New-York tribune., 1895-09-12
DOCK BOARD REFORMS.
~ INTERESTING QUARTERLY REPORT
MADE TO THE MAYOR.

:, dollars have been saved the city. and regula-
.,O,s have been formulated which will greatly
,rDrove the efficiency OF the Department. The
report Is as follows;
Department Of Docks:
70 the Hon. William l.. Strong. Mayor OF the city
9, SS,- In Compliance with Section 40 Chapter 4O
.:s,se New-York City Constellation act amended
nv Chapter s2 OF the Laws OF 1857. have the honor
~ submit following report of the transactions Of
his Department for the quarter ending July 81.
,Ss Department OF Docks for the three months end
;ng July 81. 1895; as compared with the correspond
Three months ending July 81
Revenues Disbursements
isx .......................... 3l3i26 e3 10S3o ~
h; evshSS sh9%S ana "s'ess decrease s Of ss in the
amount OF disbursements during the quarter ending
e From the above statement It also appears that the
revenues Tor the three months Of 1895 show an ex-
eOr,esponing quarter Of Of M ii the expenditures ex-
The following statement shows the revenues by
cases for the three months ending July 81 com
pared with the same period OF 1894:
Dock and slip rent ssi % ssoSSi 50
Essrss Sof,ss s1a5s S9s S9s e
This shows increase of sss.lco lS in the amount
dSGk ana az i ceed ali sd @ m f o
ilH in the amount OF miscellaneous receipts dur
.g the quarter ending July 81.
CAUSES tOk THE lNChEAsE Of REM
The increase in the amount OF the dock and slip
rent Is due TO four causes
TIE leasing at fixed rentals Of twenty-five
parcels OF whar: property for the sum OF $3.50
per quarter. at which amounting only TO $500 50
was collected during the same quarter of 1894
being clear gain In the revenue OF the department
for the three months for the property OF
s2Os7n
2 The leasing OF wharf property directly to the
users and occupants wherever practicable thus
doing away. in measure, with the practice Of
leasing to tenants Who subie as IN the & case baId Gl
up 70 April Y. 1885 by the New-Jersey Steamboat
Company under permit FOR %nicn ht e sYb
jet the pier to the Norwich and New-York Trans
u Inc at St Company Sy
revoked and the pier leased to the Norwlcn an1 no
$500 thereby Increasing the revenue o. the city
sS sstasl ps1 users s"oc or OCCUPANTS OF the pier
The leasing Of new property. The increase IN
r t5rmer r'ye years ownT to ;hc fact that there
o. per cent less new Wharfage room provueu IN @ Ime
,,as aar renote from the centre OF commerce. and
eonse,uentIy OF less value Tor renting purposes.
I Charging fair compensation for extra PIN
Deparimeni as illustrated by. the action taken IN
connection with the pier at West thirty MN t.
Michael Mitchell FOR 5000 per annpm 90 Mitchell acl,ld
the inner end erected coal pockets, etc. and used
the pier exclusively for his own purpose IN ylo-
i.5nai privileges ne was required 10 pay $40" per
aaaa extra e9mPensa9sn sS e Ia On amount Of Wharfage
collected Is p9rrgafy soUG 1srces OF Wharf, prop
srty Al which wharfage was collected last year are
occupied under lease o, prr1 anne mn
der tie heading DOCK and slip Rent .,,,.oo,
The slight decrease OF sol - SHOWN N ME-, ,hers
were no tickets sold for hlIng,in privileges during
S in.e from that source FOR the period OF
lsi amounted 70 SZSoo tho, .ba Increase in the
was accomplished without any increase in IN
the rates of rental CHARGED to the aTiya in
few cases where special privileges were enjoyed
a DECREASE FOR SALARIES AND REPAIRS.
The following statement shows the disbursement
BY classes for the three months ending July 81 as
compared with the period Of 1894;
Salaries of commissioners. officers and
empoyes mot including labor pay 800 ao ssao4e u
on furniture supplies ec...,s 81 % % 7se 7s9 % %
Construction and general repairs dn, oo--..o
cludng labor payrol.sl .'"--V4 "l 100 -
This shows decrease of A475 81 in amount OF
Salaries. due TO revision OF the salaries OF INC
The item OF supplies Office furniture. etc, shows
an increase Of S557s s. caused by the purchase Of
tao new safes. the old ones being worthless ana
The sum Of sls7777 g. charged the purchase
T2a @ & properly @ aTTPs Of ths udsmens against the
city for waterfront property taken possession OF
by the Department in 1878 and subsequently i'm
PROVED in accordance with the new plan.
The item OF g. 747 ss charged TO this same ac-
ey S4 4aspf Re ihs e axed By
Court in condemnation proceenhgs noriS iPr Of West
Eleventh-st., which the department lhtenus 10 III
prove as soon as the title TO the property can De
The large decrease in the amount expended In
payro!s shows that much less construction worK r
was 2 progress during the quarter Tnqs Of
year ago At the same time. proper attention ls
being given to the work OF rebuilding piers ana
IL
lowing statement from the engineer-in,chiet re-
quarter ending july 81. last: such piers as
sed 70 be rebuilt are IN dnS pSsehS minor yep are
being thoroughly taken care oil.
A STATEMENT OF LAND UNDER WATER
An examination Of the records OF this Depart
nent shows that there are nineteen localities on
the North River seventeen on the East river
and FIVE in the Harlem River. amounting In al
TO area OF 3a5ls9 square feet Of land 'under
claimed by the city. which is occupied by
private parties without lease or permit ana witn-
At the usual rate OF 25 cents per square foot foot
va sn9Sn nun ShsgeS S6ua io5 he yeG the city an an
nual revenue OF nearly $1,000. The greater part
MADE ' uo o eSarroachments SaTSre @ beyond the original
high water line or beyond the legally established
sn,s eonss es Of oq variety % OF construcons
number OF cases occur in whlGh tne encrVacn. r, en-
ouiknead by the construction OF ne" races on t tne
IN the gradual pnshing out Of the line OF the face Of
the buikhead beyond that upon which 1t was origi-
nsly established: In other cases the encr9achnehts
consist Of pie platforms In front OF the IegaIIy
established bulkheads: still other cases consist oi
unwarranted widening and lengthening OF piers, ah9
other cares yet consst OF land made out beyond
The line OF original high water by dumping In ming
and building out the shore line -. 4.
Most OF these encroachments were me1e prIor y, 70
ihe organization OF the present Depar'ment ~, "a
Docks times when a rigid supervision oi ~ ~
Waterfront was not 10 be had through the mn
OF proper authority, and the area OF these ehci @
nen,s has been determined In many cases by "a
Comparison OF the old maps and surveys pior 10
BD with the maps and surveys mace ny , tils ~
partmsnt shortly after that date ana subsequent
thereto
An examination OF the status or each parcei on
this properly rs being made with a View OF deter
mining the rights Of the city therein