The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-10
OUR WATER FRONT.
The Annual Report OF the De-
partment of Docks.
Projected AND PERFECTED IMPROVEMENTS
Direct Railroad Communication To Be Established with
the Ocean Steamers

The Department of Docks yesterday pursuant to
the provisions of subdivision g. of section g. of chap
ter 574 Laws OF 1871. presented the report of its
doings from the LIST day of May 1877 to the 30th day
of April 1875 to the Mayor. The report fifty
six pages of printed matter aud contains particular
information concerning the most trivial tran
sactions that have taken place within the time
named Nine schedules are appended. wherein ap-
pear the names of all employees of the department.
from the Chief Engineer down the night watch
man on the grim mudscow; itemized information
concerning bills and claims audited the annual ex
pensc accounts purchases OF stone, sand iron STEEL
lumber piles, rip-rap. cement and coal; mscellane-
Gus expenses, such Advertising dredging. tools and
tool repairs. staticnery-n short an epitome of the
everyday routine of the business of the department
THE WATER
During the year, the report announces, pier old AZ
has been heightened 1Gl feet and is pier 35 in the
plan. Picr old 40 has been converted into pier
81. similarly. by being extended 140 feet Pier
old 46 has been entirely removed and pier 3S has
been built on its site. This pier is 5s7 feet long and
Is feet wide, and built by contract. 1t has been
leased for $50 900 per annuu. Pier 80 has been
completed in the last year. This pier is $50 feet
long and IS feet wide, and built by contract II
has beer leased for $4,000 per annum. small
wooden crib pier at the foot Of Fftyfonrth street.
East River, has also been built by contract. 1t il
60 feet wide and SO feet long.
RAILROAD CONSPICUOUS WITH THE PIERS.
Progress is reported on the bulkhead wall. but no
mention is made in the report concerning the port
able Golfer dam, by which it Is claimed bulkhead
building could be cheaply and expeditiously done.
Work has progressed apace the section between
Canal and West Eleventh streets This section" the
report says. "when completed will afford room for
nearly all the foreign lines of steamers running to
this port, and with street $50 feet wide ample IA
cites for connecting by tracks the railroads and the
piers exist Tracks have already been laid to the pier
OF the White Star line. and arrangements are being
made connect all the piers in this district with rail
communication. The department has also commenced
building the wall between warren ana Canai streets,
and has entered the construction of $50 feet from
Warren street northerlythe territory leased to the
Erie Railroads. On the completion Of this territory
and the building of two piers the roads have entered
into pay yearly rental of sos 900 for its
use The amount Of wall constructed during the
year equivalent to about TAG feet completed wall
The Department has been building the wall which
was fully described in our last annual report with
good results. And still believe that its average
cost will not be materially in excess OF $500 per lineal
foot
"a great number of valuable surveys and maps
have been made during the year. Some idea of the
amount of work of this kind can be formed when it
is stated that careful surveys for the purpose OF pre-
pairing maps have been made on about fourteen thou
sand feet Of the water front at various points the
North, East and Harlem rivers. soundings in 200
slips have also been made.
REVENUES AND EXPENSES.
The expenses OF the department during the past
year areFor construction; $455 l59 49, and for gen
The construction expenses include the building Of
the piers and bulkhead wall the maintenance and
repair OF the old piers and bulkheads dredging and
the salaries of the Commissioners and engineer
force The revenues Of the department which
have accrued entirely s during o the naa ySs
thus exceeded the entire expenditures by $223 745 81.
Thus this department. instead Of increasing the
public debt. as many suppose, is
materially reducing it year by year. 1t should
not be lost sight OF that nearly all the ex-
penditnrcs for the building Of rev system Of
pior and ~ fo the QeyelOpment of the
property. The return in the way OF increased in
come for the future. by reason OF these expendi-
lures, is equivalent to probably fifteen per cent
the whole expenditure of the department. From the
knowledge OF the Commissioners as to the property.
the improvements being made, and the leases about
to made, they feel justified in making the confident
assertion that the revenues OF this department WILL
in comparatively short time. reach the sum
of $l,OOO.0OO annually. new system Of keep
ing the books Of the department is being put In opera
ton. which the Commissioners feel confident will
render it perfectly simple and easy for any citizen to
ascertain fully all that he may desire to know to
HIGH AND Low WHARF RENTS.
The Commissioners, in discussing the subject of
high and low wharf rents, that lit has often been
made matter of complaint that the rents charged
wharf property in this city were so high as seri-
ously to retard the growth of commerce. We are
often referred to competing cities and to the fact that
their rents merely nominal. The facts, however,
are that the only places in this city where rents
high in comparatively small portion of II, so
desirable by reason of proximity to the great bust
centres that the competition to secure the local
ty is very great The places where the cheap rents
in the other cities are to be found are COM
paratiyely remote from their business
tres. The reason why steamships in those
cities willing to to places 30 remote from the
business centres is that in those cities almost the
whole business of the lines is through business. The
purely local business IL inconsderabe portion of
the whole that the only need u 10 locate at railroad
terminus, where, in cases, this is wholly
outside the city OF course in such places rents Will
be cheap In this city however the local business is
SO valuable that each line insists being convenient
it, and thus the prices in such localities are raised
Rents in this city are very cheap in places not
near the great centres. 1t IL safe to say
they cheap here as anywhere provided
people willing to go far away from the centres
here they do the other cities where cheap rents
are found. This department, In order to meet the
for cheaper rents, II Is real Is about develop
ing some of its uptown water property. We shall
thus be able to furnish the finest PIERS and i'll great
numbers ii they are needed ut much cheaper rents
than those now obtaining for the downtown prop
erty.
THE FINANCES
The subjoined table will serve at glance to show
Department OF Docks and the Mayor, Aldermen and
Cominonalty Of New York city for and during the year
ending April 3D. 1875
DR..
To deposits of money with the Chamber
To bills and claims audited for materials
and supplies furnished and for services
rendered, to witt
On construction account. $431, 59l 4G
On general repairs
count. E,56S ~
On annual expense
- 4sG.g34 GO
To balance carried forward ........... l7s,9ss S6
Total. G20, ABS ~
Cr
BY balance April 30. 1877. as per report
for the year ending at that date to