under permit issued by borough president. 10. Abandoned car track incumbrances. a. Abandoned street railway tracks are conspicuous and detri- mental incumbrances of the public highways. b. Merchants Association estimated that in 1903 there were 20 miles of these tracks in the streets of Manhattan. c. The borough president inactive with respect to the removal of unused car tracks. II. History of the Amsterdam Avenue track fight. a. Reasons why tracks should now be removed. li Pavement in railroad area. a. Railroads obliged by statute and franchise provisions to keep pave- ment in space within and about rails in repair. b. An investigation made by the Bureau of City Betterment revealed the fact that in 70% of the city blocks in which car tracks are laid the railroad area is paved with stone block. c. Suits for $720,000 for pavement laid in the railroad area in Manhattan, by the city, now pending. d. The railroad area in 55% of city blocks in which car tracks are laid in bad repair in June, 1906. 13. Street signs. a. No uniform method of indicating the names of streets in Man- hattan ; bewildering multiplicity of signs in use throughout the borough. b. Various signs described. 14. Vaults under sidewalks. a. The city owns the streets from lot line to lot line. b. Under present system space beneath sidewalks, property of the cit}', is leased to private individuals for indefinite period at $2 per square foot. c. In Chicago an annual rental is charged for this space, based upon assessed valuation of the property. d. If the Chicago method were applied to New York the revenue to the city from this source would be enormously increased. 15. Sidewalks. a. Many of the sidewalks in Manhattan are in a defective and dan- gerous condition. b. 82 suits pending in the courts against the city, on January i, 1906, for personal injury due to alleged defects in the sidewalks of Manhattan, involving the sum of $634,600. c. Sidewalks repaired by private owners and by the city. d. Defective condition of Manhattan sidewalks due largely to the prevalence of antiquated, blue stone flagging. e. Sidewalks studded with manholes and gratings which impede traffic of pedestrains. VI. Purchase of Supplies Without Contracts. 1. In 1904-1905 President Ahearn and his subordinates expended $1,024,838.30 without public contract; of this sum the bureau of buildings and offices expended in the two years, $444,965.99. 2. Detailed analysis of expenditures without public contract. a. $40'950.62 expended in 1904- 1905 for 'incidental' items. b. $181,754.51 expended in 1904 and 1905 for paving without con- tract. c. The various beneficiaries. VII. Public Baths. 1. The City of New York has appropriated $3,000,000 for the con- struction of free public baths during the past five years; of this sum over $2,000,000 was appropriated for baths in Manhattan. 2. Seven baths completed in Manhattan and one in course of con- struction. 3. Cost of operation in Manhattan and Brooklyn baths compared. a. For the three winter months of 1905 the cost to the city for each bath given to males in Manhattan was 5c. and to females 8 I2C. ; the cost in Brooklyn during the same period, for males and females, respectively, was 4c and 6c. b. The average cost per bath given in 1905 was, in Manhattan, 7c., and in Brooklyn, 3c. c. Public baths in Manhattan extravagantly administered. d. No system of bookkeeping for Manhattan baths which will indi- cate cost of construction and cost of operation. VIII. Bureau of Sewers. 1. Mileage of sewers in 1905 was 511.36; number of catch basins was 6,181. 2. This public property is in the care of the bureau of sewers and under the jurisdiction of the borough president. 3. Many of the sewers in Manhattan are more than half a century old. 4. Much of the system is in need of rebuilding. 5. a. The development of underground railways conflicts with sewer system, and future subways will necessitate the rebuilding of many sewers. b. No plan has been formulated by the bureau of sewers for meeting this problem. 6. Conflict between the rapid transit commission and the borough president with respect to rebuilding of sewers. INTRODUCTION. For certain purposes the several boroughs comprised within the City of New York are separately administered. This ad- ministration is under the control of a borough president, chosen by the electors of the respective boroughs. This pamphlet deals with the administration of the Borough of Manhattan and the presidency of John Francis Ahearn, during the years 1904-1905. The pamphlet does not exhaustively report the various oper- ations of the bureaus under President Ahearn during these two years. It aims, rather, to present a picture of the borough gov- ernment and to set forth certain facts respecting the working of this government during the period under review. The purpose of the inquiry into the administration of the borough was, first, to ascertain the facts respecting that administration and, second, to suggest its improvement along specific lines. Facts and suggestions are both included in the pamphlet. The suggestions relate chiefly to the ends to be achieved rather than to the method of their achievement. But, occasion- ally, as in the case of public baths^ both the end and the means are suggested. In an examination into the administration of the public baths it was found that they were without competent supervision and were generally extravagantly maintained. This extravagance was, doubtless, largely due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the Borough President as to what it actually costs to operate the baths. This lack of knowledge resulted mainly from indifference. The Borough President and his aides will learn for the first time on reading this pamphlet what it costs to build the baths for which they are responsible, and what it costs to operate them. The provision of competent and responsible supervision and the establishment of accurate book- keeping are suggested as remedies for the public bath situation. The pamphlet suggests no remedy for the evil it exposes with respect to the purchasing of supplies and the expenditure of money without public contract. It is shown that during the years 1904 and 1905 the various bureaus under President Ahearn and his own office spent more than a million dollars w^ithout public contract. Although some of the items which make up this great total could hardly have been contracted for, lO as, for example, the $16,000 spent for prison-made furniture, most of the money spent without the formahties which are de- signed to conserve the city's interests, and to secure for it the greatest vahie for its expenditures, represents wanton disregard of ordinary business judgment. It is beheved that the pubH- cation of these expenditures will, in itself, do much to remedy the evil. An important division of the work controlled by the bor- ough president, is the supervision of the building operations in the borough. This work is performed by the bureau of buildings. This pamphlet, however, does not deal with the bureau of buildings. The function of this bureau differs so widely from the other activities grouped under the borough president, and presents so many problems in itself, that it jus- tifies separate treatment. The Bureau of City Betterment is indebted to President Ahearn and to his associates for their courteous co-operation in the collection of the data upon which this pamphlet is based. II HISTORY OF THE OFFICE OF BOROUGH PRESIDENT When, by the charter of 1897, the five counties, comprised within the present City of New York, were consoHdated into one great metropoHs, the city was divided, for administrative purposes, into five boroughs corresponding closely with the county divisions. In each of these boroughs the of^ce of bor- ough president was created to preserve, as it were, a semblance of the former autonomy of the consolidated sections of the greater city. The framers of the charter saw the danger of over-cen- tralization of the affairs of the government at its seat in Man- hattan. It was to ofifset the tendency of a government centered in Manhattan to neglect the outlying boroughs that the office of borough president was primarily established. The borough president was to be chosen by the electors of his borough. His chief duty was to be the jealous guardian of the interests of his borough, and its champion against neglect. The charter commission of 1897 described the function of the borough president as follows : "To take the initiative in connection with all local improvements that are to be paid for by assessment for benefits, and to represent the borough on the Board of Public Improvements." This Board of Public Improvements was the creation of the charter of 1897. Of it the charter commission said : "The Board is one of the chief constructive features of the charter and has been carefully thought out in its constitution and powers." The Board was composed of the heads of the six most important departments of public works, and a president, all appointed by the mayor ; the mayor, the comptroller, and the corporation counsel, also an executive appointee. The borough presidents were added as partial members with no vote except on matters relating solely to their several boroughs. It was at the meeting of this Board that the borough president was supposed to prevent discrimination against his borough. The Board of Public Improvements had jurisdiction over the water supply, highways, cleaning of streets, sewers, pubHc build- ings, lighting, bridges and the purchase of supplies, through- 12 out the entire city. It was argued by the commission which framed the charter that pubHc works "ought to be primarily de- termined by expert authority, so that they may be developed upon a fixed plan and designed and constructed in accordance with the highest attainable skill." The charter, therefore, pro- vided that the initiative in such improvements should be taken by the Board of Public Improvements, requiring that works of great magnitude and cost also have the approval of the Board of Estimate and the Municipal Assembly, the assembly having power to override the mayor's veto with a five-sixths vote. These provisions, it was thought, would insure the city's de- velopment while safeguarding it from spoliation. In connection with the work of public improvement the charter of 1897 established local improvement districts, corre- sponding generally to the senatorial districts, and presided over by local boards, composed of the members of the Municipal Assembly residing in the district, with the borough president as chairman, ex-officio. These local boards were intended to serve as the spokesmen of the smaller divisions of the borough as the president served to make known the wants of the borough as a whole. Their power was limited to making recommendations to the Board of Public Improvements to initiate public work to be paid for in whole or part by assessment on the property benefited, except in minor matters, such as the laying of side- walks, where the local boards were authorized themselves to initiate proceedings by resolution. Concerning the local board, Mr. Edward M. Grout, the first president of the Borough of Brooklyn, said in 1899, prior to the revision of the charter : "The local boards have been the means of making known to the officials having power the needs of the localities. They have done this better than would have been done by any centralized system. Their recommendations in the matter of local assessable improvements, such as grading and paving streets, the construction of sewers and the opening of streets, have been in the best interests of localities, and, so far as those recommendations have been acted upon favorably, the local boards have produced benefits. The most pronounced benefit, however, has been in the making of minor improve- ments, such as flagging sidewalks, fencing vacant lots and grad- ing lots. These matters are the only ones in which power is vested in local boards by the Greater New York charter (1897). The result has been that more sidewalks have been flagged in Brooklyn since consolidation (2 years) than was probably done in the former city of Brooklyn in a period of five to eight years. 13 "I believe the continuance of local boards to be desirable for the reason that they are the best medium between the citizens of the locality and the center of city government. The meetings of the local boards in Brooklyn have approached as nearly the town meeting plan of villages at which all citizens have a voice, as can be attained in a city. . . . What is needed now is power in the local boards to make their action efifective — to direct the making of various street improvements and to see that they are done at once by the departments, instead of being limited, as now, merely to the power of making recommendations which, under the complex system of the charter, means long delay be- fore it results in action." In the deliberations of the local boards the borough presi- dent had a vote^ but no veto. In the deliberations of the Board of Public Improvements he had vote only on matters relating exclusively to his borough. Mr. Grout wrote : "There is practi- cally nothing that a borough president, after examination and having determined what should be done, can proceed to do. He can only then attempt to persuade some other official that the thing should be done. The benefit secured by borough pres- idents has been simply that resulting from their being advocates for the citizens of their boroughs. Their offices in the boroughs have to an extent been bureaus of information for the citizens, respecting provisions of the new charter not yet generally under- stood." Mr. Grout believed, however, in the continuance of the office but only with enlarged powers. Mr. Seth Low ad- vocated an increase in the powers of the borough president, al- though he felt that wider powers for the local boards would in- terfere with what he considered a desirable centralization in the control of the city's work. Criticism of the character made by Mr. Grout, and the presi- dents of the boroughs of The Bronx and Queens, together with a general protest on the part of residents in the outlying bor- oughs at apparent discrimination against them in favor of Man- hattan by the Board of Public Improvements, led to a widening of the powers of the borough president in the revised charter > of 1901. The charter revisionists believed that the Board of Public Improvements, of which so much had been expected, had proved unsuccessful. It had not been possible to secure, under the regime of 'practical politicians', 'experts', sufficiently disinter- ested and far-sighted to be free from sectional bias. Without public works, and public works contracts, 'practical politicians' outside of Manhattan had found it difficult to justify their con- 14 tinuance in office to their constituents and backers. With poHtical control centralized in Manhattan the political fruits were largely distributed there. President Haffen in The Bronx loudly complained that not one single public improvement had been authorized for The Bronx during the entire first year of the life of the new city. It was decided, therefore, to decentralize the control of local improvements. The care for the harmonious development of the city was taken from the Board of 'experts' and placed in the hands of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment. The borough presidents were made representatives of the boroughs in fact as well as in theory. The reorganization resulted in the abolition of the Board of Public Improvements. The departments of highways, sewers and public buildings were broken up into bureaus and placed under the borough presidents with jurisdiction limited to a single bor- ough. The purchase of supplies, except "for the offices under the borough president, was dissociated from the care of public buildings and entrusted to the heads of departments. Similarly, public lighting was added to the province of the Department of Water Supply. The Department of Buildings was divided into five sections and placed under the borough presidents because one central office had proved inconvenient to citizens living in remote parts of the city and having business to transact with the Department. The borough presidents were made members of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment. The difficulty of placing finan- cial control in the hands of the spenders of city money was in a measure overcome by the principle of multiple voting. The new Board of Estimate was composed, in addition to the borough presidents, of the mayor, the comptroller, and the president of the Board of Aldermen, who were elected by general election in all boroughs. To each of these three members three votes were given on all matters coming before the board. The presidents of the boroughs pf Manhattan and Brooklyn were each given two votes, and the presidents of the three remaining boroughs were each given one. In this way the public officials responsible to the entire city are collectively stronger by two votes than the combined representatives of the several sub- divisions of the city. The new charter also enhanced the importance of the local improvement boards by giving to those bodies authority to 15 initiate proceedings for local assessable improvements, subject to the approval of the Board of Estimate, and, in matters involv- ing an expenditure of more than $500,000 of the city's funds, the joint approval of the Board of Aldermen. Approval of the Board of Estimate is not necessary when a local board decides to spend a sum not exceeding $2,000 for flagging sidewalks, laying crosswalks, fencing vacant lots, digging down lots or fill- ing in sunken lots. No resolution of the local board may take effect without the approval of the borough president. It will have been seen, therefore, that decentralization ot control over the work of public improvement so important to a growing community and so valuable politically, was largely ef- fected by the new charter. The harmonious development of the city is frankly left to political expediency, although the interact- ing interests of the different borough presidents assures to each a due measure of consideration in the work of public improve- ment.* For the execution of pubHc improvements the city was now divided, by the new charter, into five subdivisions, corre- sponding to the boroughs. The direction of the machinery of public work was placed in the hands of the borough president. He was given cognizance and control of the following mattws : (i) Of regulating and grading streets- (2) Of constructing and repairing public roads. (3) Of paving and repaying. (4) Of laying surface railroad tracks. (5) Of the filling and fencing of lots and of licensing vaults under the sidewalks. (6) Of the removal of incumbrances. (7) Of the issuing of permits to use and open the streets. (8) Of all bridges except those that cross navigable streams. (9) Of all subjects relating to sewers. (10) Of certain public buildings. (11) Of all offices leased for public purposes. (12) Of public baths and comfort stations. (13) Of the supervision of all building activities in the borough. In addition to the powers above specified, the presidents of Queens and Richmond have control of the cleaning of the streets within their jurisdiction. ♦There is still, however, a decided disinclinatioa on the part of the borough presidents to submit to control by the Board of Estimate as a whole in the matter of assessable improvements. It is argued that the city not only gains by the increase in taxable values by reason of these improvements, but profits in advancing money to the locality for their execution. Overdue assessments are subject to an interest charge of seven per centum while the city can borrow at four. 16 c Organization of .he 0«i« of ,he President of the Borough of Manhattan. Showing Elective (l> and Exempt Positions Appointed by the Borough President. The Pr«id«nt of the Borough. ElecKd by AH the Electors of the Borough. Term, Four Years. Salary, $7,500 per Annum. KBCAPITULATIO.S : EH°°'Ss"?j, f?''2!?'" '"'•anil*'' *•"«•*■ if^'u^ty^,.',... irXi Enilot»r of Sirf«t Openlan. Civil snnplro: Baiarjr. (S.IkiO p nrubloiton W. wnk& # C) Each borough president is permitted to appoint a commis- sioner of pubHc works, who may exercise all the administrative powers of his chief. Subordinate to the commissioner are the superintendents of highways, sewers, incumbrances, public buildings and offices, and public baths. The superintendent of highways has charge of all matters pertaining to the building and repairing of streets. The superintendent of sewers has charge of all matters in any way concerning the construction and care of the sewer sys- tem and the drainage thereof. The superintendent of incumbrances removes street in- cumbrances and grants permits to builders and others to use the streets. The duties of the superintendents of public buildings and offices and public baths are indicated by their titles. The superintendent of buildings is in charge of the bureau of buildings. This bureau passes upon all plans for the con- struction of new buildings and repairs to old ones, and all con- struction work on buildings is subject to inspection by the bu- reau's experts. 17 THE BOROUGH PRESIDENT AND HIS STAFF. JOHN FRANCIS AHEARN. Leader in Tammany Hall in the Fourth (old) Assembly District. The borough president enjoys in many ways great oppor- tunities for social service. As the chairman of the local boards he is entrusted with the welfare of the various political sub- divisions which these boards represent. Indeed, the purpose of social service was an underlying motive in the creation of the local boards. Respecting them the charter provides that they shall have "power to hear complaints of nuisances in streets and avenues, or against disorderly houses, drinking saloons con- ducted in violation of the laws regulating the traffic in liquor, gambling houses or any other places or congregations violative of good order or the laws of the state, or other matters or things concerning the peace, comfort, order or good govern- ment respecting any neighborhood within the district, or con- cerning the condition of the poor within the district. . . and to aid the Board of Aldermen and departments in the dis- charge of their duties respecting the good government in the said district." The power of the local board is the power of the borough president. The secretary of the borough, appointed by the president, is the secretary of the local boards, and the president as chairman exercises a veto which in practice makes him the complete arbiter in matters undertaken by them. Cor- respondingly, his power of initiative is great. As the administrative head of the public baths system of the borough, the president's power to render service of a high order to the public is thus increased. Having charge of the sewer system, and of the sidewalks and streets of the borough, the official activities of the president bear directly upon the welfare of the entire community. The present borough president, John Francis Ahearn, was first elected to his office on the Tammany ticket in 1903. He was re-elected in 1905 for a term which will expire December, 1909. Mr. Ahearn has a political experience extending over many years. Born in New York City in 1853, he received his first public office in his election to the Assembly in 1883. After one term in the Assembly Mr. Ahearn became a clerk in a police court, returning to the Legislature as Senator in 1889. In 1891 and continuously to 1902 he was re-elected to the Sen- ate. In 1902 he was superseded by Daniel J. Reardon, only to be nominated in the following year for the vastly more import- ant office of borough president. Senator Ahearn began his career in the Senate opposed to the Tanimany forces, but was soon won over and became a steadfast party man. This loyalty to organization measures doubtless led him to vote for the famous 'Huckleberry Bill' in the session of 1893. This bill was passed in favor of the Union Railway Company, and granted that company a fran- chise to operate street railways in practically every part of the 'Annexed Territory,' as the part of New York City above the Harlem River was at that time known. It expressly relieved the company from certain important provisions of the rail- road law which protected the city's interests. One of these provisions was that the city should sell franchises for street railways at public auction to the corporation which would agree to pay annually to the city the largest percentage of gross re- ceipts. Another provision of the railroad law from which the measure exempted the Union Railway Company, related to the payment to the city of three per cent of their gross earnings by all companies receiving a franchise during the first live years of their operation, and five per cent thereafter. It was only after pubhc protest that the 'Huckleberry Bill' was amended so as to provide for any compensation to the city and then it stipulated that the company should pay only one per cent of its gross earnings, but not until they averaged $1,700 per day during six months and an additional one per cent for each additional $1,700 so earned. Similarly, Mr. Ahearn's party fealty led him to vote for the notorious Central Park Speedway Bill, which provided for the construction by the city of a speed- way in Central Park, parallel to Eighth Avenue, for the use of owners of fast horses. This bill became law, but was hurriedly repealed when its passage aroused a storm of protest. Sena- tor Ahearn voted for the repeal. Senator Ahearn acquired great popularity as a legislator because of his efforts in behalf of various classes of city em- ployees. He was responsible for the law bearing his name which established a minimum salary rate for teachers and provided for periodical increases based on length of ser- vice. It was due to Senator Ahearn that the Board of Esti- mate and Apportionment was empowered to include in the annual budget an appropriation to meet the deficiencies in the police pension fund. Mr. Ahearn also placed the firemen of New York City under obligation to him because of his activity in their interest. A thorough examination of Mr. Ahearn's legislative record has not been attempted. With his career as Senator this pamphlet is not concerned except in so far as it may serve to indicate the character of service Mr. Ahearn has previously rendered in office. In rehearsing his public activity Mr. Ahearn 19 has referred with pride to a measure introduced by him, but which failed to become law, known as the 'Mothers' Bill.' The 'Mothers' Bill' provided that money previously paid to institu- tions for the support of children of indigent widows, should, after careful investigation, be paid to the widows directly, and that the children should be left in the custody of their mothers. Previously published reviews of Senator Ahearn's record in the Senate classify as objectionable a bill introduced by him in successive sessions, but which never became law, requiring steamship companies plying on Long Island Sound, coming from points outside of New York State, and passing through Hell Gate, to have their landing places in the East River, north of Grand Street. This affected the Fall River and other steam- boat lines. In 1891, Senator Ahearn introduced a bill amend- ing the Civil Service law, which failed of passage, providing that when the names of candidates for civil service positions who have passed an examination are transmitted to the ap- pointing officer, no statement of the percentage which the candidates receive in examination should be transmitted, and forbidding discrimination in appointments by reason of higher or lower percentages received by candidates. In the session of 1899 he introduced a bill which was passed, but later declared unconstitutional, providing for the refunding to accused officials of money spent in successful defense, on con- dition of the claims being allowed by the Supreme Court. This law was immediately taken advantage of by all the officials who had stood trial in consequence of the Lexow investigation, and before it was declared unconstitutional claims for nearly $1,000,000 had been filed. During his twelve years in the Senate Mr. Ahearn de- veloped into a local politician of considerable power. He was elected leader of his district organization in 1903, a position he still holds. His local organization, the John F. Ahearn Association, is one of the strongest Tammany district bodies. It was in recognition of his strength as a politician that he re- ceived the nomination for the borough presidency, an office next in importance to that of mayor, from a patronage point of view, and one which a Tammany politician at one time picturesquely called 'a pudding.' The record of his administration of the office of borough president, to which he was first elected in 1903, and the most important he has held, is partially set forth in the following pages. Possessed of considerable initiative, he has been active in securing appropriations for public improvements. The ex- 20 penditure of vast sums of money has been entrusted to his dis- cretion. On the other hand, his administration has done noth- ing to solve certain pre-eminently important problems involved in the proper administration of the borough. Everywhere, still, abandoned car tracks encumber the highways of the borough. The public baths which he has built are not administered so as to be adequately used. He has done nothing to bring about an end to the constant destruction of pavements by the owners of sub-surface systems. He has tolerated extravagance in the pur- chase of supplies and in making repairs. For the practical politician the expenditure of money is the bricks and mortar of his power; it is the thing he most wishes to do. As an ad- ministrator he must be judged not by the amount of his spend- ings but by the method in which these expenditures are made. As his assistants in the administration of his public work, Mr. Ahearn is allowed by charter a commissioner and assistant commissioner of public works, and superintendents of the vari- ous bureaus under him. These officials have been chosen by him for their political qualifications. The commissioner and assistant commissioner of public works, the superintendents of sewers and highways and his original appointment to the super- intendency of buildings, are all district leaders in Tammany Hall with considerable experience in public office, but no con- spicuously creditable service. Of the two remaining superin- tendents one, the superintendent of public buildings and offices, is a politician contractor, and the other, the superintendent of public baths and comfort stations, a civil service employe. The present incumbent of the superintendency of buildings is a con- tractor who is a member of Tammany Hall and the recipient of contracts in the past from Mr. Ahearn and his party. Being a district leader himself, Mr. Ahearn frankly holds that a district leader is the best qualified person available to superintend the various technical bureaus under his control, no matter what that district leader's engineering experience may be. Not only does Mr. Ahearn look for his aides among his asso- ciates in practical politics, but he makes allegiance to his politi- cal organization the test for promotion among his subordinates. The civil service will protect a clerk who attends to his duty with reasonable faithfulness, no matter what his political affilia- tions may be, but the most devoted attention to his duties will not bring a man promotion, dependent as it is upon the sanction of the President, unless the employee is of the 'right political complexion.' This Mr. Ahearn has made understood through- out of the ranks of his subordinates. In this way, therefore, a premium is set upon activity in 'practical' politics. The first 21 consideration in promoting a man or selecting an applicant from the civil service lists is his past activity in behalf of Mr. Ahearn's organization, and his present willingness to serve those interests. It will need no argument to persuade the open- minded that if efficiency were desired above all else, Mr. Ahearn's method of selection and promotion would not be practiced. In order that it may be shown how Mr. Ahearn has carried out his view of good administration in the selection of his staff, this chapter is largely given over to previously pub- Hshed notes respecting their character and careers. WILLIAM DALTON: COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS; SALARY $6,000 PER ANNUM. The Commissioner of Public Works is in one sense the vice- president of the borough. In the absence of the president, the full powers of that official devolve upon him. Nominally, this officer is the general overseer of the public works activities carried on in the various bureaus subordinate to him. His use- fulness to the city is in direct ratio to his competency as a super- visor of these public works. This competency must depend upon his technical fitness. The general work of administration is entrusted to the president himself and his election by popular vote precludes the likelihood of his selection for tech- nical fitness to execute public works. From the point of view of good administration, therefore, the commissioner of public works should be technically competent to intelligently supervise the making of pavements, the building of sewers and the con- struction of public buildings. Mr. Ahearn has selected for his chief aide and the incumbent of this office William Dalton. Mr. Dalton is a butcher and car- penter by trade and a politician by profession. His chief recom- mendation to President Ahearn is the fact that he is the leader of the Tammany Hall organization in the 11th Assembly Dis- trict. As a public servant his most conspicuous performance was his ardent espousal, during his term as Commissioner of Water Supply under Mayor Van Wyck's administration, of the Ramapo Water Company's proposal to convert the water supply system of New York City into a gold mine for that company's exclusive advantage. Mr. Dalton's qualifications as an engineer were stated by himself in his4estimony before the Mazet Committee, as follows : 22 Testimony before the special committee of the Assembly appointed to investigate the public offices and departments of the City of New York, etc. (The Mazet Committee.) Given Tuesday, September 12, i8qq.* Ouestioji {by counsel): ^'Mr. Dalton, did yoii go into your office possessed of any special acqicircmcnt of kttowledge in the matter of engineering a7id water snpplyf' Anszver: ''Well so far as engijieering, yes sir; I 07vned an engine for some years. At 7ny place of business we 7namifactur ed butchers^ stipplies a7id did carpenter work. It zvas small; about eight-horse poiver." In his present office Mr. Dalton has done nothing to attract attention. His record there, so far as it is known, is entirely colorless. Some of the public statements regarding Mr. Dalton's career are herewith sfiven : William Dalton: Testimony before Mazet Committee, Sept. 12, iSqq. Pages 2682-26S3, Vol. III. of printed testimony. "I am the Commis- sioner of Water Supply. When I was appointed to this particular office I was in the wholesale butcher business. My place of business was 601 West 39th street, and 3, 5 and 7 Washington Market. I had that busi- ness and the carpenter business for some thirteen years, I believe. That is, I had a partner connected with the business up to the time I had this place (Commissioner of Water Supply). I did not actively partici- pate hi the business. I was Commissioner of Excise, president of the board, and deputy commissioner of street cleaning, and acting commis- sioner at times. I have held no other public position. My time has been altogether given to these public offices. There have been intervals when I held no public position, from the 27 of February, 1895, up to, I think, the 2 of January, 1898. I am also a district leader in Tammany Hall. I have been a district leader going on ten years ; ten years, I think, this election. The duties of that position are somewhat numerous. It takes some time to perform the duties of that position of district leader. ... I cannot perform both sets of duties with ease. I can- not perform my duties to the association and attend to the duties of the water commission at the same time." "William Dalton's rise to power with Tammany Hall has been steady. He was first heard of in a political way in 1885 when he was elected to the Assembly where he remained three years. In 1889 he became deputy Street Cleaning Commissioner, and in 1893 Mayor Gilroy made him Ex- cise Commissioner. In 1898 Mayor Van Wyck named him for his present position (Commissioner of Water Supply). He was born in New York about fifty years ago and has long been leader of the nth A. D." — N. Y. World, April 26, 1901. "Printed in the published report of the testimony, page 2769, Vol. III. 23 "William Dalton, familiarly known as 'Billy,' a butcher and liquor dealer, is the Tammany leader of the iith A. D. He represented the 17th A. D. in the Assembly several times. While there it was said of him that he was 'too much of a fool to be a rogue'. He is believed to have some valuable privileges in West Washington Market." — N. Y. Evening Post, April 20, 1894. "Mr. Dalton was born in the precinct he now conducts, and lived there all his life. His education was gained in the pubhc schools of this city. After leaving school his father apprenticed him to the carpenter trade. He served his time and started out for himself. He opened a shop and made a specialty of manufacturing butchers' iittings. In this way he drifted into the butcher business, which he follows at present in Wash- ington Market. During the years 1886- 1887- 1888 he was a member of the State Assembly." — N. Y. World, October 6, 1891. "William Dalton was sponsor for the $200,000,000 Ramapo grab which nearly succeeded." — N. Y. World, December 29, 1903. BERNARD DOWNING: SECRETARY OF THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN; SALARY $4,000 PER ANNUM. Mr. Downing is the Secretary of the Borough of Manhattan. In this capacity he is also Secretary of the Boards of Local Im- provements in that borough. Air. Downing has not yet risen to the rank of district leader in Tammany Hall. The following items have been published concerning him : "Mr. Downing is the vice-president of the Tammany organization of the 4th A. D., and is one of the most popular young men on the East Side." — N. Y. World, December 23, 1903. "The appointment of 'Barney' Downing as private secretary to Mr. Ahearn . . . has pleased the East Side. Mr. Downing is connected with many charitable enterprises." — N. Y. World, December 24, 1903. JOHN V. COGGEY: SUPERINTENDENT OF SEWERS; SALARY $5,000 PER ANNUM. Mr. Coggey is a district leader in Tammany Hall in the 24th A. D. The following statements concerning him have been pub- lished: "John V. Coggey, Tammany; dry goods clerk; common school edu- cation ; machine politician ; present alderman ; appointed vice Alderman Dunn, deceased; never held other office, hut family always in politics; bears good reputation in his district." — N. Y. Evening Post, October 30, 1901. 24 "Mr. Coggey was born in New York City on April 9, 1874, and re- ceived a public school education, being a graduate of grammar school No. 74 East 63rd Street. His first ambition was to study law, but he gave that up to enter the dry goods house oi H. B. Claflin & Co., where he has been for the last ten years, and is still connected with that estabhshment. Mr. Coggey has been interested in politics since a child. He has not missed a m.eeting at Tammany Hall since he could find the way to 14th Street. Mr. Coggey was made captain of his election district as soon as he reached his majority. At present he is the youngest member of the Board of Aldermen. He has lived in 57th Street for twenty years." — N. Y. Evening Telegram, October 30, 1901. "Borough President Ahearn yesterday appointed John V. Coggey Superintendent of Sewers to succeed Matthew Donahue, who declined re- appointment." — N. Y. Tribune, January i, 1906. "Place found for Coggey. Ahearn gives district leader a job when Mayor refuses. Coggey was 'taken care of by Borough President Ahearn who is dispensing patronage to suit Charles F. Murphy." — N. Y. World, January 16, 1906. Mr. Coggey's immediate predecessor in office, Matthew F. Donahue, was and is the Tammany Hall leader in the Twenty- first Assembly District. GEORGE F. SCANNELL: SUPERINTENDENT OF HIGHWAYS; SALARY $5,000 PER ANNUM. These items are discovered concerning Mr. Scannell, pub- lished as follows : "George F. Scannell, brother of Fire Commissioner Scannell . . . knows a good thing when he sees it. Scannell was very anxious several months ago to become a clerk in Jefferson Market PoHce Court. At the last moment he gave up the berth and recommended another applicant who got the place. "When Scannell was asked why he had not accepted the position for himself he said: 'I get $1,500 a year in the Surrogate's office and I am not required to show up. A court clerk's salary is $2,000, but what is it when you have to show up seven days a week? I think I will stick to the soft snap in the Surrogate's office.' "The clerks of the Surrogate's office say Scannell makes his appear- ance only when he feels like doing so. For this conscientious perform- ance of his duty he was appointed Thursday last to be administration clerk at a salary of $2,500 per year." — N. Y. World, February 11, 1894, "John J. Scannell resigned from the leadership of the 25th A. D. and George F. Scannell, administration clerk of the Surrogate's office, is to succeed him." — N. Y. World, January 8, 1898. 25 "Mayer attacks Scannell, etc." "Marcus R. Mayer, who is trying to oust George F. Scannell from the Democratic leadership of the .25th A. D., addressed a meeting last night. . . . He said Mr. Scannell was . . . before he was appointed to a $2,000 position in the Surrogate's office. Out of the $2,000 a year he has lately bought a piece of property worth $30,000." — N. Y. World, September 5, 1902. "George F. Scannell appointed Highway Commissioner, (Superin- tendent of Highways) by Borough President Ahearn." — N. Y. World, January i, 1904. WILLIAM H. WALKER: SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND OFFICES ; SALARY $5-000 PER ANNUM. Mr. Walker's ability in the purchasing of supplies is set forth in a following chapter. His efficiency as the administrative officer of the public baths system is also indicated in a later chapter. ]\Ir. Walker has held his present office since 1902, hav- ing been originally appointed by Borough President Jacob A. Cantor. Among the published items concerning his career are the fol- lowing ; attention is called to his commendable service with the establishment of recreation piers : "In session of 1892 secured the passage of an act to provide for the health and recreation of the people of New York by setting apart certain piers along the river fronts of the City of New York for their use." — N. Y. World, July 3, 1892. "Walker, the Tammany candidate for Assembly in the 8th District, was born in Ireland in December, 1849. He was educated in the free public schools of Dublin in his native country and came to New York about twenty years ago. He learned the trade of a carpenter and builder, in which occupation he is still engaged. He is a prominent mem- ber of the Tammany Hall organization. He served as a member of the Board of Aldermen from 1887 to i8go. He was elected to the last session of the Assembly from the old 9th District and served on numerous important committees, including those on Taxes and Retrenchment, Privileges and Elections and on Trades and Manufactures." — N. Y. World, November 8, 1892. "Former Alderman William H. Walker, who is fighting Councilman Patrick J. Ryder for the Tammany leadership of the 3rd District, declared last night that Richard Croker has never been so badly mistaken as he was when he said that when the district fight was over all those engaged in it will remain in Tammany Hall. 26 " 'I, for one, will not remain in Tammany, if we lose,' said Mr. Walker. 'If Croker beats us now we will form an independent democracy and try again to overthrow him.' " — N. Y. Herald, September 12, 1899. "Councilman Patrick J. Ryder was again victorious in the 3rd A. D. Ex-Assemblyman William H. Walker made a good fight against him, but was not strong enough to accomplish his defeat." — N. Y. World, September 20, 1899. "Grout holds up Cantor's bills. Comptroller talks of investigating Bureau under Borough President. Refuses to pay for 'phones in homes of officials." (Wm. H. Walker, Supt. of Public Buildings, $66.00 per year.) — N. Y. World, June 27, 1902. "Fat salaries in many jobs in Hall of Records. Estimate of $95,000 for maintenance next year. Reminds old timers of the days of 'Bill' Tweed. City cannot use it until next July. Cost of running it exceeds that of greatest office building in New York." — N. Y. World, December 28, 1905. EDWARD S. MURPHY: SUPERINTENDENT OF BUILDINGS; SALARY $5,000 PER ANNUM. Mr. Murphy is a member of Tammany Hall, but a contractor and builder as well. His present office is the first he has held. He was appointed to succeed Isaac A. Hopper, in January, 1906. Mr. Hopper who had held the position for two years had proved a failure as the superintendent of buildings, although he had secured a fortune as a contractor. Mr. Hopper is the leader of the Tammany Hall organization of the 31st A. D. Mr. Murphy holds no official position in Tammany Hall. STATEMENT OF APPROPRIATIONS TO THE PRESI- DENT OF THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN. 1902 Budget. General Administration. Salaries : Salary of the President $7,500.00 Salary of the Commissioner of Public Works, Clerks, Assistants, Engineers and Employees 58,150.00 $65,650.00 Supplies and Contingencies 8,500.00 ■_ $74,150.00 Bureau of Engineer of Street Openings. Salaries 19,120.00 Bureau of Highways. Salaries 72,240.00 Boring Examinations for Grading Contracts 2,000.00 Boulevards, Roads and Avenues, Maintenance of, 114,150.00 Flagging Sidewalks and Fencing Vacant Lots in front of City Property 2,000,00 One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Street Viaduct, Maintenance and Repair 6,000.00 Repairs and Renewal of Pavements and Regrading 360,758.00 Repaving Streets and Avenues 75,000.00 Roads, Streets and Avenues unpaved, Main- tenance of and Sprinkling 35,000.00 Maintenance of Eighth Avenue Pavement 19,200.00 Chemical and Cement Laboratory 2,500.00 688,848.00 Bureau of Incumbrances. Salaries 13,100.00 Removing Obstructions in Streets and Avenues... 15,000.00 28,100.00 Bureau of Sewers. Salaries 62,550.00 Boring Examinations 3,100.00 Sewers — Repairing and Cleaning, , Payrolls and Supplies 165,000.00 230,650.00 Bureau of Public Buildings and Offices. Salaries and Wages 259,419.53 Supplies and Repairs (Including Rivington St. Bath) 134,000.00 393419-53 Bureau of Public Baths and Public Comfort Stations. Salaries S7.781.50 Bureau of Buildings. Salaries 226,000.00 Rents 16,500.00 Contingencies and Emergencies 8,000.00 250,500.00 $1,742,569.03 28 1903 Budget. General Administration. Salaries : Salary of the President $7,500.00 Salaries of Commissioner of Public Works, Clerks, Assistants, Engineers and Employees 62,500.00 70,000.00 Sapplies and Contingencies 8,500.00 78,500.00 Bureau of Engineer of Street Openings. Salaries 15,940.00 Supplies and Contingencies 3,180.00 19,120.0© Bureau of Highways. Salaries 73,400.00 Boring Examinations for Grading Contracts 2,000.00 Boulevards, Roads and Avenues, Maintenance of, 114,150.00 Flagging Sidewalks and Fencing Vacant Lots in Front of City Property 2,000.00 One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Street Viaduct, Main- tenance and Repairs 6,000.00 Repairs and Renewal of Pavements and Regrading 360,758.00 Roads, Streets and Avenues unpaved, Maintenance of and Sprinkling 35,000.00 Maintenance of Eighth Avenue Pavement 19,200.00 Chemical and Cement Laboratory 2,500.00 Riverside Drive Viaduct, Maintenance of, 17,000.00 632,008.00 Bureau of Incumbrances. Salaries «. 13,200.00 Removing Obstructions in Streets and Avenues. . . 15,000.00 28,200.00 Bureau of Sewers. Salaries 65,920.00 Boring Examinations 3,100.00 Sewers — Repairing and Cleaning, Payrolls and Supplies 165,000.00 234,020.00 Bureau of Public Buildings and Offices. Salaries and Wages 262,421.25 Supplies and Repairs (Including Rivington Street Bath) 135,300.00 397,721.25 Bureau of Public Baths and Public Comfort Stations. Salaries 56,31 1.25 Bureau of Buildings. Salaries 235,050.00 Rents 16,500.00 Contingencies and Emergencies 8,000.00 259,550.00 $1,705,430.50 29 1904 Budget. General Administration. Salaries: Salary of the President .$7,500.00 Salary of the Commissioner of Public Works, Clerks, Assistants, Engineers and Employees 62,500.00 70,000.00 Supplies and Contingencies 8,500.00 Bureau of Engineer of Street Openings. Salaries 15,940.00 Supplies and Contingencies 3,180.00 Bureau of Highways. Salaries 73,400.00 Boring Examinations for Grading Contracts 2,000.00 Boulevards, Roads and Avenues, Maintenance of, 114,150.00 Flagging Sidewalks and Fencing Vacant Lots in Front of City Property 2,000.00 One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Street Viaduct, Main- tenance and Repairs 6,000.00 Repairs and Renewal of Pavements and Regrading 410,758.00 Roads, Streets and Avenues Unpaved, Maintenance of and Sprinkling 35,000.00 Maintenance of Eighth Avenue Pavement 19,200.00 Chemical and Cement Laboratory 2,500.00 Riverside Drive Viaduct, Maintenance of, 17,000.00 Street Signs, Maintenance of, 3,000.00 Bureau of Incumbrances. Salaries 13,200.00 Removing Obstructions in Streets and Avenues... 15,000.00 Bureau of Sewers. Salaries 65,920.00 Boring Examinations 3,100.00 Sewers — Repairing and Cleaning, Payrolls and Supplies 165,000.00 Bureau of Public Buildings and Offices. Salariee and Wages 262,421.25 Supplies and Repairs (Including Public Baths and Comfort Stations) 210,300.00 78,500.00 19,120.00 685,008.0a 28,200.00 234,020.00 472,721.2s Bureau of Public Baths and Public Comfort Stations. Salaries 120,526.25 Bureau of Buildings. Salaries 235,050.00 Rents 16,500.00 Contingencies and Emepgencies 8,000.00 259,550.00 $1,897,645.50 30 5,500.00 21,320.00 1905 Budget. General Administration. Salaries : Salary of the President $7,500.00 Salaries of the Commissioner of Public Works, Clerks, Assistants, Engineers and Employees 62,500.00 $70,000.00 Supplies and Contingencies 8,500.00 Bureau of Engineer of Street Openings. Salaries 18,140.00 Supplies and Contingencies 3,180.00 Bureau of Plighways. Salaries 73,400.00 Boring Examinations for Grading Contracts 2,000.00 Boulevards, Roads and Avenues, Maintenance of, 114,150.00 Flagging Sidevi^alks and Fencing Vacant Lots in Front of City Property 2,000.00 One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Street Viaduct, Maintenance and Repairs 6,000.00 Repairs and Renewral of Pavements and Regrading 410,758.00 Roads, Streets and Avenues Unpaved, Mainten- ance of and Sprinkling 35,000.00 Maintenance of Eighth Avenue Pavement 19,200.00 Chemical and Cement Laboratory 2,500.00 Riverside Drive Viaduct, Maintenance of, 10,000.00 Street Signs, Maintenance of, 3,000.00 Bureau of Incumbrances. .Salaries 15,300.00 Removing Obstructions in Streets and Avenues.. 15,000.00 Bureau of Sewers. Salaries 65,920.00 Boring Examinations 3,100.00 Sewers — Repairing and Cleaning, Payrolls and Supplies 215,000.00 Bureau of Public Buildings and Offices. Salaries and wages 336,500.00 Supplies and Repairs (Including Public Baths and Comfort Stations) 210,300.00 Rents of Offices in Park Row Building 32,401.01 — 579,201.01 Bureau of Public Baths and Public Comfort Stations. Salaries 165,549.50 Bureau of Buildings. Salaries 235,050.00 Rents 16,500.00 Contingencies and Emergencies 8,000.00 678,008.00 30,300.00 284,020.00 259,550.00 $2,096,448.51 Note : The budget allowances are completely expended. Additional expenditures for purposes of administration are shown in the revenue bond account infra. 31 Street Improvement Fund in the Borough of Manhattan. Year. Amount. 1902 $447,820.94 These amoimts are met by assessment bonds, and 1903 469,315.29 are later recovered in toto by the city through special 1904 644,203.12 assessments made upon the property benefited. These 1905 689,180.97 assessments become liens upon such property. $2,250,520.32 Fund for Restoring Pavements in the Borough of Manhattan. October 28, 1904, $25,000 was appropriated by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment for a special fund for the restoring of pavements dam- aged by contractors, and building operations, in those cases where con- tractors failed to make satisfactory restoration of the pavements. The amounts so expended become liens against the property. Corporate Stock Appropriated by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment at the Request of the President of the Borough of Manhattan. 1902. Purpose. Repaving streets. Construction Criminal Court Building. Baths ; construction and equipment. Baths ; sites and construction. N. Y. County Court House. Baths ; sites and construction. Construction Criminal Court Building. N. Y. County Court House; plumbing plans. 1903. N. Y. County Court House; renovation and im- provement. Repaving streets. Repaving streets. Seven Public Comfort Stations. Baths; plans. Riverside Drive Extension, viaduct, borings. N. Y. County Court House. N. Y. County Court House. N. Y. County Court House. N. Y. County Court House. Riverside Drive Extension. Baths. (23rd Street, $200,000.00.) N. Y. County Court House. Completion Criminal Court Building. Riverside Drive Extension. Riverside Drive Extension. Baths ; completion 23rd Street. Repaving streets. •Cancelled. * ♦.$3,150,000 was appropriated on this date for the city at large, but it was not divided among the various boroughs until June 5, 1903. 32 Date. Amount. 4-18-02 $1,200,000.00 5-23-02 75,000.00 6- 6-02 105,000.00 6-13-02 220,000.00 7-25-02 3,000.00 10-13-02 83,000.00 II- 7-02 30,000.00 12- 5-02 1,35770 $1,717,35770 I -16-03 * 100,000.00 2-20-03 800,000.00 2-20-03 **955,ooo.oo 3-27-03 225,000.00 2-27-03 5,000.00 I- 9-03 70316 4-24-03 2,500.00 5-22-03 3,236.65 6- 5-03 17,025.05 6-15-03 1,41775 7- 1-03 800,000.00 7- 1-03 648,500.00 7-1S-03 25500 7-22-03 52,000.00 9-23-03 743,336.96 12- 4-03 1,750,00000 12- 4-03 75,000.00 12- 4-03 158,000.00 6,336,974-57 100,000.00 5,236,974-57 1904. Date. Amount. Purpose. 3-31-04 900,000.00 Repaying streets. 4-15-04 127,000.00 Thirteenth District Magistrate's Court; purchase. 4-29-04 23,520.00 Edgecombe Avenue retaining wall. 5-19-04 50,000.00 Repairs to N. Y. County Court House. 5-19-04 633,000.00 Four baths ; sites and buildings. 5-27-04 35,000.00 Thirteenth District Magistrates' Courts ; repairs and improvements 6-24-04 45,000.00 Repairs to City Hall. 7-15-04 20,000.00 Repairs to Brownstone Building, City Hall Park. 9-16-04 10,000.00 Hudson Memorial Bridge ; plans, surveys and buildings. 9-30-04 25,000.00 Permanent Betterments to 57th St., Jefferson Maiket, and Harlem Court houses. 9-30-04 20,000.00 Public Comfort Stations. 12-23-04 30,000.00 Street signs. $1,918,520.00 1-27-05 900,000.00 I-27-OS 100,000.00 1-27-05 250,000.00 2-24-05 9,000.00 3-16-05 25,000.00 3-I6-OS 100,000.00 3-16-05 300,000.00 4- 7-05 10,000.00 5- 5-05 75,000.00 9-IS-05 25,000.00 9- I 5-05 200,000.00 11-24-05 264,000.00 9-22-05 100,000.00 12-18-05 10,500.00 $2,368,500.00 1905. Repaying streets. Repaying streets. Repaying streets. Completing repairs to 13th Dist. Court. Public comfort stations. Reconstructing sewers. Two baths ; sites and construction. Lafayette boulevard retaining wall. Improving four markets. Delancey street improvement. Repaying streets. Improving 7th avenue, iioth to 153rd streets. RecoTistructing sewers. Criminal Court building; improvements. Summary. Years. Amount. 1502 $1,717.35770 1903 6,236,974.57 1904 1,918,520.00 1905 2,368,500.00 $12,241,352.27 1902 and 1903 $7,954,332.27 1904 and 1905 4,287,020.00 Total 4 years $12,241,352.27 33 Special Revenue Bonds Appropriated by the Board of Esti- mate and Apportionment at the Request of the President of the Borough of Manhattan, 1902 Date. Amount. Purpose. 5-16-02 $40,000.00 Street signs. 7-28-02 100,000.00 Repairing and reconstructing sewers. 7- 1 1 -02 25,000.00 Repairs to City Hall. 0-12-02 25,000.00 $190,000.00 Repairs to City Hall. 1903. Refurnishing City Hall. Children's Court; repairs and alterations. Repairing and reconstructing sewers. Street signs. Refurnishing N. Y. County Court House. Cleaning Markets. Equipping and maintaining 12th and 13th Dist. Municipal Courts. 1904. I- 5-04 15,000.00 Redecorating City Hall. 2-19-04 2,650.00 Portrait Hon. Andrew H. Green. 3- 4-05 12,000.00 Office furniture, General and Special Sessions Courts, Criminal Court Building. 4-22-04 100,000.00 Repairing and reconstructing sewers. 4-29-04 50,000.00 Repairs to N. Y. County Court House. 5-13-04 50,000.00 Repairing and renewing street pavements. 8- 2-04 100,000.00 Cleaning sewers and basins. 2-20-03 20,000.00 3-13-03 500.00 5-22-03 100,000.00 7-31-03 15,000.00 8-19-03 15,000.00 10-22-03 3,0'jo.oo I2-II-03 7,000.00 $160,500.00 $329,650.00 5- 5-05 50,000.00 5-26-05 6,000.00 6- 2-05 30,000.00 6- 9-05 15,000.00 7- 7-05 5,000.00 7- 7-05 90,000.00 7-14-05 50,000.00 7-21-05 25,000.00 1 1 -24-05 2,000.00 12-18-05 20,000.00 12-18-05 6,000.00 $299,000.00 1905- Repairing street pavements. Moving and equipping Sheriff's office. Coal ; baths, comfort stations and public build- ings. Floating baths, repairs. Repairs and alterations City Chamberlain's Office. Repairing and maintaining asphalt pavements. Supplies and repairs for public buildings. Repairs to four markets. Repairs and alterations City Chamberlain's Office. Repairing and maintaining asphalt pavements. Repairs to N. Y. County Court House. 34 Summary. Years. Amount. 1902 $190,000.00 1903 160,500.00 1904 329,650.00 1905 299,000.00 $979,150.00 1902 and 1903 $350,500.00 1904 and 1905 628,650.00 Total for four years $979,150.00 ANALYSIS OF THE PAYROLL OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESI- DENT OF THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN. January 31, 1906. C. S. Department ^Tf^^^f' Name except laborers. No. . 16 21 21 27 10 36 179 Per Annum. Salary Per Month. President .... Public Works. Ch. Engineer. Ch. Engineer. St. Openings.. Bur. Highw's. Bur. Highw's. Paving 127 Roads 3 Roads 42 Incumbrances. 11 Incumbrances. i Pub. Bldgs. & Offices Do. Do. Do. Pub. Markets. i Pub. Markets. 2 Pub. Markets. . . . Public Baths &■ Comfort Stations i Do 38 Do 2 Int. Baths.... 106 Float. Baths.. 17 Bur. Bldgs.... 179 Bur. Seweis.. 36 Bur. Sewers . . 2 Bur. Sewers . . 87 $35450 44;250 33,300 16,600 56,950 5,250 15,600 31 Z1,Z1^ 149 194 $5,940.00 1,950 2,550 234.760 64,950 60.00 135-00 Wages Per Labor- Per Per Day. ers Week. Day. No. $105.50 655.60 293 585-16 . . 485-25 154-00 132 3-50 2 87.00 . . 268.00 . . . 48.25 . . . 37 2 $24.00 $795-50 418.25 4-00 85.00 S.50 14 171.50 • • • • 37 379.20 142 I-23-2S 14-50 393-25 Totals 1,339 $548,980 $6,13500 $2,776.96 665 $195.50 $1,833-75 35 Summary. No. Wages No. Wages No. Wages No. Wages Em- per Em- per Em- per Em- per ploy ees Aunum. ployees !. Month. ployees, , Week. ployees. Diem i6 $35,450.00 194 $5,940.00 2 $24.00 27 $105.50 21 44,250.00 2 60.00 14 171.50 179 655.60 21 33,300.00 2 T 35-00 — 293 795-50 in 16,600.00 16 $195-50 127 585-16 i\j 36 56,950.00 198 $6,135.00 42 154-00 3 5,250.00 132 418.25 II 15,600.00 3 7-50 31 37,370.00 149 485-25 I 1,950.00 37 85.00 I 2,530.00 39 128.75 179 234,760.00 44 101.50 36 64,950.00 106 268.00 17 48.25 366 $548,980.00 87 142 379-20 393-25 Recapitulation. No. Employees. 366, 198, 16, 1,424, 2,004 per annum, per month, per week, per day. 1,424 $4,610.71 ANALYSIS OF THE PAYROLL OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESI- DENT OF THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, JANUARY 31, 1906. Average Term of Civil Service Employees Under Borough President. Department. No. Classification. Years. President 14 Office and Clerical 5-20 Public Works 17 Office and Clerical 11.90 Chief Engineer 48 Office and Technical 8.60 Street Openings 10 Office and Technical *i6.4S Bureau Highways 22 Office and Clerical 8.00 48 Inspectors 7.80 142 F'oremen 7.80 Paving 41 Rammers 8.00 86 Pavers 8.30 Roads 3 Office and Clerical 14.00 42 Foremen 7.00 Incumbrances 3 Office and Clerical 12.20 6 Inspectors 13-60 I Keeper 19.00 2 29.1. Foremen 4-50 •Av. for 5 employees, 36 Public Buildings and Offices 7 Office employees 9.80 17 Janitors 10.00 10 Engineers 8.50 2 Watchmen 15-40 23 Attendants 7.70 24 Foremen 7.90 10 Carpenters 510 232 Cleaners 8.80 10 Firemen 9.90 17 Stokers 4-30 2 I'insmiths 2.80 2 Roofers 2.30 5 Plumbers 6.60 3 Varnishers 5-8o 2 Electricians 3.00 2 Skilled workers 3.00 I Skilled laborer 1350 Public Markets I Inspector 7.60 I Assistant Foreman 7-50 I Watchman 540 Bureau Public Baths and Comfort Stations I Superintendent 350 I Foreman **7.70 6 Cleaners **6.70 33 Attendants **i.50 Interior Baths S Engineers 2.50 7 Firemen 1.50 IS Stokers 1.30 I Cleaner 4.60 80 Attendants 3.00 Ploating Baths I Foreman 11.25 2 Carpenters 7-75 14 Attendants 5-30 Bureau Buildings 34 Clerks ***I0.20 2 Watchmen 2.20 106 Inspectors 7.00 7 Stenographers 7.70 17 Messengers II. 10 5 Cleaners 6.10 I Driver 7.70 5 Engmeers 6.70 Bureau Sewers 16 Clerks 12.25 II Draughtsmen and Axemen 11.50 55 Foremen 6.10 29 Inspectors 8.60 13 Masons and Bricklayers 540 Av. term for all employees T.t **Comfort Stations. ***26 clerks, 13 years. 37 1562^' >'?■ THE BUREAU OF HIGHWAYS AND STREET PAVE- MENTS. The very heart of the work performed under the direction of the borough presidents is the making and the maintenance of street pavements. A well-paved street does much to make a city fair and healthful. Upon it are dependent pleasure in driv- ing, swiftness and economy in transporting goods, the life of wagons and horses and the health of the population. There is a direct connection between a noisy pavement and the nervous systems of the people who live near it. A pavement filled with holes and depressions invites the accumulation of rubbish and filth. A poor pavement cannot be kept clean, so that organic diseases attributable to unclean pavements, can often be traced further on to the inefficiency of the highway engineer. Defective pavements are also a menace to life and limb. Suits for personal injuries due to the alleged faulty condition of streets, are frequently brought against the municipality ; in fact, forty-eight of such actions, involving the total sum of $436,250, were pending in the courts on December 31, 1905. These suits concern the Borough of Manhattan alone.* In the borough of Manhattan there are 427 miles or 9,270,770 square yards of pavement. The value of this pavement, esti- mated at the absurdly low figure of $2.50 a square yard, is $23,- 176,925. This is merely an arbitrary estimate and in no way represents the investment in pavements in the Borough of Man- hattan. It fairly indicates, however^ the financial importance of the problem dealt with by the bureau of highways. *As bearing directly upon this subject the following letter was sent by Comptroller Metz. on August 1, 1906, to the respective borough presidents: "Numerous claims have been filed with the department for damage alleged to be due for personal injuries received in accidents due to the negligence of the City of New York in not propeny protecting its highways. "In some cases the cause of the damage was the dangerous and defective condition of the pavement. In other cases it appeared that contractors who received permission from the city to make excavations in connection with either public or private work, have neglected to properly safeguard the same, or have neglected to surround the excavations with lights which would act as warning signs. "Again, the accidents which resulted In injuries were due to obstructions which were permitted to remain in the street without proper warning being given of the existence of the same. 38 The small pox condition of Eighth Avenue at the end of a ten-year maintenance which cost the city $iQ,20o a year. Eighth Avenue, w^est side, looking south from 46th Street, showing condition of asphalt pavement. The holes are filled with broken stone and dirt making them appear shallow. "The neglect of the city in the above respects has been called to my personal attention. By actual observation, I am able to say that the conditions set forth in some of the claims have not been exaggerated. The amounts which the city is compelled to pay out annually on account of damages arising as aforesaid, is considerable. "I wish, therefore, to call your attention to this character of claims and to the causes therefor, in order that you might have instructions given to the inspectors under your jurisdiction, to see to it that when any condition arises in the public highways which is apt to result in an accident, that such condition is remedied at once. These instructions cannot be too explicit, for at times the highways of the City of New York are in such condition that it would seem as if the city was actually inviting damage suits against it." The bureau of highways is presided over by a superintendent who is responsible to the commissioner of public works, who in turn is directed by the president. This is the theoretical ar- rangement. Neither the commissioner of public works nor the superintendent of highways has any responsibility other than that placed upon them at the pleasure of the president. In prac- tice the president is himself the chief of the bureau of highways, and directs its work. The president delegates, to be sure, all the technical details of the work to his engineers. He decides, however, what streets shall be paved, and when, and what ma- terial shall be used in the repaving. In controlling the actions of the local boards he determines when and where new streets shall be made, subject to the financial approval of the Board of Estimate. ASPHALT PAVEMENTS. President Ahearn, early in his administration, gave special attention to the problem of asphalt paving. He caused specifica- tions to be prepared which w.ere intended to permit the use of only those asphalt cements which contain a high amount of bitumen. The specifications were particularly drawn up to ex- clude the asphalt cement mined in Lake Trinidad from use in Manhattan. This cement was formerly the staple of the asphalt trust, and is now exclusively used by the Barber Asphalt Paving Company. The specifications also absolutely exclude from use in Man- hattan, all asphalts derived from oils, commonly known as the California asphalts. The Ahearn specifications were first adopted by the Board of Estimate on May 20, 1904, and made applicable to all the boroughs. A week later, on objection by Martin W. Littleton, at that time president of the Borough of Brooklyn, the specifi- 39 cations were limited in application to the Borough of Man- hattan. Mr. Littleton's objections to the specifications were based on a report respecting them submitted to him by George W. Till- son, then and now chief engineer of the bureau of highways in Brooklyn. Mr. Tillson objected first to the exclusion of Trini- dad asphalt, and second to the exclusion of asphalts derived from oils. To exclude Trinidad, he contended, would be to pro- hibit the use of the material then employed by three paving companies laying pavements in Brooklyn. By excluding as- phalts derived from oils, other companies would be deterred from bidding on work. This seemed unwise to Mr. Tillson be- cause, he pointed out, some of the best pavements in Brooklyn are made of oil asphalts. Mr. Tillson believed that the adoption of the specifications would tend to create a monopoly in the asphalt paving business in Brooklyn. By the adoption of the Ahearn specifications the material available for asphalt paving in Manhattan had been reduced to two or three cements. Notwithstanding the restriction in the kinds of asphalt used, there has been a reduction in the price of this pavement to the city. The average price per sheet asphalt pavement, including only the binder and wearing surface (all the asphalt parts) for the years 1901-1905 in Manhattan, were as follows : 1902 1903 1904 190S $1.12 $1.16 $1.22 $1.07 A study of various successful bids for sheet asphalt pavement in 1904 and 1905 reveals little variation in the price of the asphalt. Such variations as do occur can generally be ac- counted for by a corresponding variation in traffic conditions which determine very largely the cost of maintenance under the guarantee. The successful bidders in these years were the fol- lowing companies : The Asphalt Construction Company. The Barber Asphalt Paving Company. The Continental Paving Company. The Hastings Pavement Company. The Sicilian Asphalt Paving Company. The Uvalde Paving Company.? The United States and Venezuela Paving Company.? 1901 Per sq. $2.98* Yard 2.44 *Ten year guarantee ; all other prices for 5 year guarantee. tThese two companies are controlled by the same persons. 40 A stretch of pavement out of maintenance. Eighth Avenue after the refiUing of the conduit trench. 5 Years 5 10 10 5 10 10 5 The complete pavement, including concrete foundation, binder and wearing surface cost, in Manhattan, on an average of $1.54 per square yard in 1905. This price compares with the 1905 price in Brooklyn and in other cities as follows : City. Price. Period of Guarantee. Manhattan $i.S4 Brooklyn : .47 Boston 3.25 Buffalo 2.50 Cincinnati 2.00 Chicago 2.00 St. Louis 1 .98 Rochester 1.85 Washington 1.59 The above table speaks eloquently for the effect of the re- duction in the maintenance or guarantee period in this city from ten and fifteen years, under which the old-time high prices pre- vailed, to five years. The lower price obtained in Rochester imder the 10 year guarantee can be accounted for by the differ- ence in trafifiic conditions between that city and Manhattan. It will doubtless appear difificult to reconcile the assertion that a practical monopoly has been established in the supplying of asphalt cement with the low price for the pavement. These low prices are partially explained by the competition between the Barber Company, the former Asphalt Trust, and the so-called independents represented by the various competing companies. It is believed by experts that the present prices either represent cut-throat competition or a failure to live up to the specifica- tions. The bureau of highways is entirely at the mercy of the companies with respect to their fulfilling the requirements of the specifications regarding the asphalt mixture used. The com- position of this mixture can only be ascertained by a careful supervision of the process of making the mixture in the asphalt plants. This supervision is practiced by the government au- thorities in Washington, D. C, where the pavements are ad- mittedly the best in America. In Manhattan the inspection is confined to an examination of the work in progress in the streets. Such examination cannot disclose the nature of the material used, nor is it possible to determine the quality of the asphalt used by even a chemical analysis of the mixture. It is conceivable, therefore, that the companies use poorer material than is required by the specifications, taking care only that the pavement will not be of such bad quality that the cost of main- tenance during the guarantee period (5 years) will be excessive. 41 The bureau of highways both makes new streets and repaves old ones. It also keeps in repair certain roads where gravel or macadam is used. Its responsibility covers the following lengths and yardage of several kinds of pavement : Square Yards Miles. Specification Granite (Stone Block) 2,160,224.0 97-33 Square Granite " 94,076.7 4.21 Specification Trap " 399>5 13-3 22.74 Belgian Trap " 298,457.2 14.57 Sheet Asphalt 4,872,567.0 242.74 Block Asphalt 478,922.0 23.74 Cobble 3.304-9 -79 Wood Block 70,448.9 3-51 Macadam 893,254.1 17.97 9,270,768. 1 427.60 It will be seen at once that sheet asphalt occupies the most important position in the paving problem. Next in importance are the stone block pavements, of several varieties, which to- gether cover 138.85 miles of streets. This pavement is used for its durability. It is noisy and unsuitable for light traffic. Sheet asphalt is, of course, the most serviceable pavement for general use yet invented. It is capable of an indefinite amount of repair- ing by the simple insertion of patches. It is fairly non-absorbent and is easily kept clean. The wood block pavement now being used, notably in lower Broadway, is a potential rival of sheet asphalt. At present it is considerably more expensive and largely an experiment. The cobble pavement is a relic of the early practice in street paving. Its continuance on several streets on the East Side is due to the unwillingness of the gas company which owns the abutting realty to submit to assess- ment for its removal. These streets, having been paved by the company, cannot be paved out of the general funds until an as- sessment pavement has been laid. The city is, therefore, pre- vented from substituting a modern pavement for the cobble stones in these streets, because no assessment can be levied without the consent of the property owners. The block asphalt pavement is considerably more expensive than the sheet asphalt and is used where grades are too steep to permit the use of sheet asphalt and where traffic conditions de- mand a pavement of its durability. In practice the pavement has been found difficult to keep in repair, after the expiration of the guarantee period, because of the constant variation of the type of block manufactured. In several streets it has been necessary to repair this pavement with patches of sheet asphalt. Its pres- ent cost is $1.60 a square yard, laid. 42 Cobble stone pavement laid by the gas company which refuses to submit to assessment so that a proper pavement may be laid Another view of the gas company's contribution to Manhattan's paving problem. Tables of yardage and mileage of pavement in the Borough of Manhattan for f»ve years. September 30, 1901. Square Linear Kind of Pavement. Yards. Miles. Specification granite 3,209,454.77 145.48 Square granite 345,302.00 8.68 Specification trap 755,768.05 39-94 Belgian trap 845,786.56 22.00 Sheet asphalt 3,126,711.57 158.84 Block asphalt 214,437.12 11.70 Cobble 7,924.00 1. 10 Karri Wood 1,013.10 .08 Macadam 1,040,300.93 22.31 410.13 9,546,698.10 December 31, 1902. Square Linear Kind of Pavement. Yards. Miles. Specification granite 2,926,786.97 133-45 Square granite 329,171.59 7.81 Specification trap 755,768.05 39-94 Belgian trap 695,533.86 13.66 Sheet asphalt 3,5/6,865.94 178.59 Block asphalt 292,345.29 16.27 Cobble 7,924.00 1. 10 Karri Wood 1,013.10 .08 Macadam 1,038,430.46 22.26 9,623,839.26 413-16 December 31, 1903. Square Linear Kind of Pavement. Yards. Miles. Specification granite 2,593,365.40 1 17-99 Square granite 314,081.44 7.01 Specification trap 673,846.41 35.28 Belgian trap 533,937-58 S-2i Sheet asphalt 4,217,373.19 210.21 Block asphalt 377,703.34 19-23 Cobble 7,924.00 1. 10 Karri Wood 1,013.10 .08 Macadam 956,380.59 " 19.44 9,675,625.05 415-55 43 December 31, 1904. Square Linear Kind of Pavement. Yards. Miles. Specification granite 2,384,391.71 107.27 Square granite 307,740.44 6.80 Specification trap 559.296-73 28.88 Belgian trap 511,720.18 407 Sheet asphalt 4,571,916.68 228.29 Block asphalt 415,524.87 21.41 Cobble 3.304.88 .79 Woodblock 21,196.40 1. 14 Macadam 935,448.29 18.91 9,710,540.18 417-56 December 31, 1905. Square Linear Kind of Pavement. Yards. Miles. Specification granite 2,160,224.00 97.33 Square granite 94,076.70 4.21 Specification trap 399.513-30 23.74 Belgian trap 298,45720 14.57 Sheet asphalt 4,872,567.00 242.74 Block asphalt 478,922.00 23.74 Cobble 3.30490 .79 Wood block 70,448.90 3.51 Macadam 893,254.10 17.97 9,270,768.10 428.60 NEW PAVEMENTS LAID BY PRESIDENT AHEARN. The following tables were prepared to show the exact amount of paving contracted for by President Ahearn. To secure this information required a laborious examination of over two hun- dred contracts for the purpose of ascertaining their date of making and completion. The tables for the first time make public the exact amount of paving creditable to President Ahearn's initiative. The reports of the President show only the contracts completed and accepted during tKe period under re- view, regardless of whether they were begun in that period or not. An examination of the tables reveals the fact that more con- tracts were bequeathed to President Ahearn by his predecessor than the Borough President himself initiated and carried to completion in 1904 and 1905. 44 Contracts Completed During 1904 And 1905, But Entered Into Prior To The Administration Of President Ahearn : Street Improvement Fund. (Assessment Work) A Lv. Price Square Linear No. of Per Yards. Feet. Miles. Contracts. Amount. Sq. Yd. Sheet Asphalt . , . . . 12,686.99 3,400.00 .64 4 $30,415.27 $2.39 Asphalt Block . . ... 7,823.63 2,308.70 .43 5 26,235.78 3-35 Granite Block . , . . . 12,123.41 3.745.71 .70 4 44,684.16 3.6S Repaying. Sheet Asphalt Asphalt Block Wood Block Granite Block . . 368,748.20 . . 30,732.60 . . 11,251.20 .. 16,575.84 96,477.40 9,219.80 3,192.60 5,295.00 18.27 1.74 .60 1. 00 13 3 2 772,77^02 94,256.19 41,071.82 60,173.41 2.0-9 3.06 3.65 3.63 Totals. Number of Contracts 119* Mileage of Pavement Laid 23.38 Amount Expended , $1,069,609.65 Contracts Entered Into And Completed During The Administration Of President Ahearn, In 1904 And 1905 : Street Improvement Fund. (Assessment Work.) Square Yards. Linear Feet. Miles. No. of Contracts Av. Price Per Amount. Sq. Yd. Sheet Asphalt Asphalt Block . Granite Block . Macadam . . 3,502.20 . . 18,794.04 . . 10,843.90 . . 28,079.70 458.00 4,906.22 3,011.80 6,055.00 Repaying .08 .93 •57 I. IS I 7 4 I $6,801.70 49,060.61 38,883.38 58,858.21 $1.94 2.61 3.58 2.09 Sheet Asphalt . Asphalt Block . Wood Block . Granite Block . ..254,798.90 . . 42,738.70 . . 59,172.60 . . 19,600.6c 66,401.70 6,492.50 15,255.20 5,938.40 12.57 1.22 2.88 I.I3 71 4 10 6 451,980.39 102,344.17 243,919.66 58,779.78 1-77 2-39 4.12 3-00 Totals. Number of Contracts 104 Mileage of Pavement Laid 20.53. Amount Expended $1,010,627.90 •Five of these contracts were actually completed in 1903 but the work was not accepted until 1904 ; while in the case of ten others, part of the work was done in 1903 and part in 1904. 45 The method of bookkeeping employed in the ofifice of the borough president does not permit of a comparison between the engineering expenses and the total cost of the work. The total expenditures for salaries in the bureau of highways for the years 1904-1905 is not chargeable to work done in paving and repay- ing. The staff gives also considerable attention to supervision of the maintenance contracts, to restoration of pavements opened by corporations, and the like. The engineering charge is an item which the accounts of the borough president should reveal. The total appropriations for paving work in Manhattan for the years 1902-1905 were as follows : Making new streets, grading, curbing, etc. Street Improvement Fund. (These amounts are met by assessment bonds and are later recovered in full by the city through special assessments made upon the property benefited. These assessments become liens against such property.) 1902 $447,820.94 1903 469,315-29 1904 644,203. 12 1905 689,180.97 $2,250,520.32 On October 28, 1904, $25,000 was appropriated by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment for a special fund for restoring pavements damaged by contractors during building operations, in cases where the contractors failed to make satisfactory restor- ation of the pavement. The amounts so expended become liens against the property. Repaying, Repairing, Regrading And Maintenance Of Highways. 1902. Corporate .Stock $1,200,000 Revenue Bonds Budget 610,108 Total for 1902 $1,810,108 46 1903. Corporate Stock $1,913,000 Revenue Bonds Budget 552,108 Total for 1903 $2,465,108 1904. Corporate Stock $900,000 Revenue Bonds 50,000 Budget 602,108 Total for 1904 $1,552,108 1905. Corporate Stock $1,714,000 Revenue Bonds 210,000 Budget S95,io8 Total for 1905 $2,519,108 Total for four years 8,346,432 Average per year 2,086,608 THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PAVEMENTS. In 1902, President Cantor made a radical change in the system under which the sheet asphalt pavement is main- tained. The older forms of contracts for sheet asphalt provided for maintenance by the contractor for ten and fifteen years, but the guarantee period was then reduced to, and now remains at, five years. In the fifteen-year form of contract for sheet asphalt, 20 per cent of the contract price was retained by the city after the street was accepted in order to guarantee the fulfillment of the main- tenance clause. The payment of the money retained was not be- gun until after five years when settlement was made in either half-yearly or quarterly installments. In the ten-year form of contract, 80 per cent of the contract price was paid upon the acceptance of the pavement, the balance (20 per cent) being paid in annual installments. The long term guarantee proved a failure. High initial prices were paid for pavements, but the contractors neglected to make repairs promptly and regularly, and it frequently hap- 47 pened that pavements were practically worn out at the end of guarantee periods. A reduction was, therefore, made in the term of years for which a contractor was required to keep the pavement laid by him in good condition. Even now great difficulty is encountered in keeping alive the contractor's interest in his pavement. The present form of five-year guarantee contract permits the city to retain 20 per cent of the contract price for one year. After that period the contractor is under bond to carry out provisions of the maintenance clause which expires five years from the date of the acceptance of the pavement. Full payments of the contract price are made on acceptance of the pavements in the case of asphalt block and wood block pavements. Asphalt block is laid with five-year maintenance guarantee and wood block with ten. No satisfactory reason can be found for returning to the ten-year maintenance in the case of wood block pavement. The average price for this pavement per square yard was, in 1905, $4. 10^^ including concrete foundation. It cannot be questioned that the obligation to maintain the pavement for ten years results in an increased initial price. The whole contract price is paid for granite block pavement on acceptance of the work, the contractor being required to maintain the pavement in good condition for one year only. After the expiration of one year the bureau of highways makes the repairs on this pavement. The work is done by a gang of mechanics and laborers under the direction of the superintend- ent of highways. In 1904 the average cost in labor alone for relaying one square yard of stone pavement was $1.52. In 1905 the cost rose to $1.54. Repair Gang, Bureau Of Highways. 1904. Horse and Mechanics. Laborers. Cart. Teams. Quarter ending March 31 246 214 78 5 Quarter ending June 30 252 210 98 6 Quarter ending September 30 259 212 103 7 Quarter ending December S- 260 211 loi 7 Square yards of pavement taken up and relaid in year 244,960 Payroll for the year $372,876.93 Cost per sq. yd. of relaying stone pavement on the basis of the payroll $1.52 -Average mechanics for four quarters 466 48 Horse and Laborers. Cart. Teams. 187 63 I 195 100 5 187 116 5 177 114 6 aid in yea r 262,716 1905. Mechanics. Quarter ending March 31 250 Quarter ending June 30 248 Quarter ending September 30 260 Quarter Ending December 31 ..... . .258 Payroll for the year . . ' $405,020.45 Cost per sq. yd. of relaying stone pavement on the basis of the payroll $1-54 Average mechanics and laborers for four quarters 441 It will be observed that while the laboring force was reduced by 25 in 1905 from 1904, the quantity of pavement taken up and relaid was greater by 17,756 square yards than in 190-1. Not- withstanding a smaller average of men engaged upon this work in 1905 than in 1904 there was an increase in 1905 of $32,143.53 in the payroll over 1904. The Borough of Manhattan has no organization or plant for repairing ' asphalt pavements, and when streets revert to the care of the city after the expiration of the guarantee, a repair contract is made on the basis of the square yards actually re- stored. The yardage to be repaired during the term of the con- tract is approximately estimated by the bureau of highways be- fore the contract is awarded. Such repairs are guaranteed only during the term of the contract which is now made year by year. The present con- tract (1906) was awarded to the Uvalde Company at the rate of 75 cents per square yard restored. The inspectors of the bureau designate the parts of the pavements to be restored and are re- quired to measure the area repaired. No discrimination is made with respect to the causes of the defect under the general repair contract. The work of repairing involves only the replacing of binder and wearing surface, the foundation of cobble, stone block or concrete being usually intact. By the end of 1906, 650,- 000 square yards of asphalt pavement will be under the care of the bureau of highways, the guarantee of the original pavers having expired. Considerable difficulty is experienced in keeping the pave- ments under maintenance in good condition. The contractors are liable only for defects which occur from ordinary wear and tear. It is frequently difficult to determine the causes of defects. Often the pavement is injured by bonfires and the burning of rubbish in the street by irresponsible or malicious persons. 49 The chief injury to the pavement is caused by openings made by corporations and city departments to gain access to gas mains, electric Hght and telephone conduits, water mains, sewers, and the like. This problem is discussed below under the head of 'pipe galleries.' It is necessary to give here, however, certain facts respecting the methods employed to minimize the damage done the pavements. It is within the power of the borough president to prohibit the opening of the street surfaces. This he sometimes does when he wishes to preserve from injury a newly laid pavement. It is obvious, however, that in case of emergency access must be had to the sub-surface works no matter how recently the pave- ment had been laid. The public service corporations, gas, electric light, telpehone, etc., are granted permits to open the streets by the borough president. When the pavement is under main- tenance guarantee the corporation becomes liable to the paving company to the extent of the damage done. The city receives no return for the permit to open streets granted these corporations but exacts a bond for the proper compliance with the condition of the permit, including the restoration of the pavement. In the case of cuts made by the city departments, the repairs are made at the city's expense, under the general maintenance contract. The bureau of highways assumes responsibility for the res- toration of pavement removed by plumbers and others than city departments and the public service corporations. Regular charges are made for these permits varying with the amount of pavement likely to be disturbed. The cost of restoring the pavement is covered by the charges. If an excessive amount is found to have been required of the applicant restitution is made. It is contrary to ordinance for an opening to be made in the street without a permit from the borough president, except in emergency during the hours when the borough president's office is closed. It is the duty of the police to prevent the opening of street pavements where no permit or urgency can be shown. The following are the charges made for plumbers' openings : Sheet asphalt for water connection; 8 sq. yards $36.00 Sheet asphalt for sewer connection ; 12 sq. yards 54-00 Wood or asphalt block for water ; 10 sq. yards 40.00 Wood or asphalt block for sewer ; 16 sq. yards 64.00 Granite block for water ; 4 sq. j^ards, $8 for first yard and $4 a yard for the rest, equalling 20.00 Granite block for sewer ; 6 sq yards, $8 for the first yard and $4 a yard for the rest, equalling 28.00 Old stone pavement ; sewer repairs, 10.00 Old stone pavement ; water repairs, 4.00 Old stone pavement, new connection from curb to main 6.00 ]\Iacadam, a running foot, 2.00 50 A part of the Lexington Avenue trench. Notice the in- cumbrance of the sidewalk and roadway with excavated material. ,1 ■ What happens to the sidewalk when conduits are laid. Lexington Avenue, west side, south from 35th Street The revenue derived from this source was : In 1904 $153,70300 In 1905 170,474.00 No limitation is placed by ordinance or regulation upon the amount of pavement that a corporation may open at one time. It was stated in the office of the chief engineer that usually five or six blocks are opened at one time, but that longer openings are permitted if it is believed that the work can be done mofe quickly in consequence. It is known what these openings entail. In some instances they practically close whole streets to traffic. It is believed that public welfare warrants the imposition of vigorous restrictions upon the companies making these open- ings. It is asserted on good authority that the work could be as economically accomplished if one block was opened at one time, the cut in that block being filled before the next block is opened. A flagrant example of the abuse of this privilege to open the street surface was exhibited by a conduit com.pany which tore up Eighth and Lexington avenues from end to end this spring. A careful examination of this work was made by the Bureau of City Betterment. On Lexington Avenue from 32d street to 86th street, on April 18, a distance of 54 blocks, trenches were dug and open in 32 blocks, while the materials for constructing the conduits were stored along the street for the entire distance examined. The street was found opened by blocks as follows : SYz blocks unopened; 4% blocks opened. 2 blocks unopened ; J2>^ blocks opened. 4J/2 blocks unopened ; 6 blocks opened. 4 blocks unopened ; 9 blocks opened. 7 blocks unopened . Eighth Avenue from 14th Street to 124th Street was lound on the following day as follows : Open in 62^ blocks ; refilled in 28| blocks ; intact in 20 blocks out of a total of 111. These excavations are made along the roadway near the curb. The piling of dirt and rubble on the margin of the ex- cavation, which is usually between two and three feet wide, ren- ders fully one-half of the street impassable. It is a common- place that it is impossible to refill a cut in the street so com- pactly that no settlement will occur after the pavement is re- placed. The settlement always occurs. The paving companies usually postpone the repaving as long as possible after the cut is made so that the earth may solidify. In the meantime the 51 opening is covered with a temporary pavement of irregularly set stone blocks. These half-restored cuts are dangerous, unsightly and injurious to the surrounding pavement. The constant open- ing of the street pavements, therefore, involves not only tem- porary inconvenience to traffic of greater or less degree, but permanent injury to the highways. Possibly the extent to which the practice of cutting into pavement has grown can best be shown by presenting the figures published by the bureau of highways. In 1902 the total length of trenches opened in the streets for mains was 98.88 miles ; in 1903, 9G.117 miles; in 1904, 87.907 miles; in 1905, 108.725 miles. The following tables reveal the number of pavement openings and also show that most of the work of destruction was per- formed by public service corporations. Summary Of Pavement Openings. Classi- fication. Mains to lay and overhaul Services, to lay and repair Total Railways, to con- struct and repair. Classi- fication. Mains to lay and overhaul Services, to lay and repair Total Railways, to con- struct and repair. 1902. Made by Corporations. Made by City De- partments. Elec- triciiy. 577 other Pur- Gas. Steam, poses. Water. Steam. Total 1S9 4,890 14,279 5,467 14,468 620 624 1903. Made by Corporations. 2 1,436 272 2,480 Made by Plumbers. 4 1,483 750 22,020 6 2,919 1,022 24,506 10,155 Total 34,661 Made by City De* partmcnts. Elec- Other Pur- tricity. Gas. Steam, poses Water. Sewer. Total. 891 232 5 7 1,414 285 2,834 Made by Plumbers. 480 .. 1,204 678 21,269 485 7 2,618 963 24,103 8,134 Total, 32,237 6,097 12,810 6,988 13,042 52 1904. Made by Corporations. Classi- Elec- fication. tricity. Mains to lay and overhaul 92 Services, to lay and repair 7,407 Total 8,335 Railways, to con- struct and repair Made by City De- partments. other Pur- Gas Steam, poses. Water. Sewer. Total. 151 4 11,802 627 11,953 631 3,044 302 4,450 Made by Plutnbers. 1,772 769 22,377 4,816 1,071 26,827 2, SOI Total, 29,328 1905. Made by Corporations. Classi- Elec- fication. tricity. Mains to lay and overhaul 1,612 Services, to lay and repair 8,798 Total 10,410 Railways, to con- struct and repair Made by City De- partments. other Pur- Gas. Steam, poses. Water. Sewer. Total. 169 14 62 2,050 145 4,052 Made by Plumbers. 10,325 547 1,662 1,067 22,399 10,494 561 62 3,712 1,212 26.451 3,937 Total, 30,388 PIPE GALLERIES. It is certain that New York, and especially the borough of Manhattan, can never have good or lasting pavements so long as it is necessary to disturb street surfaces for the purpose of laying and repairing, or connecting gas, water and steam mains, pneumatic tubes, electric and other conduits. The constant cutting of pavements causes great inconvenience to the public, makes the city's streets unsightly and often unserviceable, de- teriorates and gradually destroys the paving material, be it Note — The ahove summaries do not include openings in the surface of pave- ments made by the bureau of highways and the asphalt companies for the pur- pose of repairing defects due to ordinary wear, nor openings to repair sidewalks, nor openings for temporary encumbrances, such as poles to support banners or derrick guys. 53 asphalt, wood or granite. It is an unscientific and expensive procedure, but it must ever continue, if conditions remain un- altered, because the life of the city depends in large measure upon the maintenance of sub-surface utilities, by means of which heat, light and power are furnished to a multitude of consumers. To solve the problem involved in the cutting of pavements a system of pipe galleries has long been advocated. Pipe gal- leries are underground tubes, comparable in principle to a rail- way subway or a large sewer, which are provided with racks to carry gas water and steam pipes, and telegraph, lighting and telephone wires, in short, all the underground systems with the exception of the sewer. The inclusion of the sewer is not im- practicable. Access to these galleries is had from openings in the sidewalk or street. The various pipe and wire systems are, in this way, capable of easy repair and frequent examination. If such galleries were built under every important thoroughfare, of a size large enough to carry all the pipes and conduits now buried in the earth beneath the pavements, the maintenance of street surfaces would undoubtedly be a simple and inexpensive matter, and there would consequently be a smaller outlay for rew pavements. Moreover, as the sub-surface structures, in- cluding those belonging to the city, would thus be open at all times to inspection, their maintenance as well would be more efificient and less expensive. It is hardly necessary to point out, also, how the appearance of the city would be improved if the ugly, ill-smelling street trenches, piled high on all sides with earth and rubble, could be entirely eliminated. The cost of providing pipe galleries throughout Manhattan would, undoubtedly, be enormous. Against this initial cost would be set the vast saving to the city in the matter of undis- turbed pavements, the prevention of leakage from the water mains and a considerable revenue derived in the form of rent from those public service corporations whose underground sys- tems would find a place in the galleries. Notwithstanding the many advantages which pipe galleries would offer, it is recog- nized that their immediate construction is less pressing than the provision of adequate rapid transit facilities, and that the diversion of the city's funds from rapid transit purposes to pipe galleries cannot be recommended. Nevertheless, it is strongly urged that pipe galleries receive the attention of the rapid transit authorities and that they be incorporated in any under- ground railway system that these authorities may cause to be built. 54 A carelessly covered trench endangering traffic. Laying a water main under the street pavement. A stone block backbone in an asphalt pavement; the result of laying a water main. A congeries of refilled trenches. Pipe g-alleries are not an experiment. They have existed for many years in several English and European cities, and af- ford the relief from pavement destruction so desired in New York City, besides furnishing a simple medium by which street services may be inspected and repaired. In New York the chief opponents to pipe galleries are certain corporate interests. These interests are the companies which own the conduits car- rying electric wires, and those which supply gas. In both cases the corporations are actuated by selfish mo- tives. Pipe galleries would threaten the existence of the mo- nopoly of the electric subway companies, and would also compel the gas companies to maintain leakless distribution pipes. The subterranean leakage of gas affords a further argument in favor of the urgent necessity for building pipe galleries. As a rule, a gas company does not attempt to repair a leaky main unless the loss of its product is abnormal. Consequently, an immense quantity of gas — one estimate is three thousand millions of cubic feet a year — is diffused in the earth all over the borough. In the days when the city was paved with cobble stones, leaking gas could escape through the surface of the streets, but since impervious pavements, such as asphalt, have been laid, the gas has been forced to find other outlets. Leaking gas follows the path of least resistance. Some of it finds its way into cellars and sewers and some accumulates in pockets directly over the leaky main and beneath the impervious pavement. If the pave- ment is asphalt the solvent in the gas produces decomposition. First binder and then asphalt wearing surface is attacked. Depressions in the pavement follow, and these soon become holes. When the solvent is exhausted the gas remains highly inflammable, and therefore is still a dangerous factor if intro- duced into sewers or the basements of buildings. -Gas leakage is, therefore, a matter concerning both the highway engineer and the fire underwriter. It is a well-established fact that it causes pavement deterioration, and it is the opinion of the National Board of Fire Underwriters that the fire risk due to gas leakage should be seriouslv considered. It is, however, a condition that can be eliminated by the building of pipe galleries and the plac- ing therein of all gas mains, which might then be kept wholly free from leakage. The pipe gallery scheme has still another side. If these chambers were built it would be possible to get rid of most of the different varieties of manholes now to be found in the streets. At the present time there are water, gas, telegraph, telephone and sewer manholes scattered over the pavement at intervals of a few hundred feet. All of these have removable 55 covers, which when newly set, are nearly level with the street surface. As the covers are made of iron they naturally with- stand the wear and tear of trafBc better than the asphalt. Trucks and wagons bump over the covers, strike the pavement, and cause depressions which soon become holes. Although they cause great injury to the pavement, these manholes are neces- sary under the present system of underground engineering. If, however, the sub-surface structures were placed in the pipe galleries probably one manhole cover would be necessary where four now exist. It has been suggested that pipe galleries be built in connec- tion with the rapid transit subways ; in fact, the borough would now be in possession of at least one gallery but for the oppo- sition of several departmental heads. In the general plan for the Elm Street subway route, the board of rapid transit com- missioners reserved the power to cause pipe galleries to be pre- pared, but did not include in the contract any requirement that they should be constructed. Later the matter was brought to the attention of the board, and the chief engineer was ordered to make an estimate of the cost of the construction of pipe gal- leries from City Hall Park to Thirty-third street. He reported on IMarch 16, 1900, that the cost of the galleries would probably not exceed $850,000, and that there was no need for galleries below Worth street. A further report by the chief engineer said he deemed it necessary to have pipe galleries along Elm Street, from Worth Street to Astor Place, and that they would cost about $425,000. Accordingly, the board commimicated with the contractor, who agreed to build the galleries and actually entered upon the work of construction, making some progress. On November 1, 1900, however, the board was notified by the commissioner of sewers that he objected to the plans for the pipe galleries. The chief engineer of the department of water supply also voiced his objection to the scheme. As the pipe gallery plan had been widely published, and encountered no opposition, these belated protests were a surprise to the rapid transit commissioners, who thereupon sounded all the city departments interested. These authorities expressed doubt as to the practicability of the galleries, and also raised certain questions concerning the con- trol after construction. Then the contractor asked permission to discontinue work because of engineering obstacles and the atti- tude of the authorities. This permission w^as granted and the galleries w^ere abandoned. After this fiasco the pipe gallery proposition languished until Borough President Cantor took office, as the city au- Waiting for a corporation cut to 'settle. Murray Street, looking west to Church Street, showing condition of wood block pavement relaid over recent trench openings. The condition of the pavement is very much worse than the photograph shows. A refilled trench in a narrow, busy street. A ruined street caused by the laying of a water main. thorities apparently did not want them and the Rapid Transit Act did not confer upon the board the power to build galleries except where necessary as a part of railroad subways. Mr. Cantor retained Dr. James C. Bayles to prepare plans for a gallery from Ann Street to Wall Street, to be built at the same time as the subway spur between those points. Funds were voted for the work, and advertisements for bids were published, but suit was begun in the Supreme Court by a taxpayer and an injunction obtained against the construction of the proposed galleries upon the ground that the commissioner of water sup- ply, gas and electricity and not the borough president had charge of the matter. The last Legislature, in amending the Rapid Transit Act, gave the board of rapid transit commissioners power to build pipe galleries in con7iection with all new subways, but it is a question whether this work will be done 2inless the city authorities in charge of stib-surface structures demand chambers for them. As the officer controlling the pavements and the seivers, it is certainly the duty of the Boro2igh President to advocate pipe galleries. That part of the sezoer system ivhicli must necessarily be rebuilt in connection with the new subways might eve7i be made an adjunct of future pipe galleries. The Borough President is well acquainted with the facts. He knows that pavement deterioration and destruction will continue indefinitely unless pipe galleries are built. While he has no legal power to undertake the improvement he can at least take the initiative in fostering it. His official position is such that his advocacy of pipe galleries would have to be ser- iously considered by the rapid transit commission. Because this disposition of sub-surface works forms the solution of main- taining the pavements, and because the Borough President is morally bound to conserve this valuable property, he cannot allow the matter to rest undisturbed without laying himself open to the charge of indillference to the city's interests. CORPORATION INSPECTORS. In connection with the opening: of street surfaces bv corpora- tions, there remains one more point for discussion. This relates to the inspection of the work done by corporations under permit from the borough president. Any work which in- volves the disturbance of the surface of streets by corporations holding franchises is carried on under the supervision of cor- poration inspectors, who are appointed by the borough presi- dent, but are paid by the companies whose work they pass upon. 57 While corporation inspectors are not specifically mentioned in the charter, the reason for their appointment is found in sec- tion 391, which reads in part as follows : "No removal of the pavement or disturbance of the surface of any street for the purpose of constructing vaults or lateral ways, digging cel- lars, laying foundations of buildings or other structures, making sewer con- nections or repairing sewers or pipes, of laying down gas and water pipes steam pipes and electric wires, or introducing the same into buildings, or lor any purpose whatsoever, shall be made until a permit is first had from the president of tlie borough where the work is to be done. . . . But noth- ing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit said borough president from demanding, before issuing said permit, and as a condition thereof, the deposit of such sum of money or other security, as, in his judgment, may be necessary to pay the cost of properly relaying the pavement so re- moved, together with the expense of tlie inspection thereof." The 'corporation' inspectors see to it that the corporations perform the work of laying pipes or conduits in the streets or repairing their sub-surface works according to the provisions of the permit issued by the borough president. They have to do only with the openings in pavements made by the corpora- tions. They are supposed to see to it that the pavement is properly restored, but this work devolves largely upon the regu- lar inspection force of the bureau of highways. The work as- signed to the corporation inspectors is similar to that of the regular highway inspectors. Being political appointees in every respect, they are required to have none but political qualifica- tions. Their authority is limited to stopping work done in vio- lation of the terms of the permit. The compensation of the corporation inspectors is $4.00 a day for short jobs and $100 a month when a piece of work, such as the laying of conduits for electric wires, is likely to cover a long period. The appointment of corporation inspectors forms the only extensive field of patronage left for borough presidents and their adherents. The men are not civil service employes and their names do not appear in the civil list published half-yearly. Their status is seemingly absurd. While actually employed to safeguard the city's interests, they are paid by the corporations whose work they are supervising. They hold a double alle- giance, as it were, although it is contended that, politically, they naturally remain true to the interests of the persons who have power to appoint or dismiss them. For several years the Civil Service Reform Association has endeavored without suc- cess to have the Legislature place the corporation inspectors under the civil service rules, its annual bills being subjected to strong influences from persons who feared a loss of pat- ronage. The measure drafted by the Civil Service Reform 58 Association would still permit the payment of the inspectors by the corporations. There is some difference of opinion as to whether the inspectors can properly be called city em- ployes as they were paid by the corporations, but the courts have still to decide this point. The number of corporation inspectors employed in Man- hattan fluctuates between 40 and 45. As most of the sub- surface work in the streets is done during the spring and sum- mer months, the inspectors find those seasons the most profit- able. While the inspectors are useful as a means of distribut- ing patronage, they are to some extent a source of annoyance to the borough presidents. Naturally, all of the inspectors wish to have steady employment, but if there is not enough work to go around there is bound to be a certain amount of favoritism shown in making assignments. This leads to dis- satisfaction, which is likely to result in demoralization among the men who work perhaps only two or three days a week. The system of inspection by the so-called corporation in- spectors does not serve, in the slightest way, to safeguard the interests of the city in restoring cuts in the pavement. It is an unbusiness-like and unprofitable method of dealing with the problem of paving restoration. It is of the greatest importance that the damage to street pavements by public service corpora- tions should not only be as greatly restricted as possible, but that every precaution be taken to insure a workmanlike and expeditious repair of the damage done. It would be more equitable to charge the cost of legitimate inspection by city em- ployes to the company, making its payment a condition of the permit, compliance with which it insured by a bond. The present method of entrusting the work of inspecting to political parasites not only does not subserve the city's in- terests but savours of a petty tax upon the corporations by the borough president. In some instances the corporations are required to pay but little more for the restoration of the pavement than they pay for the 'inspection.' THE CONDITION OF THE PAVEMENT IN THE STREETS BE- LOW FOURTEENTH STREET AS SHOWN BY AN IN- SPECTION MADE BY THE BUREAU OF CITY BETTERMENT. In the absence of records in the bureau of highways from which conclusions could be drawn, it was sought to deter- mine the condition of pavements under maintenance contract (guarantee). A total of 230 blocks south of Fourteenth Street were examined, of which 37 per cent were adjudged to be in 59 good condition. The examination having been made in May, considerable work had already been done by the asphalt com- panies to repair the winter's wear. Incidentally, notes were made of the condition of 19 blocks on which the maintenance guarantee had expired and 95 blocks of stone pavement, all of which are in the care of the bureau of highways. It was found that only 3 per cent of these streets were in good condition. It is needless to state that by means of anything short of a careful survey it is impossible to determine the exact con- dition of the highways. A conscientious visual examination will, however, easily discriminate between a pavement in per- fect condition and the various degrees of disrepair in which the city's highways fall. The detailed results of this investi- gation were submitted to the chief engineer of the bureau of highways, George M. Olney, who reports that his bureau has investigated the streets designated as needing repairs and or- dered repairs to be made accordingly. Summary Of Inspection. No. of No. of No. of No. of blocks In blocks In blocks va- blocks In Type of PflToment. good fair rying from poor condition. condition, fair to poor. condition. Streets Under Maintenance. Sheet Asphalt 52 57 y] 42 Asphalt Block 5 i Wood Block 25 I Total 82 59 z^ 42 Percentage of blocks Z7°/o 27% 17% .19% Streets Not Under Maintenance. *Stone Block 2 19 22 52 Sheet Asphalt 2 3 i 13 Total 4 22 23 65 Percentage of blocks 3% 19% 20% 57% MAINTENANCE OF MACADAM STREETS. The maintenance of the eighteen miles of macadam and gravel roadways and the twenty miles of dirt roads in the Borough of Manhattan, is in control of the division of streets *The condition of only a small number of blocks paved with stone was re- corded. This pavement being entirely maintained by the bureau of highways' force cannot properly be compared with the pavement maintained under the general repair contract. 60 A corporation cut covered with stone block, awaiting settlement. Building material placed on unprotected pavement. and roads of the bureau of highways. Both in 1904 and in 1905 an average of 172 workmen and 53 teams were employed in this work, which consisted of repairing washouts and gut- ters, relaying flaggings, and sprinkling, scraping, and rolling the roadways. Two appropriations are used by the division of streets and roads, which expended in 1904 and 1905 the followins: amounts. For ]\Iaintenance Of, And Sprinkling Roads, Streets And Avenues, Unpaved. 1904. 1905. Payroll $34,98i.37 $34,963-25 General Disbursement For Maintenance Of Boulevards, Roads And Avenues. 1904. 1905. Payroll $100,887.06 $99,857.48 General Disbursements for supplies, repairs to tools, etc., without contract 13,247.90 11,126.43 Total $114,134.96 $110,983.91 In the case of each appropriation the expenditure for 1905 was less than it was in 1904. THE INCUMBRANCE OF THE HIGHWAYS. The problem of restricting the incumbrance of the roadways and sidewalks of the borough with private property is one which requires unintermittent attention. The extensive building operations in Manhattan entail the constant use of parts of the highways for the storage of building materials. Merchants must be watched or they will unduly occupy the sidewalks before their stores for the display of their wares. That the adminis- tration of the law is lenient with respect to incumbrances of the roadways is evidenced by the practice of permitting petty mer- chants to sell goods from portable stands — pushcarts — on most of the crowded East Side streets and in many of the public squares and thoroughfares throughout the borough. With the exception of the streets along the water front, the use of the highways for the storage of carts and trucks when not in use, at one time a most serious abuse, has, during the past several years, been pretty thoroughly abated. 61 By reason of conflicting- charter provisions, the city sup- ports two bureaus of incumbrances in the Borough of Man- hattan. By virtue of section 547 of the charter all powers and duties relating to the removal of incumbrances and the issue of permits to builders to use the streets devolves upon the com- missioner of street cleaning, in the boroughs to which his au- thority extends, while section 383 gives to the respective bor- ough presidents control of the removal of incumbrances and the right to issue permits to builders and others to use the streets. The commissioner of street cleaning exercises his power to cause the removal of incumbrances and has a bureau for this work in Manhattan, but he does not attempt to issue building permits, leaving this function to the borough president, who also has a bureau of incumbrances. The methods of the rival bureaus afford a contrast indi- cating that the work might be done more effectively and at a smaller expense to the city by one department. At present there is no co-operation and one bureau does not know the intentions of the other, although the borough bureau can always be certain that the street cleaners will not take incumbrances from the sidewalk. This lack of co-operation results in a du- plication of work and a waste of energy. For instance, a borough inspector may find that a builder is violating- the terms of his permit by using too much of the street for storage purposes. A short time afterwards a street cleaning inspector may discover the same violation. Unknown to each other^ both men decide that the incumbrance should be removed. The borough inspector notifies his bureau, which then endeavors to serve notice upon the owner of the incum- brance, telling him that unless he removes it forthwith a seizure will be made. In the meantime the street cleaning inspector has also been active, and his bureau, which serves no warning notices, proceeds summarily to remove the incum- brance. Consequently, no violation may exist by the time the notice of the borough bureau has been served. If there were some definite arrangement between the bureaus as to the ma- terials to be removed by each, such occurrences would be avoided and a greater benefit to the city would result. The material removed by the borough bureau is of little value. It consists largely of dirt, stone, rubbish, fallen trees, dangerous stumps, deserted newstands, signboards, and furni- ture abandoned by dispossessed families. The street cleaners^ 62 A sidewalk incumbrance for business purposes. Building material piled on wood block pavement with- out the protection required by law. The sidewalk obstructed with build- ing material. on the other hand, seize building materials, merchandise, de- serted trucks and wagons, milk cans, and other things of value ; in fact, the street cleaners rarely seize anything that is worth- less. As a consequence, the receipts of the street cleaning bureau are far in excess of the borough president's bureau, as the following table relating to Manhattan will show : 1904. 1905. Borough Street Borough Street Pres. Cleaning. Pres. Cleaning. Incumbrance Redemptions $769.00 $9,187.30 $710.00 $12,522.55 Incumbrance Sales I35S0 ^TiTi 396.32 1,211.20 Undoubtedly, the greater activity of the street cleaning bureau is due to the fact that it is better equipped to handle the work of detecting and removing incumbrances than its rival. Every street cleaner is more or less of an incumbrance inspector, as he is constantly at work on the pavements and. can therefore report upon obstructions as soon as they appear. Moreover, the street cleaners have at their command a large number of horses and carts, so the removal of seized articles is a simple matter. The borough president's bureau has no carts or horses, and but six inspectors, who cannot be expected to compete with the army of street cleaners. Every policeman should, however, be an inspector for the bureau because the incum- brances without permits are clear violations of the law. The incumbrances detected by the bureau are removed by a private truckman, whose fees are based upon the size of the obstruc- tion and the time and labor consumed in its removal. No contract is let for the work, which is usually done by a truck- man named P. Corrigan. A table at the end of this chapter shows that the average cost of removing incumbrances and loads of dirt and rubbish was greater in 1905 than it was in 1904. It is probable that the framers of the charter intended that the department of street cleaning alone should attend to the removal of incumbrances, for they devised legal procedure to be followed by the commissioner in seizing, selling, and per- mitting the redemption of the seized property, the commis- sioner being allowed to fix the redemption fee, which must not exceed $10 for each article. 63 So far as the borough president is concerned, there is no section of the charter defining his duties in relation to the removal of incumbrances, the matter being dealt with in these words : "He shall .... have cognizance and control .... of the removal of incumbrances." Although freed from legal restrictions the borough president cannot exercise any arbi- trary power, because of the small value of the articles he seizes. His redemption fees for incumbrances depend upon the cost of their removal and the labor involved, the fees being fixed by the superintendent of incumbrances. Property seized by this bureau is held thirty days for redemption, but it is cus- tomary to have only two sales a year in order that a good showing of merchandise may be made. The utility of two such bureaus is questionable, but as long as they legally exist they should find means to co-operate instead of blindly working along independent lines. A simple arrangement between the commissioner of street cleaning and the borough president is all that is necessary to render the work of the bureaus more effective, and it is recommended that these two officials confer on the matter. Permits Issued By Bureau Of Incurnbrances. As the department of street cleaning does not issue per- mits to builders, the Bureau of Incumbrances spoken of here- after is that of the Borough President. Three classes of per- mits are issued by the bureau, as follows : (i) Building material permits. (2) Permits to erect temporary sheds over sidewalks. (3) Permits to cross sidewalks with carts. No charge is made to persons who receive permits to place building materials in the street, but a bond or certified check must be deposited with the commissioner of public works to insure payment for any damage to the pavement. One of the conditions of such permits is that asphalt pavements must be properly covered with planking before the materials are placed thereon. The grantee is not allowed to occupy more than one-third of the carriageway in front of the premises named in his permit, and he is required at all times to keep the sidewalk free and clear for pedestrians. A building permit is issued for thirty days and can be extended from time to time. 64 Pedestrians protected from falling building material. A sidewalk bridge over an excavated vault. The greater part of the work of the force of incumbrance inspectors concerns the holders of building permits. Builders frequently try to annex more than one-third of the street, and many of them are not too careful about protecting asphalt pavements. Under the present system a builder may store tons of material in a public highway for months at a time with- out cost to himself. If his p.ermit is revoked for violation of conditions, he is placed under some expense for the removal of his materials, and the same is true when he is obliged to redeem seized articles. But as he can lose no fee by the revoca- tion of his permit and can secure a renewal by promising to observe the proper rules in the future, he is not impressed with the desirability of being careful of his privilege. It would seem good policy, therefore, to charge a substantial fee for building material permits. Such an arrangement would undoubtedly have the efifect of increasing the value of the privilege in the eyes of the person holding it. It may be argued that the builder's bond protects the city. It does so far as repairs to darriaged pavements are concerned, but it does not contain a penalty^ for the use of an excess street area, nor one for block- ing the sidewalk and causing inconvenience to the public. A fee of $5 is charged for the second class of permits, which allows the erection of temporary roofs or sheds over the side- walk in front of buildings in course of construction. Such permits remain in force during the actual progress of the work. As temporary sheds are a protection to the public as well as a convenience to the builder, there is less reason for the fee of $5 than there would be for a fee in connection with building material permits, which represent a valuable storing privilege. The third class of permits issued by the bureau of incum- brances allow persons to cross sidewalks with horses and carts. The holder of such a permit is not allowed to disturb the side- walk flagging, but is required to cover it with planks. He is also required to file a bond or deposit a certified check for $25 with the commissioner of public works, to cover all possible damage to the sidewalk. No fee is charged for the privilege, although the occupancy of a sidewalk is undoubtedly an incon- venience to the public. It is suggested that the right to issue permits for the placing of candy booths and newstands on the sidewalks, which now forms a profitable source of patronage for aldermen, might be delegated to the bureau of incumbrances, which has to remove such property when it is abandoned by the owners. 65 In the following tables will be found the numbers of permits issued in 1904 and 1905, the revenue derived from temporary shed permits, and the total revenue of the bureaus of incum- brances as compared wdth the cost of operation. 1904. 1905. No. No. Issued. Receipts. Issued. Receipts. Building material permits 3.9/8 5,548 Temporary shed permits 541 $2,705 828 $4,140 Permits to cross sidewalks 769 1,102 Expenditures. 1904. For salaries $15,138.70 For removal of incumbrances, etc., and salaries of foremen and laborers 10,117.75 1905. $15,814-35 14,647.41 Total $25,256.45 $30,461.76 Receipts. 1904. From shed permits $2,705.00 From redemption of seized articles 769.00 From auction sales of unredeemed articles 135.00 Total $3,609.00 1905. $4,140.00 710.00 396.32 $5,246.32 It will be observed that in each year the regular salary expenditure of the bureau exceeds the amount utilized in removing obstructions, incumbrances, etc., which also includes the salaries of foremen and laborers^ horse and wagon hire for superintendent, transportation expenses of inspectors, and tele- phone service. The operations of the bureau, in addition to the issuing of permits, may be summarized as follows : Nature of Service Number 1904. Cost Average of cost of re- re- moval moval. per load. Complaints of obstruc- tions receiving atten- tion 2,714 Seizures and removals of obstructions 695 $2,305.-25 Loads of dirt; stone and rubbish removed 687 2,101.85 Fallen trees, stumps and posts removed 195 682.50 Notices served to repair defective vault covers. 25 $3.31- 3-059 3-50 Number 1905. Cost Average of cost of re- re- moval moval per load. 3,078 638 $2,242.50 $3,514 1,283 3,985-70 3-I06 163 570.50 3-50 40 66 Thirty-second Street and Pennsylvania Elevated. Showing steel structure across N. Y. Central tracks. THE INCUMBRANCE PRINCIPLE STRETCHED TO A DANGEROUS DEGREE. An interesting- and dangerous extension of the power of the borough president to grant.^ermits to encumber the public highways in connection with building operations is found in the case of the 'temporary' tramway constructed and now in use, in connection with the building of the Pennsylvania and Long Island Railroad Company's terminal and tunnel. This terminal and its connections are built under authority granted by the Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners and the Board of Aldermen. The terminal is to be located between Seventh and Ninth Avenues and 31st and 33rd Streets, 32nd Street being closed between these two avenues by reason of its occu- pation by the railway terminal. The construction of the ter- minal involves the removal of a vast quantity of stone from the excavation. To facilitate this removal to the river, where it is loaded on to barges, the borough president granted the railway permission to construct an elevated tramway in 32nd Street, from 9th Avenue to the North River, under a permit issued by the principal assistant engineer dated July 29, 1904. This tramway, except where it traverses the New York Cen- tral Railway tracks, is built of wood beams. The span across the tracks is carefully built of steel. The contractors for the terminal convey train loads of earth and stone, usually large boulders, over this tramway, loaded on unstable dumping cars. The tramway crosses 10th, 11th and 12th Avenues. At these points of intersection the road- ways have been permitted to fall into wretched condition. As- a result traffic is not only in danger from the passing of care- lessly loaded cars overhead, but is impeded by a roadway filled with ruts and holes beneath, a condition for which the presence of the tramway is largely responsible. The tramway occupies the center of 32nd Street, and is not only a great nuisance to the inhabitants of the street, but practically closes it to traffic. This incumbrance is tantamount to a franchise to construct and operate an elevated railway along a public thoroughfare for a length of time limited only by the convenience and necessity of the grantee, and without direct compensation to the public. THE 'ABANDONED' CAR TRACK INCUMBRANCES. In Manhattan ''abandoned' street railway tracks are con- spicuous and detrimental incumbrances of the public highways. In 1903, the Merchants Association stated that these tracks 67 totalled nearly 20 miles. This length has scarcely been de- creased in the three years since the publication of that state- ment. The recent refusal of a supreme court justice to perma- nently enjoin the borough president from tearing up the tracks in Vesey Street over which the company made no pretense of running cars, resulted in their removal by the bureau of high- ways. To what extent Mr. Ahearn will proceed in this com- mendable work is a matter of conjecture. In many cases the companies do not possess even the color of right which they advance with respect to continuous lines of tracks no longer used, but representing, as tangible evidence, the investment of the capital of their bondholders. There are innumerable spurs and parts of switches, such as are shown in the photographs, which remain only because the borough president has failed to take action towards their removal. They are unsightly and a menace to travel, while their presence in the pavement hastens its deterioration. The abandoned tracks are lines over which the railway companies have ceased commercially to operate cars. They are no longer profitable as routes of transportation, but repre- sent certain franchise rights to which the companies greedily cling. In some instances the pretext of fulfilling the purposes of the franchise is made by the perfvmctory operation of one or two cars a day. So flagrant is this practice of the companies, which are under such deep obligation to the people, that it is inconceivable that the public tolerates so gross an infringement of its rights. The loss of the good-will of the public, which the companies must sustain by their anti-social practice of incum- bering the streets with dead tracks, will many times outweigh any picayunish advantage which might follow from their miserly conduct. A most flagrant example of the refusal of the railway com- panies to remove unneeded tracks or to live up to the obliga- tions which the presence of these tracks in the highways entail, is the Amsterdam Avenue case. Here the tracks are for horse car use only and are paralleled with a double track electric line. The horse car tracks were laid before the electric car tracks and are on a higher grade. The consequence of this difference of grade between the two sets of track is to make one of the most important avenues in Manhattan a trough for most of its length. From the present status of the controversy between the city and the company over these tracks it would seem that noth- ing stands in the way of their removal by the city but insuf- ficiency of back bone in the borough president's office. 68 Showing condition of roadway under 'L' structure. Abandoned car track; 34th Street and Broadway, show- ing faintly through asphalt pavement. Abandoned car tracks, showing spurs and switches dis- connected from main line. Abcindoned car tracks, 125th Street and Third Avenue. Because this case is typical of the complexities of the con- troversy over 'dead' tracks, and because its history sets forth the public spirited attitude of the railway companies, an account of it will be of interest. HISTORY OF THE AMSTERDAM AVENUE TRACK FIGHT. On June 10, 1902, Jacob A. Cantor, as President of the Bor- ough of Manhattan, ordered the Forty-Second Street, Manhat- tanville and St. Nicholas Avenue Railroad to remove the unused or outside horse car tracks on Amsterdam Avenue, between Broadway and Manhattan Street, and on Manhattan Street, be- tween Amsterdam Avenue and the Hudson River. The com- pany was told that if the work of removal was not commenced within thirty days, it would be undertaken by the borough pres- ident's department and the cost thereof charged to the railroad. This action on the part of the borough president was due to the fact that he had received a great many complaints with refer- ence to the tracks.* The railroad company immediately sought an injunction to restrain the borough president from carrying out his threat, and the case came to trial at Special Term before Justice Edward B. Amend, on July 17, 1902. Counsel for the railroad asserted that the borough president had no legal authority to remove the tracks or interfere with them ; that they were in daily opera- tion ; and that the rights, privileges and franchises over the streets had been mortgaged to secure issues of bonds. It was further alleged that the removal of the tracks would impair the security of the bondholders and diminish and impair the fran- chise granted to the railroad by the Legislature. The answer of the borough president, as defendant, alleged that the tracks had been abandoned by the railroad; that they subserved no public good ; were a constant menace to the trav- elling public, a useless and dangerous obstruction to the street ; an unnecessary interference with the traflfic thereon, and a public nuisance ; also, that the defendant, in discharge of his duties, was required to remove the tracks as obstructions and a nuisance. There was little dispute as to the material points of the evidence. It appears that the Forty-second Street, Manhat- tanville and St. Nicholas Avenue Railroad was incorporated on December 20, 1877, and succeeded to a franchise granted by chapter 825 of the laws of 1873, which gave to certain in- dividuals the right to construct and operate a railroad in *The West End Association and the Independence League Club were large- ly responsible for the borough president's activity in this matter. 69 specified streets, including; Tenth, now Amsterdam Avenue. For several years after its incorporation the company did noth- ing but make an attempt to change its route from Amster- dam Avenue to the Boulevard. A resolution of the Board of Aldermen dated December 27, 1878, permitted the change in route and the railroad constructed tracks on the Boule- vard under this resolution in 1886 and 1887. As regards Amsterdam Avenue, nothing was done until 1891, when tracks for a horse railroad were laid. Prior to the laying of the tracks of the Forty-second Street Company, the Ninth Avenue Railroad Company had laid tracks in the middle of the avenue. The latter corporation endeavored to restrain its rival from laying tracks, but without success. One of the questions raised by the city was that the rail- road had abandoned its tracks. The president of the railroad testified that in 1898 and up to the fall of 1899 thirty-five cars a day were run, when the construction of an underground trolley was begun. The number was then reduced to twenty, and these were run until a receiver was appointed for the com- pany in 1900. The receiver ran one car a day over the road, and the railroad, after it received possession of lines in 1901, continued to run the one car until the beginning of the action. The receipts on the car were about eighty cents a day. In times of snowfall the car often suspended service from two to five days, in succession, and during these periods the snow and ice were not removed from the tracks. Evidence was also introduced by the city to show that the tracks wer^ under the level of the street and that the pave- ment was ofif-grade, as well as being in bad condition within and outside the tracks. After withholding his decision for a long time. Justice Amend granted the relief sought by the railroad as to its tracks on Manhattan Street, but denied it and dismissed the com- plaint on the merits as to the tracks on Amsterdam Avenue. The justice held that the railroad had practically abandoned its tracks on Amsterdam Avenue, and was not entitled to the protection of a court of equity so far as that part of the road was concerned. The railroad appealed from the judgment as it afifected Amsterdam Avenue, but the city did not seek to set aside the injunction restraining its representative from tearing up the tracks on Manhattan Street. 70 Showing the 'trough' in Amsterdam Avenue. Abandoned car tracks; Broadway, south from 130th St. DECISION OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION. In April of 1905^ after voluminous briefs had been submitted by both sides, the Appellate Division reversed Justice Amend's decision and remanded the cause to Special Term for a new trial, in order that the whole case might be presented upon proper and sufficient findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Appellate Division confined its opinion to a considera- tion only of the findings of the lower court, that the railroad had abandoned the operation of its railroad on Amsterdam Avenue. The decision reads in part : "The finding of the learned trial justice is that the plaintiff practically abandoned its tracks on Amsterdam Avenue. There is no expressed finding of actual abandonment, but we will assume that it was the inten- tion of the court to find that there was an actual abandonment of the tracks. . . "It appears in the record that the plaintiff undertook at one time to change its motive power to a sub-electric trolley system. It was inter- rupted in so doing by the provisions of chapter 371 of the laws of 1899, which provided that it shall not be lawful to operate on Amsterdam Avenue . . . any street surface railroad . . . unless tracks or rails . . . shall be at all points at least twenty feet distant from the nearest curb line of said avenue. The plaintiff could not complete its intended change of motive power . . . and it ran one car a day over the Amsterdam Avenue route, thus indicating that it was not its intention to abandon the use of its tracks. "That act is indicative of its purpose of maintaining its right. It was not to acquire a right. It was not a pretext to evade conditions upon which a franchise was granted, but to show that it intended to retain a right which it already possessed. It is said, however, that the plaintiff was required by law to run its cars upon Amsterdam Avenue as often as the public convenience demanded, but there is nothing in this record to indicate that the public convenience was in any way affected by the action of the plaintiff. . . . The Ninth Avenue system of electric cars is operated on Amsterdam Avenue, and there is nothing to show that during the period in which the plaintiff ran but one car a day on that avenue, all the demands of the public were not fully met by the service af- forded by the Nmth Avenue road. "We think that the proof was inadequate to show an abandonment by the plaintiff of its tracks. The effect of denying it relief is to deprive it of the benefit of its franchise ; and very much stronger evidence should be required to effect that object than that which now appears before Whatever right the city may have to abate a nuisance, must be left for future consideration, said the justices, because the matter was not passed upon by the court below. For the same 71 reason they did not consider it necessary to pass upon the subject of the actual condition of the tracks on Amsterdam Avenue as constituting a nuisance, which the railroad might be compelled to remove, or in default of so doing, the city might remove under power conferred by law. The city introduced evidence to show that the railroad neg- lected to repair the Amsterdam Avenue tracks and make them conform to the established grade, and that a nuisance was thereby created which tlie city had a right to remove. The court did not question such right in a proper case, but in this action there was a controverted question with respect to the establishment of the grade. Moreover, the court held that the action of the borough president was not taken upon the theory of the existence of the nuisance, and that no demand was made upon the plaintiff to repair the street, or restore it to grade. It will be seen that matters are in statu quo. The case has not come to trial a second time; the city is not restrained from tearing up the tracks ; and it might easily do so without incur- ring any legal liability. THE PAVEMENT IN THE RAILROAD AREA. Section 98 of the General Railroad Law provides that the street railway companies pave and keep in repair the pavement between their tracks, the rails of their tracks and two feet in width outside their tracks (the railroad area), tmder the super- vision of the proper local authorities (the borough presidents in New York City) and whenever required by them to do so and in such manner as they prescribe. This section was origi- nally incorporated in the Street Railway Law in 1884 and sub- sequently enacted as a section of the General Railroad Law. Many of the street railways with tracks in Manhattan streets received their franchises prior to the passage of this provision. The courts have not yet decided the question as to whether the law is retroactive, and, therefore, applicable to these companies. It is a fact, however, that the franchises of most of the compa- nies under whose authority street railways are operated in Man- hattan, contained provisions binding the railways to pave and keep in repair the portion of the streets occupied by their tracks. A few of the companies are expressly freed from this obliga- tion by the terms of their franchises. The facts respecting the provision regarding the paving obligation of the various com- panies, and a full and complete discussion of the question re- lating to the pavement in the railway area, are contained in a pamphlet recently published by the Bureau of City Betterment.* ♦"The City of New York, The Street Railroad Companies and a Million and a Half Dollars." 72 The archaic type of rail shown in the photograph is the T rail used in horse car lines. These rails still abound in Manhattan streets; their presence in the pavement hastens its deterioration. An effort was made to minimize the injury caused by this rail in this instance by flanking it with 'tooth stones.' The same street farther north showing the improved grooved rail used on electric lines. This rail is very much less injurious to the pavements. When the borough president decides to repave a street in which car tracks are laid he gives notice to the railway com- pany and requests a statement of its preference respecting the kind of pavement to be laid in the railroad area. The com- pany usually replies that the pavement already laid is satis- factory and requires no change. If a preference is indicated it is usually for stone block pavement, because this pavement is the most durable, can be kept in repair by the employes of the company, and permits access to the sub-surface parts of the tracks without involving the disruption of a pavement costly to replace. Proof of the preference for stone block pave- ment on the part of the railway companies requires only the most casual inspection of the area throughout the borough. An investigation made by the Bureau of City Betterment re- vealed the fact that in 70 per cent of the city blocks through which railway lines run, the railroad area is paved with stone block. It is obvious that the convenience of the companies has been permitted to outweigh the comfort of the public, in this matter of the pavement of the railroad area. The clatter of vehicles crossing the stone paved railway area in an asphalted street, offsets completely the comfort usually derived from a noiseless pavement. Whenever a pavement is renewed in a street containing tracks the railway companies find some pretext for evading their obligation to pay their share of the cost. Suits for some $720,000 are now pending, for bills rendered by the city to the companies for pavement laid in the railway area and paid for by the public. Because of the present supineness of the city in its failure to press the claims, the companies apparently feel secure in their refusal to accept the obligation placed upon them by the Railroad Law, and in many cases, by explicit conditions of their franchises. The list of outstanding bills for payment owing to the city by the various railway companies is illumina- tive of the attitude taken by these favored corporations to the public, their constant benefactors. It will be seen that some of this indebtedness dates back to 1889. 73 Net Indebtedness Of The Different Railroad Companies To The City Of New York, For Repaying Within, Between And Two Feet Outside Of The Tracks From 1899, When The First Bills Were Rendered, To June 4, 1906 : Eighth Avenue Railroad Company $39,161.04 Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Street Railroad Co 23,718.95 New York and Harlem Railroad Co 190,804.17 Forty-second Street, Manhattanville and St. Nicholas Avenue Railroad Co 105,777.85 Ninth Avenue Railroad Co 34,386.69 Second Avenue Railroad Co 87;683.i2 Bleecker Street and Fulton Ferry R. R. Co 47,394.72 Broadway and Seventh Avenue Railroad Co , 162,445.23 Metropolitr.n Crosstown Railroad Co 25,804.37 North and East River Railroad Co 5,362.60 Avenue C Railroad Co. 28,921.38 New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Co 2,027.26 Union Railway Co 19,706.92 Thirty-fourth Street Crosstown Railroad Co 6,300.50 Twenty-third Street Railroad Co 19,730.95 Forty-second Street and Grand Street Ferry Railroad Co. . . . 61,997.14 Sixth Avenue Railroad Co 59,478.72 Christopher and West Tenth Streets Railroad Co 36,867.71 Metropolitan Street Railway Co 221,713.35 Central Crosstown Railroad Co 14,548.46 Third Avenue Railroad Co 15,985.84 Central Park and North and East River Railroad Co 64,648.52 Chambers Street and Grand .Street Ferry Railroad Co 17,770.38 Dry Dock and East Broadway and Battery Railroad Co 111,135.42 Houston, West Street and Pavonia Ferry Railroad Co 36,282.73 Broadway Railroad Co 8,297.40 Lexington Avenue Railroad Co 5,398.10 One Hundred and Sixteenth Street Railroad Co 4,462.60 One Plundred and Sixteenth Street and Lenox Avenue R. R. Co 6,532.22 Fourth Avenue Railroad Co 2,314.19 One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street Crosstown Railroad Co 1,575.39 Sixth and Eighth Avenue Railroad Co 94-39 Tenth Avenue Railroad Co I99-4I Fulton Street Crosstov.'n Railroad Co 626.38 Avenue A Railroad Co 1,314.06 Seventh Avenue Railroad Co 42,061.01 Total $1,512,529.19 In order to ascertain the condition of the railroad area, a careful and laborious examination was made by the Bureau of City Betterment, in June, 1906, of the pavement between the rails and tracks of all the lines in Manhattan. The results of this examination, detailed below, were instructive. A total of 36 lines were covered, including 2,252 city blocks and 500 crossings or intersections of lines. Of the total num- 74 ber of blocks, 1,576, or about 70 per cent, were found to be paved with stone pavement. Thirteen per cent of the blocks were found to be in good condition, i. e., entirely free from ruts, holes and depressions ; 33 per cent were found in fair condi- tion, i. e., a group including blocks where depressions were in- frequent and ruts and holes not serious enough to render travel difficult ; and 55 per cent in bad condition, a state indicating neglect of the pavement, where holes, ruts and depressions pre- dominated. On a conservative basis, therefore, the investiga- tion revealed the fact that the pavement in the railway area in more than one-half of the blocks in which tracks are laid is not kept in repair by the street railway companies, contrary to their explicit obligations. It is obvious that the city is in no position to longer tempor- ize with the defavilting companies. Immediate and vigorous action by the Corporation Counsel must be begun in order that the city may determine by judicial process whether it is without relief from the continued refusal of the companies to discharge their obligations. Condition Of Railroad Area, Inspected June, 1906. No. No. Route of of Blocks. of Crossings. Railroad Line. Good Fair Bad Good Fair Bad Spring St. — Desbrosses to Grand St. Ferry. . .10 34 2 23 Chambers St. Ferry to Roosevelt Street Ferry 8 2 Duane, Chambers and Madison St. Line. . . 8 6 28 23 Prince, Houston, Avenue A and Ave. C Line 6 74 43 Eighth St. Line — Greenpoint Ferry to Christopher St. Ferry 8 15 20 5 22 East Side Belt Line — South Ferry to 125th Street 7 46 i55 3 24 Third Avenue Line — Post Office to 130th Street 13 Qi 5° 2 6 8 Third Avenue Line — 162nd Street and Am- sterdam Avenue to 221st St. and Broad- way 42 8 I East iioth Street Line, via St. Nicholas Ave., etc., to West 130th St. Ferry . il 16 26 Lexington Avenue Line, from 23rd St. to 133rd Street 13 46 54 3 Twenty-third St. Line, from North to East River 3 I7 3 7 West Side Belt Line, from South Ferry to 7ict Street 12 16 83 3 i 10 Ninth Avenue Line — Sgth St. to Cortlandt Street 8 57 65 13 19 Fourteenth Street — North River to Ave- nue D . 3 9 4 4 9 Sixth and Amsterdam Avenue Line — South Ferry to Manhattan St 9 33 80 3 16 75 No. No. Route of of Blocks. of Crossings. Railroad Line. Good Fair Bad Good Fair Bad Grand Street Line— East to North River... 15 28 11 16 East and West 42nd Street Line 5 12 i 10 East ii6th Street and West io6th Street Line i 8 4 i West 145th Street Crosstown Line 6 21 28th and 29th Street Crosstown Line 7 24 i 6 13 59th Street Crosstown Line 12 4 b Second Avenue Line — 129th St. to Brooklyn Bridge 34 36 79 i 10 8 Fourth Avenue Line — .A.stor Place to 137th St 40 52 49 4 I 10 Eighth Ave. Line — 59th St. to Battery Place 27 67 114 2 26 Canal St. Line — Grand St. Ferry to North Moore and Washington Streets 3 36 2 19 Chatham Sq. & East Broadway Lnie to E. 34th Street Ferry 8 33 10 West 86th Street Line — Amsterdam Ave. to Riverside Drive 2 i I East and West 125th St. Crosstown Line... 9 10 72 Broadway, Columjjus Ave. & Lenox Ave. Line — South Ferry to 148th Street 22. 104 61 i 3 18 Amsterdam Ave. Branch of Third Avenue Line 66 Seventh Avenue Line 14 26 3 9 Desbrosses Street Ferry to 3rd Street and 6th Ave 4 8 4 17th and i8th St. Crosstown , i 3 I5 12 Fulton Street Crosstown i 11- i 4 East and West 34th Street 5 9 Z 7 Eighty-sixth St. Line , 7 7 31 Total 304 7i7i>23i i5 92 393 13% 32% 55% 3% 18% 79% Total number of blocks 2,752 Total number of crossings 500 Of the total number of blocks of the railroad area 1,576, or about 70 per cent, are paved with stone, while 178 blocks, or about 7 per cent, are paved with a combination of stone and asphalt or other material, the remainder, 23 per cent, being paved exclusively with material other than stone block. After the investigation of the railroad area was completed, detailed reports were submitted by the Bureau of City Better- ment to the chief engineer of the bureau of highways, with the suggestion that orders be issued to the railroad companies to repair immediately all blocks found to be in bad condition. The reports were examined by the chief engineer's assist- ants and found to be of great value as the bureau of highway.s was without a comprehensive record of this description. There- 76 upon, a number of orders to repair defective pavements in vari- ous parts of the borough were issued to the railroad companies, and as a result, applications for permission to take up and relay pavements in the railroad area are being received day by day at the bureau of highways. Summary Of Corporations Liable For Repairs And Repaving. By Resolution of the Common Council. Name of Railroad. Number of Miles New York and Harlem Railroad (City Line) 9-878 Second Avenue Railroad 13-693 Third Avenue Railroad 13-^90 5ixth .A.venue Railroad 5-58S Eighth Avenue Railroad 9-445 Mileage owned jointly by Sixth and Eighth Avenue Railroads J. 16 Broadway Railroad 2.463 Bleecker Street and Fulton Ferry Railroad 4-741 Ninth Avenue Railroad 8.658 Forty-second Street. Manhattanville and St. Nicholas Avenue Railroad 12.247 Broadway and Seventh Avenue Railroad 8.270 New York Central and Hudson River Railroad (Mileage in Manhattan not given in report of Railroad Com- missioners.) By Special Act of Legislature. Christopher and Tenth Street Railroad 1-999 Harlem. Bridge, Moirisania and Fordham Railroad (Mile- age included in Union Railway Co.) 3y chapter 252 of the laws of 1884 or chapter 565 of the laws of i8go. Columbus and Ninth Avenue Railroad 2.567 Chambers and Grand Street Ferry Railroad 2.357 Thirty-fourth Street Railroad .476 North and Blast River Railroad 394 Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Street Railroad 2.836 Extensions of Houston Street, West Street and Pavonia Ferry Railroad authorized in 1892 4-831 Lexington Avenue and Pavonia Ferry Railroad 6.164 Metropolitan Crosstown Railroad 3-897 Metropolitan Street Railway Company 23.861 Corporations not made liable for repairs and repaving by their fran- •chises : Central Park and North and Fast River Railroad 9-559 Dry Dock, East Broadway and Battery Railroad 8.504 Forty-second Street and Grand Street Ferry Railroad 3-564 Central Crosstown Railroad 1.810 Twentv-third Street Railroad 1-930 One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street Railroad (Mileage included in Third Avenue System.) Union Railway Company ( Required to make repairs by its franchise, but not required to repave). (Principally in The Bronx) 40.267 .77 It will have been noted that twenty-two railroads are obliged to repair and repave the area occupied by their tracks, either by reason of resolution of the Common Council, special act of the Legislature, or chapter 252 of the laws of 1884, or chapter 56S of the laws of 1890. Six railroads are exempted from obligation to pave and repair by the terms of their franchises, while one, the Union Railway Company, whose lines lie chiefly in the Bor- ough of The Bronx, is partially exempted. The Court of Ap- peals has yet to decide whether chapter 555 of the laws of 1890 (Railroad Law), which contains the paving clause originally en- acted in chapter 252 of the laws of 1884, is retroactive; in other words, whether it covers the cases of companies which were organized prior to its passage and whose franchises con- tain no paving clause. STREET SIGNS. Manhattan has not yet succeeded in- indicating the names of streets to pedestrians and drivers in a scientific and uniform manner. Throughout most of the island one has to scan gas lamps, house walls and electric light poles to find his location. President Ahearn has followed the example set by his predecessors in making experiments in signing the streets. The result is that in the Borough of Manhattan there are eight or more types of signs in use, suspended from almost as many un- expected places. The Borough of Manhattan has been frequently held up to ridicule as a place of bewilderment for strangers by reason of the absence of street signs. The vigorous protests of citizens and the insistence of certain powerful commercial interests, represented by the telegraph and express companies and the department stores, whose delivery service is greatly embar- rassed by the absence of street signs, have resulted in some re- cent activity in the placing of signs. The first essential in street signs is legibility, both by day and by night. They should also be attractive in form, and be built of durable material. It is extremely doubtful whether all the foregoing require- ments are filled by any one of the different types of signs now to be found in Manhattan. The earliest of the modern sisfns were placed during the administration of President Cantor in 1903. There were five varieties. The first was the blue enameJ 78 A cheap sign set on 'dead' gas lamp posts. Street sign. No. i. The criss-cross sign erected by President Ahearn. No. 3. plate attached to buildings. Each plate cost 98 cents, with a maintenance guarantee of three years by the contractor. Many of these signs are now missing from the walls to which they were originally attached, while a number of those that remain bear evidence of deterioration. Another type of sign erected by President Cantor is known as the 'bird cage' — a triangular box costing $16.98, with a main- tenance guarantee of one year. The most remarkable feature af this sign, when erected, was the fact that it was attached to 'dead' or unused lamp posts. Of course it was then necessary to furnish an illuminant for the boxes at night, and the gas companies were called upon to do this. The Consolidated Gas Company charged $17.50 per year per lamp ; the Standard Gas Light Company, $13.04 1-3, and the New Amsterdam Company, $12. The prices of the two latter companies were limited by their charters. A third sign was erected by the New York Edison Company on its own poles. It cost $12.50 and the company agreed to maintain and illuminate each sign box for one year. After that the company got $12.50 a year for lighting each sign. The Borough President states that there are 1^350 'bird cages' and 144 Edison signs in the borough. They are no longer illuminated, however, for the Board of Estimate and Ap- portionment at its meeting on March 16, 1905, requested the com.missioner of water supply, gas and electricity to discontinue the service for all gas and electric lights inside of street signs, except for fire alarms. The wisdom of purchasing these two types can fairly be doubted. They were never readily legible at night, for they contained metal or enamel name plates, through which the light within could not penetrate, instead of stencils backed with glass, which would have rendered them serviceable. Their cost of operation was out of proportion to the illumination given by them, which varied from twenty to twenty-five candle power, the gas burning with an open flame ; and as a whole the signs were a greater source of profit to the gas companies than a benefit to the community. The two other types erected during President Cantor's ad- ministration were as follows : Square boxes with glass signs backed by reflectors, attached to Welsbach lights, $12.50 each. 79 Triang-ular boxes with glass signs backed by reflectors, erected on electric light poles, $18 each; to be seen on Fifth and Madison Avenues. Since President Ahearn took office these reflector signs, as they are called, have undergone alterations. The glass plates have been replaced by stencils with opal glass backing, while in some instances the reflectors have been removed from frames attached to Welsbach lights. The signs now being placed by President Ahearn are much cheaper than the reflector signs and do not contain the weight or quality of metal to be found in the latter. The Ahearn signs are of three types : (1) Square cast-iron frames with zinc stencils and opal glass backing, attached to Welsbach lights ; cost $4.75 each, including erection and maintenance for three years. (2) Square cast-iron frames with zinc stencils and opal glass backing on two sides, and blue enamel signs with solid white letters on the other two sides, attached to electric light poles ; cost $6 per sign, including erection and maintenance for three years. (3) Criss-cross signs, composed of four rectangular cast- iron frames. In each frame there are two blue enamel plates, placed back to back, bearing the name of the street in solid white letters. The frames containing the signs for the inter- secting streets are placed one above the other, at right angles, on disused gas lamp posts. They are not illuminated and cost $6 each. In 1905 and in 1906 up to June 29, 1,780 signs of the first type, 1,002 of the second, and 491 of the third were erected. Only a few signs were erected in 1904 to replace others that had been destroyed. The appropriation for the maintenance of signs in 1904 and 1905 amounted in each instance to $3,000. In 1904 nothing was appropriated in bond issues for the pur- chase and erection of signs, but in 1905 there was a bond issue of $30,000 on this account. This money is now being utlilized. The latest contract was let on April 19, 1906, the estimated cost being $27,367. The contractor is Joseph N. Early, who furnished 'bird cage' signs to President Cantor. 8o ^ I Street sign; type No. 5 The 'bird cage' sign. For illuminating these signs the gas companies formerly received from $12 to $17 each per annum Type No. 2 of Manhattan street signs. Erected by President Ahearn. Another bird cage specimen. A perverted use of the street sig^. Whether the Early signs will prove a success, so far as wearing is concerned., remains to be seen. The frames are made of cast iron and for this reason the collars by which they are attached to the posts are likely to break, especially if a post is struck heavily by wagon, which frequently hap- pens. It is a question, too, whether the zinc stencils will not be speedily attacked by rust, and the suggestion has been made that stencils of copper, bronze, or some other material, un- afifected by the weather, be substituted for the zinc plates. Another criticism directed against the Early signs relates to the type attached to electric light poles. These sign boxes have two enamel and two stencil name plates, and while the stencils are legible at night the letters on the enamel plates are indis- tinct. This is a serious fault and might be remedied by using four stencils instead of two. It is obvious that the case of illu- minated sign stencils display the lettering to better advantage than do solid enamel plates, while the latter are more serviceable when attached to signs that are not illuminated. VAULTS UNDER SIDEWALKS. The city owns the streets from lot line to lot line. It owns not only the roadway from curb to curb, but the sidewalks, and not only the sidewalk itself but the earth beneath it, in the fullest legal sense. Accordingly, the city is liable for damages for injuries to persons caused by defective sidewalks when the condition of the sidewalk can be properly attributed to the negligence of the city authorities. In other words, the city enjoys the bur- dens of ownership in that it is responsible for the making and keeping in repair of sidewalks, and for damages arising from its neglect in that respect. It is known to what uses the earth beneath the surface of the roadways is put by the city. It is here that sewers and pipes are laid, either by the city itself or by some franchise holding company. Apparently, no public use has been dis- covered for that portion of the highway which lies under the surface of the sidewalks. This space is almost everywhere used by the abutting property owners for the construction of vaults, on the payment to the city as rental for an indefinite period, hitherto practically forever, the sum of $2 per square foot. 8i The sale of the privilege of using this city property for private persons produced an income to the city of $2113,265.39 in 1904 and $328,044.35 in 1905. The grantees put this space to divers uses, from the storage of coal to providing room for the selling of goods or restaurant purposes. In this way for a trifling sum land owners can add generously to the space of their base- ments, and for its use by others derive a handsome profit over what they themselves pay the city. The city receives only one payment ; the landholder's revenue continues indefinitely. Some of the contracts between the selling value of land and the receipts of the city for vault space adjoining are strik- ingly set forth in the case of two buildings now in course of construction. No. 1 Wall Street, at the corner of Wall Street and Broad- way, the most valuable plot of building land in America, re- cently sold for $750,000. Its dimensions are, roughly, the lot being irregular, 39 feet by 31 feet. The plot contains 1,225 square feet. For each square foot $612.24 was paid. The city has granted to the owners of this plot 940.80 square feet of the land under the sidewalks of the abutting streets, at a rental of $2 for an indefinite period, or a total return to the city of $1,881.60. The vault is to be digged down 28 feet 6 inches below the surface of the street, or three stories. The building itself is to be 217 feet high above the curb, or 18 stories, each story being 12 feet in height. Another interesting example of the petty returns received by the city for the use of its property for vault space, is found in the case of a building now nearing completion at 118-120 Fifth Avenue. Here the entire lot measures only 5,830 square feet, while the vault space received from the city measures 3,608.77 square feet. From the photographs of this vault space it will readily be seen that it can be used for nearly any pur- pose. Spacious, and well-lighted by means of glass set into the sidewalk, it will be form a valuable adjunct to the building. For its use the owners of the building will require their tenants to pay handsomely. For this vault space the city received, at the rate of $2 per square foot, $7,214.54. The average price of the land upon which the building is erected was, at a sale in January, 1905, $53.17 per square foot. Its assessed value in 1906 was $53.69 per square foot. That Jhese grants to vault space are revocable at will means little. Only in the most exceptional cases, as, for instance, the building of a subway, does the city attempt to regain pos- 82 No. I Wall Street The value of this lot is $750,000. Vault space. The concrete outer wall of the vault is shown under the curb line. The damage to the pavement was caused by the excava- tion for the vault. session. Even in these cases there is likely to be opposition, as was recently shown by the objection of a number of bankers and merchants to a proposed subway route on the ground that it would interfere with their vault space ! It apparently becomes very difficult for property owners to remember that the land which they have immemorially occupied does not belong to them — that they have no right with respect to it at all, but that it is the property of the public. It is not improbable that the city will find these spaces un- der the sidewalks valuable in working out the problem of pipe galleries. They are now being used at several points, in con- nection with the attempt to ventilate the underground rapid transit railway. Whether or not there may be a use to which the city could put this public land under the sidewalks, it is clear that it should derive a revenue from its occupation and use by private persons in some way commensurate with the privilege enjoyed. How this can be equitably done has already been illustrated in Chicago. The Vaults Under Sidewalks in Chicago. In Chicago the authorities have awakened to the rights of the public in these vault spaces. There, a permit to use the land under the sidewalk is revocable but also conditioned on the payment of a rental in proportion to the assessed value of the abutting property, the terms of the lease to be read- justed annually on the basis of the assessed valuation. The terms of the vault permits issued in Chicago are, briefly, as follows : 1. No permit may be transferred or assigned without the written consent of the commissioner of public works. 2. A bond of $10,000 is required from the lessee conditioned on the lessees saving the city harmless for any damage arising from the use of the vault space, or the condition of the side- walk above it. 3. Rental — When the vault extends not more than 15 feet below the surface of the street, the annual rental shall be a sum equal to four per cent (4%) of the amount determined by multiplying the number of square feet of surface over the space used by a sum equal to one-tenth* of the land value ♦Because the vault space does not extend above the sidewalk it is equitable to estimate its value for building purposes as being only a fractional part of the value of the land where the property 'reaches the sky'. 83 of the average square foot in the lot abutting on such space as fixed by the last assessment for general taxation (and by other prescribed methods for determining the value when the land is not subject to general taxation). 4. Whenever any of the vault space extends to a point more than 15 feet below the surface of the street, there is paid to the city, as the annual compensation for the use of every additional 12 feet, or fractional part thereof, in depth, an addi- tional sum equal to one-half the rental of the first fifteen feet. 5. In no case may the annual rental be less than $10 per annum, no matter how small the space used may be. 6. The permit is revocable at any time for violation of its conditions. 7. Violations of the conditions of the ordinance governing the granting of the permits to use sub-sidewalk vaults, are pun- ishable by fines of not less than five nor more than twenty-five ($25) dollars. 8. The granting of a privilege to occupy space under the sidewalk does not preclude the city from resuming its full rights to the space if it is needed for public purposes. 9. The vaults have to be constructed according to a method prescribed by ordinance. It will have been seen that in Chicago users of space under sidewalks have to pay an annual rent conditioned upon the assessed valuation of the abutting property ; that this rent in- creases with the depth of the vault over fifteen feet; that the city is protected by bond from any damage which may be claimed from it by reason of accident caused by the condition of the sidewalk above the vault, the presence therein of manholes leading to the vault, coal openings, etc. ; and that the use of vaults for private purposes can be terminated whenever the space is required by the public. It is interesting to apply the Chicago method to the case of No. 1 Wall Street. The present assessed valuation of that prop- erty is $610,000 or $497.96 per square foot. One-tenth this amount is $49,796. This sum multiplied by the total number of square feet, or 1,225, amounts to $61,000.10. Four per cent of this sum is $2,440, This would be the annual rent, for this year, 84 The vault space at Nos. 1 18-120 Fifth Avenue The 'roof of the vault space at Nos. 1 18-120 Fifth Avenue. A sidewalk in West 54th Street. The original stone pavement on Broadway: Russ blocks. of the first 15 feet in depth of the vault space at No. 1 Wall Street, which is now turned over to the owners of that prop- erty for an indefinite period for $1,881.60. But this $2,440 would not be the total rent. The vault is 28 feet deep. For each 12 feet or fraction of 12 feet in addition to the first 15 feet, the Chicago system requires the user to pay one-half as much again as he pays for the first 15 feet. In tne case of No. 1 Wall Street, therefore, the rent would be double the amount of the rent paid for the first 15 feet, or $4,880. As the value of this property increases, so would this rental, payable annually, increase. Whether President Ahearn is conscious of the great loss to the city which results from the archaic and unscientific method of leasing vault spaces in his borough is not known. It is clear, however, that it is incumbent upon him, as the conser- vator of the interests of his borough and the official in whom- the power to grant vault permits is vested, and as a member of the Board of Aldermen^ to determine some method of secur- ing for the city an adequate return for the use of its property under the sidewalks. SIDEWALKS. In many parts of Manhattan the sidewalks are in a defective and obviously dangerous condition. This statement is particu- larly true of the bluestone flagging, which chips and cracks readily and is unfit for walks carrying a heavy and constant stream of traf^c. Pending in the courts against the city on December 31, 1905, were eighty-two suits for personal injuries due to alleged de- fects in the sidewalks of Manhattan. The sum, $634,600, was involved in the suits, which speak eloquently of the necessity for thoroughly overhauling the sidewalks in the borough. Property owners pay for the sidewalk in front of their re- spective buildings, but the city has to bear the brunt of such lawsuits as are indicated above, for the reason that all borough presidents are required to see that property owners keep their sidewalks in good repair. When a complaint concerning a defective sidewalk reaches the Bureau of Highways, through one of its inspectors or from a citizen, a notice to repair is sent to the agent or owner of the premises.^ Some property owners comply with the terms of their notices, while others do not. In the case of the latter the matter is referred to the local board of the district in which 85 the premises are located. If the consent of the local board is given, the repair work is done by the borough president and the cost thereof assessed on the property. The following table shows the number of notices served during the last four years and the number of permits issued : Year. Notices Issued. Permits Issued. 1902 1,880 1,712 1903 2,918 2,341 1904 4,541 2,602 1905 4,785 3,241 The permits issued, it may be explained, represent the cases in which the property owners complied with the request to re- pair, while the difference between the number of noJ:ices served and the number of permits issued represent the cases referred to the local boards for action. No record is kept in the bureau of highways of the square feet of sidewalk repaired by property owners, but inspections are made for the purpose of learning whether the orders to repair have been carried out. A record is kept of the repairs made under the supervision of the borough president, and assessment lists are prepared from time to time. Speaking generally, the sidewalks of Manhattan are not a credit to the borough. In front of most of the modern buildings heavy granite or concrete walks have been placed, and these are a decided improvement. The antiquated bluestone flagging, liowever, still forms a major portion of the borough's pathways, and until this material is superseded, or some organized sys- tem of repairs instituted, the sidewalks can never be placed in good condition. A smooth and clear pathway for pedestrians is almost an impossibility in this borough, for the reason that all sidewalks are studded with iron manhole covers and gratings, through which access to the vaults below is gained. Sometimes as many as nine manholes and gratings are to be found in front of one building. A manhole is really an obstruction, for it usually rises slightly above the level of the flagstone. Moreover, in winter, it is frequently a slippery and dangerous object. The gratings, too, are a nuisance. In some instances they are vir- tually flues for the passage of hot vapour from boiler rooms, while in others they form outlets for elevators used for hoisting ashes and other waste to the sidewalk. In either case they restrict the pathway. Few pedestrians care to walk over hot flues, and when the gratings are open for elevator service the hole thus made in the sidewalk is something to be avoided. Similarly, the well-established practice of removing manhole •covers at all hours of the day or night for the purpose of dump- ing coal into vaults and cellars,^ is also a sovirce of annoyance and danger to pedestrians. 86 An example of curb stones found in various places in Manhattan; caused by the wheels of heavy traffic. Condition of sidewalk and pavement after the making of a cut by a corporation. EXPENDITURES OF THE BOROUGH PRESIDENT WITHOUT CONTRACT. The borough president, like the heads of other city depart- ments, has the right to purchase suppUes and to carry out pubhc improvements without pubhc contract, if the expenditure in- volved in each case does not exceed $1,000. This privilege is a valuable one in all departments from the patronage point of view, and while bids are not infrequently invited when supplies are to be purchased in lots of $1,000 and less, it does not neces- sarily follow that the lowest bidder is successful. By utilizing his appropriation account and special trust and revenue bond fund accounts. President Ahearn, in 1904 and 1905, expended for supplies, repairs and repaving, without public co7itract, for 'incidentals', cab and buggy hire, and pro- fessional services the vast sum of $1,021,717.50. This amount is divided as follows : Total for 1904. 1905. two years. Borough Presideats' ofifice (general administration) $12,474.82 $12,536.63 $25,011.45 Bureau of engineer of street open- ings 1,582.33 2,392.07 3,97440 Bureau of Highways 130,416.68 222,775.32 353,192.00 Bureau of Incumbrances 7,548.44 11,396.41 18,944.85 Bureau of Sewers 23,669.59 42,799.88 66,469.47 Bureau of Public Buildings and Of- fices 212,309.72 232,656.27 444,965.99 Bureau of Buildings 74,290.62 34,868.72 109,159.34 Grand Total $1,021,717.50 SUPPLIES. Supplies for the various bureaus under the jurisdiction of the borough president are purchased by the superintendent of the bureau of public buildings and offices, which, before the charter was revised, was a separate department entrusted with the power to purchase supplies for all city departments. Several departments continue to call upon the bureau to supply them with various articles of necessity, such departments including the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, the Board of Alder- 87 men, the sheriff's office, the department of finance, and the various courts. The bureau of pubhc buildings and offices, in view of its position as a sort of general purchasing agent, ad- vocates through its superintendent a return to the old condi- tions, and during the last session of the Legislature a bill giving the bureau all the advantages enjoyed under the former charter was introduced but failed of passage. It will doubtess appear at future sessions. Theoretically, much might be said in favor of a single supply bureau for all departments, as a means of effecting economies in the purchase of the multitude of articles used by the city, although the activities of the bureau of public buildings and offices during the past two years do not offer an argument for the enlargement of its powers. According to the detailed state- ments of all accounts audited and allowed by the department of finance, as published in supplements of the ''City Record," the superintendent of public buildings and offices expended in 1904 and 1905 the total sum of $444,965.99 for the purchase of supplies and for repair work, etc., for the borough presi- dent's department and other departments, without public con- tract. The total may be divided as follows : 1904. Appropriation Account $177,666.95 Revenue Bond Fund and Special Trust Accounts 34,642.77 1905. . $161,454.66 71,201.61 >=$232,6s6.27 ♦These totals Include $9,947.45 expended in 1904 and .$6,068.09 in 1905, a total of $16,015.54, for supplies purchased from the department of correction and the State prisons. Total *$2i2,309.72 The principal items purchased without public contract and the amounts expended are herewith given: Amount in Item. iQC-j. Janitor's supplies, hardware paper, etc $:6,074.20 Furniture, carpets, rugs, etc., and re- pairing furniture.. 10,521.60 Live steam 11,021.86 Disinfectant 3,696.00 Safes 3>.37475 Lumber 4,553-69 Soap, soap powder and bleach 1,701.26 Amount No. of in Bills. 1905. Total Total No. of Amount No. of Bills, for 2 years. Bills. 102 $19,980.06 126 $36,054.26 228 98 16,465.20 100 35,986.80 198 28 9,360.60 7 20,382.46 35 46 4424-55 61 8,120.55 107 14 4-5^6.12 12 7,890.87 26 26 2,921.22 15 7,474-91 41 3,095-20 22 4,796.46 42 30 1,361.10 25 4,093-07 55 7 2,713.01 17 4,023.76 24 8 1,074.00 6 2,422.00 14 17 1,03.4.60 31 1,478.15 AS I 2,082.50 6 3,057-50 7 Varnish, paint and brushes 2,622.98 25 1,679.16 22 4,302.14 47 Oil and boiler com- pound 2,731.97 Brick, lime, etc 1,310.75 Kindling wood 1,348.00 Spring water -443-55 Steel filing cases .... 975-00 Of the total amount ($36,054.26) expended in the two years for janitor's supplies, etc., $30,312.66 was paid to the Metro- politan Equipment and Supply Company, in 167 warrants, the rest being distributed among six other firms. Furniture, carpets, rugs, etc., were furnished by six con- cerns : John H. Little, $9,548.25 ; James R. Keane & Co., $6,032.74; Doherty & Co., $5,158.15; Frederick Goll, $4,606.55; S. Fink & Co., $3,997.16; Thomas Bowe, $3,907.03; W. A. Stromayer, $445 ; M. Hulborn, $354.25. The repairmg of fur- niture was done by Thomas Sullivan, who received $1,936.67. Live steam was bought from the New York Steam Company, which received $18,282.40; from Nathaniel W. Keane, whose bills amounted to $1,300, and from the Demilt Dispensary, to which was paid the sum of $800. The expenditure of $8,120.55 for disinfectant is unusual, and it is difficult to understand why a regular contract could not be awarded annually for such material. Following are the concerns which furnished the dis- infectant : M. Frank Disinfectant Co., $3,733.80, fifty-one bills; Antozone Chemical Company, $3,465.45, forty-three bills; Em- pire Chemical Company, $320, three bills ; Heins Chemical Com- pany, $247, four bills ; Puritan Disinfectant Company, $215, four bills ; West Disinfecting Company, $90.90, one bill ; Ameri- can Union Supply Company, $48.40, one bill. Safes were supplied by the Mittnacht Eagle Safe Company, which received $4,615.87, and by the Herring-Hall-Marvin Com- pany, whose bills amounted to $3,275.00, while three firms fur- nished lumber— John Eagan, $4,711.43; East River Mill and Lumber Company, $2,720.11 ; Vossneck Lumber Company, $43.37. A contract might properly have been awarded for kindling wood, spring water, and soap, soap powders, etc. It should certainly not be difficult to estimate the quantity of such ma- terials needed evey year. The kindling wood was purchased from one man, Cornelius Daly, the soap and soap powder from four different firms, the George Reichard Soap Com- pany receiving $4,077.66 in thirty-three bills. Various com- panies furnished the water, which was used by other offices be- sides the borough president's. Varnish, paints, brushes, glass, etc., were purchased from five firms, John J. McKenna receiving $1,958.76 for twenty-one bills, and Peter McKay $1,488.83, paid in seventeen warrants. For lubricating oil the Borne Scryniser Company received $2,251.07 in 1904 and $360.95 in 1905, the remainder being divided among five firms. The great bulk of the brick, lime, etc., was obtained from one firm, John P. Kane & Co., which received $1,310.75 in 1904 and $2,571.76 in 1905, a total of $3,882.51. The General Fire Proofing Company furnished steel filing cases valued at $975 in 1904 and its bills in 1905 amounted to $1,607.50. In the latter year the Art Metal Construction Com- pany received $475 for steel filing cases. It is not clear from a business point of view, why a regular contract was not awarded for these articles. REPAIR WORK. A good deal of repair work, etc., was done under the super- vision of the bureau of public buildings and offices, during the years 1904 and 1905. The principal amounts expended without public contract appear in the accompanying table : Amount Amount Total Total in No. of in No. of Amount No. of Item. 1904. Bills 1905. Bills, for 2 years. Bills. Plumbing $31,252.22 -Ji $26,006.85 54 $57,259-07 127 Carpenter work 20,841.11 43 20,498.26 2>7 41.339-37 80 Electrical work, mantles, etc 15,105.81 56 19,360.41 66 34,556.22 122 Painting 15,639.81 38 15,176.71 39 30,816.52 yj Iron work, repairs, erecting sheds, etc 9,215.08 43 6,353.40 19 15,568.48 (i2 Repairs to sprinklers, roofing work 8,955.30 45 7,134.12 31 16,089.42 76 Mason Work 6,906.46 23 7,581.94 25 14,578.40 48 Awnings, covering pipe, etc 5,526.17 29 6,341.60 36 11,867.67 65 Anchoring, towing, and storage of floating baths 4,609.25 17 5,312.77 17 9,922.02 34 Extra work on Allen St. public bath .... . . 3,949.60 6 3,949.60 6 Extra work on public baths 1,270.40 3 1,305-96 2 2,576.36 5 90 The foregoing figures are even more illuminative than those relating to purchase of supplies. For plumbing, Joseph W. O'Brien received $37,635.28 in 1904 and $25,175.11 in 1905, a total of $52,810.39, his bills numbering 104. The remainder of the work was divided among four men, of whom Joseph F. Sweenev was the most fortunate. He received $2,087.14 in 1904 and $811.74 in 1905. Surely such extensive plumbing work should call for con- tracts, and the same comment holds true in connection with the amounts expended for carpenter and electrical work and painting. Eight firms got a share of the amount expended for carpenter work, Michael H. Lynch (later Boyce & Lynch) re- ceiving $12,106.91 in 1904 and $11,441.17 in 1905, a total of $23,548.08. Sexton and Odell got $5,904.88 in 1904 and $536.91 in 1905, a total of $6,441.79; Charles H. Peckworth $2,162.92 in 1904 and $3,286.95 in 1905, the total being $5,449.87. Mr. Peckworth received $1,865.20 alone for work done at the City Hall, this amount being paid in four warrants. The charter permits borough presidents and heads of de- partments to exceed the one thousand dollar limit in purchas- ing supplies and making repairs when the board of aldermen gives its approval by a three-fourths vote. This provision is obviously intended to afford a means of avoiding the restric- tions of the charter, respecting the expenditure of sums over one thousand dollars, in cases of emergency. Several illustra- tions of the use of this emergency clause will be of interest. One thousand one hundred and forty-five dollars worth of car- pet was bought for the General and Special Sessions court rooms in July. 1904, and the order was given to Thomas Bowe and Co. Similarly, a $1,465 job was given to John L. Cotter for carpenter work. John F. Say ward received $1,433.10 for work done without contract in the Criminal Court Building. This bill was paid in three installments, but no authorization from the board of aldermen to let this work without contract was found attached to the warrants. Very few actual violations of the charter with respect to the purchase of supplies without contract can occur, owing to the vigilance of the comptroller. In the following case the spirit of the charter, at any rate, was violated, as the work clearly should have been foreseen and accomplished by means of a contract. 91 The floating baths obviously were used to distribute patron- age as well as to afford recreation to boys and girls in summer. In 1905 the repairs on the baths were apparently chiefly made by Boyce & Lynch, carpenters. For their work they were paid as follows : Aug. I, 1905, warrant 10,467 $861.39 Sept. 18, 1905, " 12,741 810.00 Oct. 13, 1905, " 14.367 765.50 $2,436.89 Thus a two-thousand dollar carpenter job was handled with- out public contract by the simple device of making the pay- ments in three installments (all charged to the same account) in sums safely under the $1,000 limit. The baths also afforded a $3G2.69 plumbing job to Edward O'Brien at the same time. An interesting fact in connection with the expenditure for painting without public contract relates to the payment of ex- actly $1,000 in one warrant to James McCleery, who received altogether $9,402.91 in 1904 and $11,338.48 in 1905, a total of $20,741.39. Five others participated in the payments for paintings Thomas W. Nugent receiving $5,379.57 and Lawrence Kelly $3,146.87 during the two years. By dividing the total amount expended for painting by the total number of bills, the sum of approximately $400 per bill is gained. Much the same story is revealed by an examination of the other items. For electrical work and supplies the Electric Carriage Call Companv received $8,750 in 1904 and $10,858.42 in 1905, a total of $19,008.42 ; H. Hurwitz, $4,829.17 in 1904 and $8,501.99 in 1905, a total of $13,331.16. For iron work, etc., the bulk of the amount expended went to the Victor Heating Company, which received $v5,289.60 in 1904 and $4,289.65 in 1905, a total of $10,579.25; to P. J. Byrne, whose bills in 1904 amounted to $5,097.57, to which $150 was added in 1905, making a total of $5,247.57. Most of the mason work w^as performed by John R. Gray, who received $4,429.55 in 1904 and $4,687.59 in 1905, a total of $9,117.14. Caspar Haus got $1,873.91 in 1904 and $2,894.35 in 1905, the total being $4,768.26. 92 One man, Charles Gateson, by name, did all the work in connection with awnings and pipe coverings, and was paid ■$11,867.77 in sixty-five warrants, an average of about $182 per warrant. The storage, etc., of floating baths might easily have been done by contract, and probably more economically. Charles L. Rogers and Bro. got $3,465.75 for storage in 1904 (11 bills) and $3,212.77 in 1905 (12 bills) the amount of service performed being the same in both years. John J. Coakley got $790.50 for anchoring baths in 1904 and $1,113.00 for the same work in 1905. For towing, Flannery's Towing Line received $883 in 1904 and for the same work $987 in 1905. In each instance the expenditure in 1905 was greater than in 1904. The firm of Murphy Bros, did all of the extra work on the Allen Street public bath, and was paid in six warrants, two of which were for $930 each for erecting steel drip pans un- der the sidewalk before the bath. The work on other public baths in 1904 was performed by Alfred Beinhauer, and in 1905 by Patrick Gallagher. The roofing work was divided between John McCarthy and M. Keavy. The former received $5,316.62 in 1904 (30 bills) and $6,478.92 in 1905 (28 bils), a total of $11,795.54, about one-tenth of which was for repairs to sprinklers, while the latter received $3,636.68 in 1904 and $655.20 in 1905, a total of $4,293.88. INCIDENTAL EXPENDITURES. The incidental expenditures of the borough president and his subordinates are extremely interesting, inasmuch as they show what large amounts may be expended in the course of a year upon items that are insignificant in themselves. These incidentals, the chief item of which was car fare, reached a total of $19,457.59 in 1904 and $21,493.03 in 1905, a grand total of $40,950.62. In each year the borough president re- quisitioned $3,000 himself, in twelve monthly installments of $250 each, while his various bureaus expended the remainder, the details being given herewith : Amount Amount Expend- Expend- Bureau. ed in 1904. ed in 1905. Total. Borough President's requisitions, and Bur. of pub. bldgs. & offices $7,005.39 $8,183.84 $15,189.23 Bur. of eng. of st. openings 168.85 165.14 333-99 Bur. of highways 9,339-79 9,720.38 19,060.17 Bur. of incumbrances 780.65 840.50 1,621.15 Bur. of buildings 2,162.91 2,583.17 4,746.08 Total $19,457-59 $21,493.03 $40,950.62 93 CAB, BUGGY AND LIGHT WAGON HIRE, FOR THE USE OF THE BOROUGH PRESIDENT, HEADS OF BUREAUS, AND INSPECTORS. The details relating to the expenditures for cab, coach, wagon, buggy and horse hire (not including carting), are as interesting as those concerning 'incidentals'. For cab hire, etc., in 1904, no less than $23,299.87 was expended; in 1905, the amount was $26,790, a total of $50,089.87 for the two years. The names of the principal beneficiaries are : Name. 1904. N. Y. Cab Co. Ltd .$1,680.00 James J. Smith 1,680.00 Edward Monaghan 1,680.00 Martin P. Byrnes 1,652.90 George Forn 1,562.58 John JNIcGovern 1,540.00 John C. MulHgan 1,540.00 John J. Timmins 1,260.00 William Jones 980.00 William Grandon 1,120.00 M. Kane & Son 849.03 John J. Mara 960.00 Albert E. Crabtree 900.00 Thomas J. Buckley 1,040.00 George Reilly 800.00 H. Rosenbloom 335oo Dennis Duff 632.00 Riverside Stable Co 560.00 John F. Ryan 615.35 Cornelius McAuliff 800.00 1905. $1,680.00 ,680.00 ,680.00 ,680.00 ,680.00 ,680.00 ,680.00 ,400.00 ,680.00 ,120.00 ,020.00 960.00 950.00 800.00 960.00 1,290.00 960.00 860.00 800.00 480.00 Total $3,360.00 3,360.00 3,360.00 3.332.90 3,242.58 3,220.00 3,220.00 2,660.00 2,660.00 2,240.00 1,869.03 1,920.00 1,850.00 1,840.00 1,760.00 1,625.00 1,592.00 1,420.00 1,415.35 1,280.00 Of the total amount expended for cab hire, etc., about $36,000 was applied to the accounts of the bureau of highways. The remainder was distributed among the bureaus of sewers, incumbrances, buildings and public buildings. EXPERT SERVICES. Under the terms of the charter the borough president has power to appoint consulting engineers of highways, sewers, and public buildings, and a consulting architect. He has con- trol of the Unsafe Building Fund, and any expenditure he makes in this connection become a lien against the property demolished. For professional services relating to the highways, public buildings, and unsafe buildings, etc., the sum of $21,- 873.44 was expended in 1904, and $80,050.63 in 1905, the total being $101,924.07. 94 To F. Stuart Williamson, as consulting engineer of the Riverside Drive Extension, $37,203 was paid in 1904-1905, the amount audited in 1905 being $30,998. Surveyors for the highways received about $33,000 in the two years, the principal items being as follows : A. P. Hartman, $12,779.59 ; George C. Wheeler, $7,826.92 ; Frederick Reinert, $7,444.31; C. A. Crane, $2,104.26; J. W. Howard, $1,550.00; Charles S. Towle, $936.84. About $19,400 was expended for professional services in connection with public buildings, $11,400 of this amount being utilized for the new Hall of Records. Bernstein and Bernstein, architects, received $5,821.20 for general services in the two years. The large amounts expended for the Hall of Records were : Lewinson and Just, consulting engineers, $3,645.49 ; Charles Frederick Hoffman, real estate expert, $3,500 ; C. O. Mailloux, $2,576.99 ; Albert L. Webster, for superintending plumbing, $1,182.83— all in 1905. Surveys for the bureau of buildings and other professional service cost $7,740.50 in the two years. The commission to in- vestigate the Hotel Darlington disaster received $1,500 ; and the following are the larger sums paid out for surveys : John P. Benson, $1,325; F. S. Benedict, $1,025; Charles I. Berg, $800; Joseph Wolf, $575; Ernest Greene, $550; Edgar Jos- selyn and D. Erwitt Ward, $525 each ; Charles W. Stoughton, $400. OTHER EXPENDITURES. Other notable expenditures without public contract, appear in the records. For removing and shoring unsafe buildings, $65,332.03 was paid out in 1904 and $25,221.77 in 1905, a total of $90,553.80. Of this amount Thomas J. Dunn received $60,- 416.43 in 1904 and $25,221.77 in 1905, a total of $85,638.20, while Canavan Bros, were paid $4,590.66 in 1904. 7>;^ of the Dunn warrants were for more than $i,ooo a piece, and bore no contract nuinbers,, indicating that the legal limit for the amount to be paid for work without contract had been exceeded. Street signs and incidental supplies and repairs came to a trifle more than $7,000 during the two years, the Empire Orna- mental Glass Company receiving $5,231.76, paid in seventeen bills, the remainder being divided among four firms. 95 For removing street obstructions, P. Corrigan received $5,489.69 in 1904 and $0,836.90 in 1905, a total of $12,326.59, paid in forty-three warrants. The sum of $16,614.77 was charged to cartage in the two years. Of this amount John ColHns received $6,084.10 in 1904 and $7,058.67 in 1905, $13,- 142.77 in all. The remainder went to two other firms. Nearly the whole amount involved in this particular item of cartage was expended by the bureau of public buildings and oflfices. Carting in the bureaus of highways and sewers is charged to payroll and is not included in the above items. The bureau of sewers paid $48,447.60 for repairing and re- building sewers and for supplies, such as manhole covers and frames. The Hicky Contracting Company got $10,071.64 in 1904 and $25,851.75 in 1905, a total of $35,923.39, for repairing and rebuilding. For manhole covers, frames, etc., $5,113.13 was paid to George H. Toop in 1904 and $4,926.53 in 1905, a total of $10,039.66. The rest of the expenditure was divided among three firms. The most notable expenditures without public contract of the bureau of highways were : Carting and removing paving block, $9,024.45, to the Phcnix Construction Company ; repair- ing tools, $4,018 ; for draughting and engineering supplies, $2,250 ; for breaking stone, $750 ; for monument stones, $700. The bulk of the amount for repairing tools went to L. Carlin, who received $3,472.05 in the two years. Most of the draught- ing supplies w^ere purchased from the firm of Schwenke, Kirke Co., which received $1,055.47 in 1904 and $923.58 in 1905, a total of $1,979.05. Breaking stone was done by Martin Berger, while W. INIcGrath supplied the monuments. PAVING WITHOUT CONTRACT. For restoring and renewing pavements (principally asphalt) the bureau of highways expended without public contract the following amounts : No. of companies and Year. Amount. No. of warrants, firms participating. 1904 $70,863.87 1.618 17 190S 110,890.64 1,402 23 Total $181,754.51 3,020 40 96 The details of this expenditure are to be found in the follow- ing table. Tear 1904 No. of Year 190o No. of Total amt. Total no. and warrants and warrants for the of amount In 1904. amount. in 1905. two years, warrants. Barber Co $30,820.43 688 $4.1,478.35 398 $75,298.78 1,086 Sicilian Co 10,870.27 282 16,588.91 300 27,459.18 582 Warren Scharf Co 8,851.25 165 15,65333 i34 24,504.58 299 Uvalde Co 3,611.67 132 8,842.69 112 12,454.36 244 Fruin Bambrick Co 4,486.87 72 6,240.63 64 10,727.50 136 Atlantic Alcatraz 5.994-ii 92 2,123.18 "jz 8,117.29 165 Hastings Co 2.506.89 52 4,752-57 96 7,25946 148 Asphalt Con.st. Co... i,53940 ^7 3,934-30 117 5,473-73 184 Mack Paving Co 764.26 9 1,250.91 6 2,015.17 15 Degnon Contracting Co. 22.96 i 1,761.09 5 1,784.05 6 Continental Co 549-86 27 1,116.61 27 1,666.47 54 U. S. & Venezuela Co 1,498-35 30 i,498-35 30 Standard Paving Co 97.13 8 1,021.47 13 1,118.60 21 Metropolitan Paving Co. 556.89 15 160.83 8 717-72 23 Warner-Quinlan Co 96.13 4 366.16 6 462.29 10 Samuel Weil 404.00 i 404.00 i U. S. Wood Preserving Co 22.56 2 341-96 3 364-52 5 Matthew Baird Contract- ing Co 269.79 2 269.79 2 Abbott, Gamble Co 40.30 i 30.24 i 70.54 2 William Booth 32.89 i 35-98 3 68.87 4 A. MoUinelli 9.46 i 9.46 i N. Y. & Bermudez Co 6.83 i 6.83 I Asphalt Paving Co... 3.00 i 3.00 i Four warrants for restoring and renewing were made out for over $i,ooo in each instance. As no contract numbers appeared against the warrants, it is assumed that the legal restriction was exceeded. CARE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS. Besides exercising its functions as purchasing agent, the bureau of public buildings and offices has vmder its supervision certain public buildings, markets, corporation yards, and offices. The following table shows the number of these buildings, ex- clusive of public baths and comfort stations, under the control of the bureau, during the years 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905, to- gether with the total payroll for those years. Public baths and their payrolls are discussed in the following chapter : 97 Public buildings, Markets and cor- Offices as specified Year. Court Houses, etc. poration yards. in reports of B. P. Payroll. 1902 31 13 6 $269,856.38 1903 29 II 6 288,330.71 1904 31 12 6 328,146.36 1905 29 II 7 351,322.61 From the foregoing it will be seen that although the num- ber of buildings and markets cared for by the bureau in 1905 was four less than the number under supervision in 1902, the payroll for 1905 was greater by $81,466.23 than the 1902 payroll. 98 An example of isles of safety. These are placed in the roadway to divide the stream of traffic and to afford a place of safety for crossing pedestrians. Front elevation, East nth Street bath. Arnold W. Brunner, Architect. Front elevation, East 76th Street bath. Stoughton & Stoughton, Architects. PUBLIC BATHS. During the past five years the City of New York has au- thorized the expenditure of nearly $3,000,000 for the construc- tion of free pubHc baths. By so doing it has recognized both the present impracticability of compelling an adequate pro- vision of bathing facilities in the tenements, and the existence of a large number of people in these tenements for whom the absence of home bath tubs constitutes a privation. It is not believed, however, that any one justifies the expenditure of vast sums of the city's money merely on the ground that by such means certain members of the community are made physi- cally comfortable. On the contrary, the public provisions of free bathing facilities involves two assumptions : First, that bathing is a means of safeguarding the public welfare by the prevention of disease and by raising the standard of personal cleanliness and morality ; second, that by the maintenance of free public baths universal bathing is more nearly and most economically accomplished. In discussing the building and administration of the Man- hattan public baths it has seemed desirable to institute a com- parison in cost and method with the Brooklyn system of public baths, managed with great economy and more in the interest of the public. The comparison is wholly fair because the prob- lems of administration in the two boroughs are closely similar. By means of the comparison it is possible to give just emphasis to the inefficient and extravagant manner in which the baths in Manhattan are operated. HISTORY OF THE FREE PUBLIC BATH MOVEMENT IN NEW YORK. In 1895 the New York Legislature enacted a law requiring cities of the first and second classes to establish and maintain such number of free, public baths, other than river or ocean baths, as might be deemed necessary by their local boards of health. In 1896 an expenditure of $200,000 was authorized for the building of one pubHc bath and several comfort stations in New 99 York. In the following year work began on the Rivington Street Bath, which was completed three and one-half years later, at a total cost of $100,000. No further steps were taken by the city toward increasing the facilities for public bathing until 1902. In June of that year, a stock issue of $125,000 was authorized, after considerable agitation of the matter by various civic organizations in Brook- lyn, for the purchase of five sites for baths, and the erection of one bath in that borough. In June, 1902, asa result of insistent petitions from philan- thropic organizations, the Board of Estimate and Apportion- ment authorized an issue of stock to the amount of $105,000 for the purchase of sites and the construction of public baths in Manhattan. Since that date additional authorizations have increased the total stock issues for public bath purposes to $803,522 for Brooklyn, and $2,086,335 for Manhattan. Of these totals an authorized stock issue of $345,000, made in 1904, for the construction of baths in Brooklyn, is yet un- expended. Likewise, $300,000 authorized for sites and con- struction of public baths in the borough of Manhattan, in 1905, is available for baths in addition to those now building: The following is a list of authorizations : MANHATTAN. 1902. June $105,000 Jul}' 220,000 October 83,000 1903. April 5,000 July 648,500 December 75,ooo 1904. May 633,000 1905. March 300,000 Total $2,069,500 Premiums 16.853.33 Grand Total. .. .$2,086,335.33 BROOKLYN. 1902. June $125,000 December 28,000 1903. March 90,000 August 21 1,600 1904. May 345,000 Total $799,600.00 Premiums 3,922.85 Grand Total $803,522.85 100 On the basis of these authorizations the city has entered into contracts for buildings now in course of construction^ and has erected baths as follows : MANHATTAN. Baths Completed. West 41st Street Bath, opened November, 1904 $142,794.18 East 109th Street Bath, opened March, 1905 137,780.60 Allen Street Bath, opened November, 1905 134,440.94 East nth Street Bath, opened December, 1905 151,467.82 East 76th Street Bath, opened January, 1906 124,640.73 Total $691,124.27 Baths in Course of Construction, May i, 1906. West 6oth Street Bath, contract let, Dec, 1903 $149,055.02 East 23rd Street Bath, contract let, Jan., 1905 273,052.50 Total $422,107.52 New Bath Sites. Rutgers Place $70,000.00 Carmine Street (to be acquired by condemnation; price asked excessive) East 54th Street 72,500.00 ■ I Total $142,500.00 Grand Total $1,255,731.79 Total authorization for baths in Manhattan $2,086,335.33 Total expenditures to date for baths in Manhattan 1,255,731.79 Total funds available. May, 1906, for additional baths in Manhattan $830,603.54 BROOKLYN. Baths Completed. Hicks Street Bath, opened September, 1903 61,792.56 Pitkin Avenue Bath, opened October, 1903 88,456.12 Montrose Avenue Bath, opened October, 1904 96,041.80 Huron Street Bath, opened April, 1905 103,724.35 Duffield Street Bath, opened October, 1905 1 10,993.28 Total $461,008.1 1 Baths in Course of Construction, May i, 1906. N. E. Cor. President and 4th Avenues $118,700.00 lOI New Bath Sites. Nostrand Avenue $5,500.00 N. E. Cor. Hamburg and Willoughby Avenues.... 7,500.00 Total $13,000.00 Grand Total $592,708.11 Total authorization for baths in Brooklyn $803,522.85 Total expenditures for baths to date in Brooklyn 592,708.11 Total funds available, May, 1906, for additional baths in Brooklyn $210,814.74 The construction of the Rivington Street Bath, the first to be erected in Manhattan, consumed three and a half years. In the same way it required over two years to complete the West 41st Street Bath. On the other hand, the opening of the Pitkin Avenue Bath in Brooklyn was accomplished in ten months after the awarding of the contract. A comparative statement of the time required for the com- pletion of the various baths in the two boroughs will serve as an interesting commentary on the efficiency of the superin- tendents of public buildings and offices in the two boroughs, the officials entrusted with supervising the work of the contractors for the baths. MANHATTAN. Time required Bath. Contract awarded. Opened. in building. Rivington Street September, 1897 ' March, 1901 3 years, 6 mos. W. 41st Street November, 1902 November, 1904 2 years E. 109th Street October, 1902 March, 1905 2 years, 5 mos. Allen Street October, 1903 November, 1905 2 years, I mo. E. nth Street December, 1903 December, 1905 2 years E. 76th Street March, 1904 January, 1906 I year, 10 mos. Unopened. W. 60th Street December, 1903 May, I. 1906 E. 23d Street January, 1905 I\Iay, I 1906 BROOKLYN. Time required Bath. Contract awarded. Opened. in building. Hicks Street November, 1902 September, 1903 10 mos. Pitkin Avenue February, 1903 October, 1903 gyi mos. Montrose Avenue ; July, 1903 October, 1904 I year, 3 mos. Huron Street October, 1903 April, 1905 I year, 6 mos. Duffield Street December, 1903 October, 1 90s I year, 10 mos. 102 FREE PUBLIC BATHS ■ ■EAST nxiiST • ■ARNOLD W.BRUNNER- FIRST FLOOR PLAN •ARCHITECT- FREE-PUBLIC -BATHS - EAST UXSST - ARNOLD W- BRUNNER ■ ■ARCHITECT • • SECOND ■ FLOOR -pLAN • It will have been seen that it required twice as long to build a public bath in Manhattan as in the Borough of Brooklyn. The superintendent of public buildings and offices in Man- hattan attributes the slowness with which baths erected during his term of office have been brought to completion to "unfore- seen obstacles and unavoidable accidents." Whether the ob- jection of an architect, for example, to marble below specifica- tion might be classed in either of these categories can only be surmised, but it is known that contractors who repeatedly com- mit the ofifense of attempting to use inferior materials and are, in consequence, delayed in rushing the building through by a conscientious architect, have never been subjected to the con- tract penalty for exceeding the time allowance. Not only has it required a greater length of time in Man- hattan than in Brooklyn to open baths for public use after money has been appropriated for them, but the baths have cost more in Manhattan on the basis of units than they have in Brooklyn. The following table shows the total cost of six Manhattan and five Brooklyn baths, including the cost of sites where these were acquired by the city expressly for bath purposes ; the number of bath units in each bath, and the cost per bath unit in each case. The West Sixtieth Street Bath and the Twenty- third Street Bath, in Manhattan^ were omitted from this table, owing to the fact that these baths contain pools, a condition which renders invalid their comparison in cost per bath unit, with baths containing only showers and tubs. MANHATTAN. Baths No. Total Cost Completed. ^ units. cost. per unit. Rivington Street ' TJ $100,000.00 $1,298.70 West 41st Street 103 142,794.18 1,386.35 East 109th Street 129 137,780.60 1,068.06 Allen Street 98 134,440.94 1,371.84 East I ith Street 103 151,467.82 1,470.56 East 76th Street 113 124,640.73 1,103.01 623 $791,124.27 BROOKLYN. Baths No. Total Cost Completed. units. cost. per unit. Hicks Street 63 $61,792.56 $980.83 Pitkin Avenue 96 88,456.12 921.41 Montrose Avenue 99 96,041.80 970.12 Huron Street 100 103,724.35 1,037.24 Duffield Street 99 110,993.28 1,121.14 457 $461,008.11 Actual cost per bath unit* m Manhattan $1,269.86 Actual cost per bath unit in Brooklyn $1,008.77 ♦The term "unit" Is used to indicate the separate bath stalls consisting of shower and dressing room or bath-tub room. 103 Baths Containing Pools Under Construction. No. Total Cost units. cost. per unit. West 6oth Street 230 $149,055.02 $648.06 East 23rd Street 154 273,052.50 $1,773.06 The extremely high cost of the East Twenty-third Street Bath is partly owing to the fact that the isolation of the build- ing has warranted a monumental treatment of its exterior on three sides. The difference in cost per unit between the Manhattan and Brooklyn baths, observed in the foregoing table, is not wholly due to extravagance in the construction of the Manhattan baths. A comparison of the cost per bath unit of the baths of Man- hattan and in Brooklyn shows that while the actual cost per unit in Manhattan, including the cost of site, was $261.09 greater than in Brooklyn, exclusive of site it was only $94.37 greater. The following are the detailed costs per unit, exclusive of site, in the tzvo boroughs. These figures may serve as a guide to other conmiunities contemplating the erectio7t of public baths similar to those in New York City. MANHATTAN. Bath. Site. Rivington Street City Property West 41st Street $33,750.00 East 109th Street 19,000.00 Allen Street 35-331-65 East nth Street 42,000.00 East 76th Street 11,000.00 Total $141,081.65 Units. 77 103 129 98 103 113 Cost of building, fioo.ooo.oo 109,044.18 118,780.60 99,109.29 109,467.82 113,640.73 Cost per unit exclu- sive of site. $1,298.70 1,058.68 920.78 1,011.32 1,062.79 1,005.67 623 $650,042.62 Baths Containing Pools Under Construction. Bath. Site. Units. West 6oth Street $12,750.00 230 East 23rd Street City property 154 BROOKLYN. Hicks Street $3,750.00 63 Pitkin Avenue 4,000.00 96 Montrose Avenue 250.00 99 Huron Street 5,800.00 100 Duffield Street 13,500.00 99 Total $27,300.00 457 104 Cost of building. $136,305.02 273,052.50 $58,042.56 84,456.12 95,791.80 97,924.35 97,493.28 $433,708.11 Cost per unit exclu- sive of site. $592.63 1,773.06 $921.31 8797s 96759 977.24 984.78 Actual cost per bath unit in Manhattan, exclusive of sites and baths under construction $1,043.40 ^Actual cost per bath unit in Brooklyn, exclusive of sites and baths under construction $949.03 The scheme for the use of the pool at the East Twenty-third Street Bath (Manhattan), where no separate cleansing showers and dressing rooms for the exclusive use of pool boths are pro- vided, will not permit more than 154 persons to use the bath at one time. This mtmber is limited by the number of dressing, shower and tub stalls. The cost of installing the pool in this bath is not, therefore, offset by a proportional increase in capacity, so that this bath will cost per unit upwards of $1,700, nearly three times the cost per unit of the West Sixtieth Street Bath and considerably more than any of the other baths now built either in Manhattan or in Brooklyn. In theory the West Sixtieth Street Bath (Manhattan) will accommodate 230 bathers at one time. This is crediting the pool and the 34 open cleansing showers built in connection with it, with a capacity of 160 bathers. One hundred and sixty is the number of dressing stalls for the use of pool bathers. Whether in actual practice it will be possible to admit 160 bathers in the pool section of the bath remains to be demon- strated. In practice a time limit will be placed on swimmers during times of heavy patronage so that not more than 80 swimmers (the estimated capacity of the pool) will be per- mitted to swim at one time. While this number is in the pool it will be possible to admit a maximtmi of 80 other persons to the unoccupied dressing stalls and cleansing baths, and so on. If this prove feasible, the cost of the West Sixtieth Street Bath will be the lowest of all baths now built, on the base of units or capacity. USE OF THE BATHS. In Manhatan there are in operation 623 public bath units and in Brooklyn 457. The law requires that each bath be open no less than fourteen hours per day. The average length of time for which a bather is permitted to occupy a bath is twenty minutes. Each bath unit, therefore, is capable of pro- viding a maximum of 42 baths per day. If all the baths were in constant use fourteen hours a day, 60,000 persons would enjoy free baths daily. ♦The lower cost per unit in Brooklyn is the more notable because the Brooklyn baths are of smaller capacity 105 MANHATTAN. Maximum, possible daily Bath. number of baths. Rivington Street 3,234 West 41st Street 4,326 East 109th Street 5,4i8 Allen Street 4,116 East nth Street 4-326 East 76th Street 4,746 Total Capacity Opened 26,166 West 60th Street* 9,660 East 23rd Street* 6,468 Total Capacity All Baths 43,204 BROOKLYN. Maximum, possible daily Bath. number of baths. Hicks Street 2,646 Pitkin Avenue 4,032 Montrose Avenue 4,iS8 H uron Street 4,200 Duffield Street 4,158 Total Capacity I9,i94 The actual attendance is, as a matter of fact, considerably less than the capacity of the baths. Men patronize the baths in larger numbers than women. The capacity of the several baths in operation in the period from April 1 to December 1, 1905, by sexes and the actual attendance by sexes follow. The figures for attendance were taken from the records of the superintendent of public baths, in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In Manhattan these records are based upon the estimates of at- tendance made by the attendant in charge of the several baths, there being no absolute method of recording the patronage at any of the baths in that borough. MANHATTAN. Max., pos- Average, actual sible daily baths. number baths. Bath. Male. Female. Male. Female. Rivington Street 2,100 1,034 1,761 1,001 West 41st Street 2,982 i,344 592 475 East I09tli Street 3.948 i,470 741 363 BROOKLYN. Max., pos- Average, actual sible daily baths. number baths. Bath. Male. Female. Male. Female. Hicks Street 1,890 756 1,576 _ 755 Pitkin Avenue 2,730 1,302 974 360 Montrose Avenue 2,856 1,302 1,385 921 Huron Street 2,898 1,302 854 411 ♦Unopened May 1, 1906. 106 Z O u r !? a: B r CO o 2 o u < ex < Partitions ; Tennessee marble ; floor, cement ; seat, wood. Note location of drain oflf center to avoid obstruction by the feet of the bather. The period covered in the above comparison is the period during which the baths are most generously used. The differ- ence in the patronage during the winter months and during the summer months is striking. AVERAGE DAILY PATRONAGE. Winter. Summer. January, February, June, July, Manhattan. March. August. Male. Female. Male. Female. Rivington Street 1,067 470 2,072 1,202 West 41st Street 340 86 1,373 685 Brooklyn. Pitkin Avenue 706 290 1,188 471 Montrose Avenue 540 279 1,849 1,282 The very marked difference in attendance at the Rivington Street Bath, which contains 77 bath units and the West Forty- first Street Bath, which contains 103 bath units, may be partly explained by the fact that the West Forty-first Street Bath was opened in November, 1904. A very important cause for this difference, however, is believed to lie in the fact that the Riv- ington Street Bath is located in the Jewish quarter. The Jews are regarded by the attendants as especially "good bathers." COST OF OPERATION. The actual average attendance, day by day, at the several baths, up to December 31, 1905, failed to justify the expecta- tions of the authorities as indicated by the maximum capacity of the different institutions. By reason of the eight-hour law each bath must be provided with a double shift of employees for the fourteen hours during which it remains open. The cost of this service in the Manhattan baths greatly exceeded the cost in the Brooklyn baths in proportion to the number of bathers in the two boroughs. This fact reveals a disregard of business methods in the management of the Manhattan baths in that the number of attendants exceeded the requirement of the patronage. It will be recalled that during the period under review Martin W. Littleton was president of the Borough of Brooklyn. The contrast in the number of bathers and in the cost between winter and summer months at the public baths indicates the ex- tent to which bathing is due to a desire for physical comfort, rather than fof health and cleanliness. It shows, also, the ex- cessive expenditure for wages during the winter months when patronage is light. On the showing of the next table, the cost per bather in Brooklyn was "48.3 per cent of the cost per bather in Manhattan. 107 Bath. Rivington West 41st MANHATTAN. January i — December 31, 1905. Supplies and Pay Total ropaks. roll. expense. .$8,837.41 $22,400.00 $31,237.41 7,2,06.2^ 21,047.50 28,353.73 East 109th*. 10,307.57 16,482.00 26,789.57 Cost Total In sup- batbs plies & given. repairs. Cost in pay roll Total cost per batber. 651,741 .0135 275,464 .0265 252,619 .0407 •0343 .0764 .0652 .0479 .1029 .1060 Totals Hicks . . . Pitkin . . Montrose Huron** $86,380.71 1,179,824 BROOKLYN. January i — December 31, 1905. .0732 4.288.34 12,454.99 16,743.33 6.648.35 12,517.49 19,165.84 5,226.86 12,642.49 17,869.35 5,629.53 9,416.18 15,045-71 619,850 .0069 .0200 .0270 396,037 .0167 .0316 .0483 628,319 .0082 .0201 .0284 299,390 .0188 .0314 .0535 Totals ^,824.23 1,943,596 •0354 The net cost to the city for each bath given in Brooklyn was further reduced by reason of the fact that a revenue is derived from the Brooklyn baths, through the supplying of soap and towels to the patrons, and a charge for the use of tub baths. Towels and soap are not supplied in the Manhattan baths, nor is any charge, whatsoever, made for the privilege of bathing either in a shower or a tub bath. The total revenue derived from this source in Brooklyn for the period under considera- tion, and from the baths in question, was $5,130.78. By deducting this amount from the total actual cost of all baths given at the four Brooklyn baths in question, a net actual cost per bather of $.0327 is shown. With this deduction, the cost per bather in Brooklyn was 44.6 per cent of the cost per bather in Manhattan. JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH, 1905. Manhattan. Baths. Total bathers. Total wage cost. Male. Female. Male. Female. Rivington 86,495 38,050 $2,913.00 $2,946.00 West 41st 27,159 6,798 2,565.00 2,250.00 Brooklyn. Hicks 52,808 13,906 1,814.37 1,289.37 Pitkin 57,185 22A72 1,814.37 1,289.37 Montrose 43,7i6 22,615 1,814.37 1,289.37 Wage cosi per bather. Male. Female. $.034 $.077 .094 .331 .034 .093 •032 .055 .042 .057 ♦The 109th Street bath was opened March 17, 1905. The figures for this bath, therefore, only cover the period between March 17 and December 31, 1905. **The Huron Avenue bath was opened April 1, 1905. The figures for this bath, therefore, only cover the period between April 1 and December 31, 1905. 108 Dressing room and shower; showing type of hot and cold water mixer on left. West 6oth Street bath. JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, 1905. Manhattan. Wage cost. Baths. Total bathers. Total wage cost. per bather.S Male. Female. Male. Female. Male. Female. Rivington 17S462 102726 $3,007.66 $2,180.57 $.017 $-02i West 41st 113,332 56,070 2,919.57 2,171.74 .026 .039 East 109th* 100,833 53,118 2,516.32 2,260.82 .025 .043 Brooklyn. Hicks 160,883 86,657 Pitkin 98,624 39,091 Montrose I53,43i 106,365 Huron** 110,918 55,049 1,8x4.37 1,289.37 .oil .015 1,814.37 1,289.37 .018 .033 1,814.37 1,289.37 .012 .012 1,814.37 1,289.37 .016 .023 A summary of the above table by boroughs will show the contrast in attendance and cost of operation between the cold and hot seasons : WINTER MONTHS. Manhattan Brooklyn Total bathers. Male. Female. .113,654 44,848 ■ 153,709 59,993 Total cost. Male. Female. $5,478.00 $5,196.00 5,443.11 3,868.11 Actual cost per bather. Male. Female. $.048 $.116 .035 .064 SUMMER MONTHS Manhattan Brooklyn Total bathers. Male. Female. .389,627 211,914 •523,856 287,162 Total cost. Male. Female. ^8,443.55 $6,<6i3.i3 7,257.48 5,15748 Actual cost per bather. Male. Female. $.022 $.031 .014 .0x8 It will have been noticed that, during the winter months at the West Forty-first Street Bath, Manhattan, the cost per female bather, for wages alone, was over $.33, three times as inuch as the cost in wages for each female bather at the Brooklyn bath on Hicks Street, and four times greater than the cost in wages ♦Opened March, 1905. §The cost per bather in payroll in the male and female departments was determined as follows : For the male bathers, all male attendants plus one-half the wages paid engineers and firemen. For the female bathers, all female atten- dants plus one-half the wages paid engineers and firemen. •♦Opened April, 1905. 109 per female bather at Riv'ington Street, in ]\Ianhattan. It will be interesting to observe in the following table the number of male and female attendants employed at the West Forty-first Street Bath during the winter months, the wages paid them by weeks, and the total number of male and female bathers for the corresponding weeks. The table will show, also, the cost per bather, by weeks, in wages paid attendants only, excluding the wages paid engineers and firemen. The number of male attendants remained constant while the number of male bathers increased over 180 per cent. The number of female attendants decreased two, while the number of female bathers increased over 186 per cent. Either the attendants were insufficiently occupied during the first two months or overworked when the patronage increased. West Forty-First Street Bath, Winter. Wage cost Week ' for attendants Ending Bathers. Attendants. per bather. Male. Female. Male. Female. Male. Female. No. Wages. No. Wages. Jan. 7 1,2/9 4^7 8 $i43-50 9 $126.00 $0,112 $0,295 13 1.552 405 8 143-50 9 126.00 .092 .311 21 1,623 549 8 143.50 8 112.00 .088 .204 28 1,367 276 8 143.50 8** 116.00 .105 -420 Feb. 4 1,586 446 8 143.50 9 126.00 .091 .282 II 2,230 443 8 143.50 9 126.00 .064 .284 18 1,997 432 8 143.50 9 126.00 .072 .291 25 2,631 582 8 143.50 9 126.00 .055 .216 Mar. 4 1,241 512 8 143-50 9 126.00 .115 .246 II 3,143 596 8 143.50 9 126.00 .046 .211 18 2,096 664 8 14350 8 112.00 .069 .168 25 4,048 672 8 143-50 7 98.00 .036 .145 31* 2,366 794 8 123.00 7 84.00 .052 .105 THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PUBLIC BATHS SYSTEM. The public baths in the several boroughs are under the juris- diction of the respective borough presidents. Being public buildings they are assigned to the care of the superintendent of public buildings and offices. It was found at the very begin- ning of the development of the bath system that a chief super- vising ofificer in addition to the superintendent of public build- ings was necessary to properly administer the baths. Accord- •Thls period is only six days. **Tliis •week eight female attendants received full time pay for seven days. One female attendant received additional pay for overtime amounting to two full days pay. IIO ingly, a civil service position was established for this purpose with the title of superintendent of public baths and comfort stations. The superintendent is^ in fact, merely an attache in the office of the superintendent of public buildings. That of- ficer is the president's representative as the official head of the public baths. The present incumbent of the position of su- perintendent of public baths is entrusted with no responsibility in their care and development. His authority is entirely limited to the execution of the orders of his superior, the superintend- ent of public buildings. The public baths employ, apparently, too many persons and involve the expenditure of too large a sum of money to be given over to a superintendent selected by civil service examination. This would not conform to President Ahearn's ideas of good administration. Complete responsibility for the manner in which the baths are administered in Man- hattan, particularly, must be shared between the president and his appointee, the superintendent of public buildings and offices. The attendants at the various baths are civil service em- ployees but are placed on the list after a very superficial ex- amination. In Manhattan they are not selected for their ca- pacity to keep the baths in good clean condition, or their desire to become experts in the management of a bath. For many of them the job at_an interior bath is a comfortable berth, with good pay, short hours, and little work. Many of the attendants have been transferred to the interior baths from the floating baths, as the interior baths have been opened. The slight duties exacted of the floating bath attendant has led some of those transferred to the interior baths to believe that they were in- tended merely as ornamental accessories to these institutions. The attendants are required to wear no uniforms, the only in- signia of their position being a metal badge and, in the case of men, a white canvas cap. In several instances the women employees have refused to clean up the baths on the ground that they were attendants and not scrubwomen. The presence of four or five women-in-waiting in the reception room of a public bath is, possiblv, a desirable thing; but ordinarily it con- stitutes a luxury without which the baths might better prosper. If the civil service examination does not classify the persons eligible to positions at public baths as workers, some change in the legal definition of attendants should promptly be made or the employees at the baths otherwise classified so that there may be no misunderstanding as to what constitutes the proper duties of a bath house attendant. That the fault does not lie wholly in the civil service classi- fication is attested by the fact that the attendants in the Brook- III lyn baths, who are drawn from the same civil service hsts as are those in Manhattan, regularly clean the baths to which they are assigned, A more vigorous policy on the part of the Bor- ough President with respect to the performance of their duties by the bath attendants, would doubtless put a prompt end to their imposition upon the city. The charter requires that the superintendent of public build- ings and offices shall be a practical builder or architect of long experience. As his chief duties are connected with the care and maintenance of public buildings he is not more qualified to administer the public bath system than he is to administer the jails or public libraries. It is unjust that he should be burdened with so important a social undertaking, which is, also, entirely without the field of his past experience, and apart from his legal qualifications for his office. The public bath system in New York is no small thing. It is unfair to the public baths that they do not have the intelligent, alert supervision of an official whose business it is to administer this department exclusively. If the completed bath system were to be administered by the standards of the present superintendent of buildings, it is doubt- ful whether the friends of public baths could conscientiously support large appropriations for new baths or for the mainten- ance of old baths. In view of the showing of the cost of construction and administration, it would seem that the proper time has come for the City to establish a bureau of public baths under each borough president, coordinate with the bureau of public buildings and offices. This plan would definitely locate in one man the responsibility for developing the patronage of the baths and insure their full utilization by the community. It is believed that the efficiency of the administration of the public baths system would be increased, if each bath were placed in charge of a responsible foreman or superintendent, who would be held accountable for the conduct of the attendants and the cost per bather to the city. These foremen or super- intendents should be directly responsible to the head of the pubhc baths bureau, who would in turn be responsible to the borough president. As the organization now stands, there is merely a nominal attendant in charge at the several baths, nor is he in any position to know what the cost of operating his bath is, any more than he is responsible for the cost. With this responsibility would come a desire, on the one hand, of increasing the attendance of the baths^ and on the other hand, of decreasing the cost of operation. Absolute economy in the 112 The pool in the West 6oth Street public bath, showing cuspidors and gutters at the end of the pool to carry off the surface waste. The dimensions of the pool are 35 by 60 feet. operation of the baths cannot be achieved without definite knowledge of what it costs the city to give a single bath at any time. At present there is no means whereby this information can be secured with exactness, either in Manhattan or in Brooklyn. In Brooklyn, a correct account of all expenditures for sup- plies and repairs is kept by the bookkeeper in the office of the commissioner of public works. It is impossible to determine with accuracy, however, what the cost at each bath is for wages. As a general rule, each bath has the same complement of em- ployees, but frequent variations are made from this complement by reason of absences and transfers. In Manhattan, each payroll definitely indicates the number of employees at each bath and the amount due and owing them. No ledger account, however, is kept of these payroll charges. In order to secure information concerning the payroll for the Manhattan baths upon which the tables in this report are based, it was necessary to have the rolls gathered from the vaults in the city paymaster's office, and to collect from these the infor- mation desired. It would be a very simple thing to keep an accurate account of these weekly payments in wages in the office of the superintendent of public buildings, where there is already a sufficient clerical force to perform this work. Neither is a ledger account kept in Manhattan, showing the expenditures for repairs and supplies at the several baths. The information for the tables in this report was secured from an unclassified daybook in the office of the superintendent of public buildings, into which are entered the vouchers drawn for these items. That a carefully posted ledger showing these charges is not kept can only be attributed to indifference or an absence of the realization of the importance of this information as the basis for efficient management. If a bureau of public baths were created, this information could be kept there, in a manner which would permit of a ready determination of the cost involved in the operation of each of the several baths. To determine the cost per bather to the city, it is necessary to know, with accuracy, the actual number of bathers at each of the baths every day in the year. This information cannot be secured now in Manhattan. 113 In Brooklyn the selling of soap and the provision of towels, in addition to the charge for the tub baths, serves to record with accuracy the number of daily bathers. Each bather is given a check which is numbered and indicates whether he has re- ceived a towel or not. The duplicate of this check is kept in the ofificc. By means of these duplicates a reliable record of at- tendance is secured. In Manhattan, no towel or soap is provided nor is any charge made for the use of the baths. The estimates of the daily attendance are purely guess-work on the part of the at- tendants who, presumably, have some interest in making the patronage appear as large as possible. When the attendance is at all large, it is practically impossible to determine the num- ber of bathers. Estimates are based upon the number of times a certain stall was in use, and the average time consumed by each bather in bathing and dressing. As the stalls are not numbered it is reasonable to assume that the memory of the attendants would become confused. In order to determine the degree of inaccuracy in the method of estimating the attendance at the baths in Manhattan, the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor employed two watchers to record the number of persons entering the West Forty-first Street Bath during the week end- ing January 14, 1905. These watchers submitted their report under oath. Their affidavits are on file in the office of the Association. Their count included all persons seen to enter the baths during the hours in which the bath was open, namely, from 7 o'clock in the morning until 9 o'clock in the evening. All these persons may not have taken baths. Assuming that they did take baths, the following table will show the discrep- ancy between the actual count of these watchers and the re- ported official estimate of attendance, made by the attendant in charge. ATTENDANCE WEST FORTY-FIRST STREET BATH, WEEK ENDING JANUARY 14, 1905. Date. 7 to 2 o'clock Mon. Jan. 9 20 Tues. " 10 36 Wed. " II 40 Thurs. " 12 38 Fri. " 13 18 Sat. ■' 14 62 Total for Week 214 475 689 479 1,331 1,810 114 Actual Count. Official Report. 2 to 9 Total. 7 to 2 2 to 9 Total. o'clock o'clock o'clock 49 69 107 219 326 80 116 38 140 1 78 85 125 SI 203 254 61 99 61 235 296 76 94 72 182 254 124 186 150 352 502 On this showing the estimate of the attendants in charge exaggerated the attendance at this bath for this week by 1,121, or nearly 200 per cent, thereby affording ostensible justification for the large payroll. On several other occasions a count was taken of the actual attendance at this bath and, also, at the Rivington Street Bath. The invariable result showed an over-estimated attendance in the official reports. It is believed that this is sufficient evi- dence of inaccuracy to warrant the provision of some means of recording the attendance with at least a reasonable degree of accuracy. This accuracy might be secured by the installation of regis- tering turnstiles, through which all incoming patrons should be directed. This would be facilitated by the provision of alley- ways made with brass or wooden railings. In some of the baths the installation may not be practicable because of the narrow doors which lead from the waiting rooms into the bath rooms. An alternative method would be found in the use of duplicate checks, one being given to the incoming bather, and by him de- posited in a receptacle on entering the bath foom, and the other kept in the office. A third means of recording the attendance would be found in the use of a register similar to those in use on street cars for registering fares. This register would be op- erated by the attendant v/ho is now stationed at the entrance to prevent the bathers carrying in paper or packages other than those containing towels. With one of these methods in use, the exaggeration of the daily attendance would be the fault of dishonest practice, rather than the consequence of ordinary fallibility of memory and, for that reason, less likely to occur. Under the present administration of baths in Manhattan, the attendants in charge are permitted to exercise their own judgment with regard to the hour of closing the baths at night. Frequently, on investigation, it has been found that the baths were closed as early as eight o'clock in the evening during the months when the daily patronage was slight. At these times the baths open at 7 o'clock in the morning. By closing at 8 in the evening, the law which requires that the baths remain open no less than fourteen hours each day is violated. By leaving the hour of closing to the discretion of the attend- ants it is more likely that they will consult their own conve- nience than that they will regard the law or the rights of the community. This shortening of the hours during which the baths are open for the use of the public, serves to increase the cost per bather rather than to reduce it. The saving in light 115 and coal is insignificant. Against this slight saving must be charged the cost of permitting an expensive plant to remain idle, and the wages paid the employees for time during which they render no service in return. Further than this, bathers who find the baths closed before the proper hour of closing are inclined not to return. This discouragement of patrons acts directly against the cultivation of the bathing habit and thus tends to defeat the prime purpose of establishing public baths. Attention to this illegal early clos- ing has been called, from time to time, by the press, with the re- sult that the proper hours were observed. This is a matter which, apparently, requires the constant vigilance of persons other than the present responsible official. For thirty years the City of New York has maintained swim- ming baths during the summer months at various places along the water front. These baths are large wooden structures about 64 feet by 9-i feet in dimension. The baths are floated on wooden compartments, and contain about 60 dressing rooms which are covered over and surround an open pool about 40 feet by 70 feet in area. This pool is provided with a wooden slat flooring through which the water flows. The average cost of these baths was approximately $12,000. At the present time the city owns twenty floating baths, five of which are located in Brooklyn and fifteen in Manhattan. It is estimated that over one million bathers use the baths in Brooklyn during the summer and double that number are re- ]()orted to attend the fifteen Manhattan baths. These floating baths have, in the past, provided a much- needed opportunity for swimming, especially to boys, during the hot months. It is, however, becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable locations for the floating baths in the rivers, because of the contamination of the water with sewage. Their maintenance, in salaries and repairs, involves a considerable expense. The average cost, per floating bath, in 1904, for Manhattan was $4^107.23, The average cost per floating bath in Brooklyn was, for the same year, $3,514.40. The cost of repairing the Manhattan baths was, for that year, $10,665.05. With the increasing age of these floating baths the annual ex- penditures for repairs will doubtless exceed that amount. Early in the fall these baths are towed to Brooklyn for storage until the following summer. In the spring they are re- paired and towed back to their respective locations. A large ii6 AIKEN. iRUNNER ■ ^CTS- W«MARTIN AIKEN MAIN FLOCfi PLAN- force of men is employed during the winter to 'watch' them. This watching cost the city, for the Manhattan baths alone, $617.75 for the week ending November 18, 1905. It is the general opinion that this form of bath is no longer practicable for New York City. Owing to the unwholesome conditions of the water in which they are necessarily placed, if they are to be used at all, it is believed unwise to continue their use for many more seasons. As a recreational feature they will be difficult to replace. To a large part of the population of New York the ocean is inaccessible. It is the realization of the need of some substitute for the floating baths that has lead the city to widen the scope of two of the new Manhattan baths by the installation of pools. 117 TI-IE BUREAU OF SEWERS. The organization of the bureau of sewers corresponds to the organization of the bureau of highways. The titular head of the bureau is the superintendent. As in the case of the bureau of highways, the superintendent is a purely political appointment and the present incumbent of the office is a Tam- many Hall leader. The practical head of the bureau is the chief engineer, upon whom devolves the responsibility of maintaining and constructing sewers. According to the annual report of the borough president for 1905, the mileage of sewers in Manhattan on December 31 of that year was 511. 30, the number of catch basins being 6,181. The sewers are combination drains, that is, both rainfall and sewage are carried off through one conduit. In the down-town section of the borough below Fourteenth Street, most of the sewers are very old, some of them having been built more than half a century ago. Notwithstanding the age of these sewers, it is asserted by the chief engmeer of the bureau of sewers that they generally perform good service if kept clean and in good repair. If, however, a contractor, in the course of other sub-surface construction work, happens to disturb one of the ancient sewers, the walls are more than likely to crumble and fall in, owing to the deterioration of the cement. It is obvious, therefore, that these sev;ers cannot be de- pended upon to last indefinitely. Sooner or later they must be reconstructed or replaced. The bureau of sewers has no fixed policy in this connection and the cost of general recon- struction has never been estimated by the borough president's engineers. The plan now pursued is to rebuild the down-town sewers as occasion demands, work being undertaken when there are complaints of inefificiency, or when sewers are in such a state of dilapidation that rebuilding is imperative. Should it become necessary to begin general reconstruction, engineers may have to resort to tunneling, for the down-town sewers are placed at an average depth of fourteen feet below ii8 the surface, and are covered with a net work of pipes and conduits, which, in turn, are covered with expensive pave- ments. The problem of reconstructing sewers in the built-up portions of the city is closely related to the question of pipe galleries, previously discussed. A possible solution lies in the building of a combination pipe gallery and sewer. The rebuilding of sewers is paid by the city as a whole, while the property holders benefited are assessed for alterations and new sewers. A considerable number of streets in Manhattan, particularly in the northern section of the island, are still unsewered. Many of these streets are unimproved. The chief engineer of the bureau of sewers believes it would be an economical policy to provide them with sewers before they are covered with costly pavements. To this policy objection is made by property owners who would be required to defray the cost of the construction. THE MOST IMPORTANT DRAINAGE PROBLEM. The most important drainage problem facing the bureau of sewers arises out of the derangement of the sewer system which will result from the building of new underground rail- ways. The building of the first subway necessitated the read- justment of the sewer system all along its route. The work of improvement now in progress at the New York Central and the proposed Pennsylvania terminals disrupted the sewer sys- tem in their vicinity. The railroad companies have undertaken to restore the sewers disturbed by them, subject to the ap- proval of the bureau of sewers, but in the work of rebuilding all water pipes and sewers have been crowded to the house lines, rendering them additionally inaccessible, and their future maintenance more costly. The bureau of sewers disclaims responsibility for this con- dition on the ground that the work of reconstructing such sewers, particularly those disturbed by the Pennsylvania im- provement, is actually done under the supervision of the rapid transit commission. In this connection a section of the Rapid Transit Law provides : "Whenever the construction of any railway, depressed way, subway or tunnel under the provisions of this act shall interfere with, disturb or endanger any sewer, water pipe, gas pipe or other duly authorized sub- surface structures, the work of construction at such points shall be con- ducted in the City of New York in accordance with the reasonable require- ments of the commissioner of public works." 119 It is asserted by the chief engineer of sewers that the words "reasonable requirements" give the commissioner of pubHc works no authority over the acts of the rapid transit commission. In other words, according to this view, the com- missioner must approve the plans adopted by the Rapid Transit engineers, even though they involve detriment to the drainage system. While recognizing the gravity of this situation, the bureau of sewers has formulated no plans to obviate such conditions in the building of new subways. The chief engineer states, however, that in designing future subways, engineers in charge of the sub-surface works of the city, should be consulted to the end that the limited amount of space which is available for the underground pipe and drainage systems after the subways are built may be properly apportioned. That this policy is rational and conforms to the obvious in- tention of the provisions of the Rapid Transit Law, above quoted, cannot be questioned. It is clearly incumbent upon the borough president to demand that no plans for future subways are approved that do not make adequate provision for the drain- age system. 1 20 %^' This book is DUE on the last date stamped below NOV 6 1950 PEC;2 ;^ m 2 6 ^9^^ LD-URL F£B S IfEC'D LD'U»i^ 9 196a /B 2 6 1968' REITD IWJfC I'unu L-9-3om-8,'28 ^ ^158 00301 45'} UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 001 177 109 4