New-York tribune., 1884-01-15

One branch of business at all events, has expand
ed greatly spite of general complaints of duneSs.
The loan and trust companies report an increase
of about $40, 600 900, or II per cent, in their
sources since one year ago. The largest increase Is
III loans on stock collaterals, of which seven compa
nes report 800 557 1914 this year. against 1906,
S72 last year. In addition, the Metropolitan makes
the aggregate this year 500 G39, ,394. The greatest
increase in resources is by the Farmers Loan and
Trust So go 900, of which about $4,000 600 is in
loans on coateras. The largest business is done
by the United States. which reports $45,4G5,476
resources and $33,62l,772 loaned on stock col
aterals.
Tuare Lake in California has during the last few
years been rapidly drying up, and the time Is ap-
parenty not far distant when it viii cease to exist
Within the memory Of men still living II was thirty
three miles long aud tweuty-four miles wide. To-
day it is only about fifteen miles long and eight
miles wide being a shrin5age II superficial area Of
more than $50 miles. The cause Of this drying up
is largely due to human agency. Probably the ex-
tensiye systems of irrigation recently put in opera
ton in the vicinity mainly the cause Of the sub
sidence. Nearly all the rivers and brooks which
have acted as feeders to Tuare Lake have been
tapped. In some cases they have been entirely
diverted from their natural courses. and have been
made to minister to the reclamation Of arid dis
trcts for agricultural purposes. And in few
yea1s every gallon Of water which empties
into Tuare Lake will be carried through artificial
channels to hundreds of farms which would other
wise be OF little value. The fact is interesting as
showing not only what man can do TO remedy the
deficiencies of nature but to what large extent
he may change the face of nature In this case
there is probably no question of the proprety OF
driving up the lake; but in a great number Of other
int wi n ~
suited disastrously.
The careless and Observation-Disclosures Of transacting
the business Of the city have been often illustrated
by the conduct of the Dock Department. 1t was ex-
pected that there would be an improvement under
the present Board but that body is apparently ad-
herring to the methods of its predecessors. he an
nual report of the Department for the year ending
April 30, 1883. has just been issued having been
sent to the Mayor eight months after the close OF
the year. II contains little besides dry statistics ar
ranged in the most unintelligible manner; and
might apparently as well have been made up months
ago asat this late date 1t appears TO be impossible
to find out from the report how many feet Of bulk
head wall were built during the year and atwhat cost
Itwas asserted before the Assembly Committee that
Investigated this Department two years ago. on ap-
parently good evidence, that under the methods OF
the Dock Department this wall was costing the city
Sl10 more per HneaI fOot than responsible con-
tractors were willing to build it for. But the
methods of the Department at that time were so
reckless that the committee, with the aid of the
most efficient expert accountants, unable to find
out the cost of the wall From the report for last
wear it would appear that there has been i'm
provement i'm this loose and irregular method of
transactng the business of the Department. The
Legislature ought to put this Department on the
same footing as any other, aud repeal the law that
permits it to expend $3,OG0,00O from the issue Of
bonds The recommendations submitted in the re-
port Of the legislative committee have been wholly
ignored.