DeLand news. [volume] (DeLand, Volusia County, Fla.) 190?-1921, 1909-12-31
ORGY OF MONEY WASTE
AS ADMINISTRATION DIES
Wild Extravaganza in New York as
Tammany Sees Grip Failing


New York, Dec. a5,-During the past
six weeks New York has witnessed an
orgy of municipal expenditure such as
probably never has been bcheld in any
city in the world before. This is not
because the city legislators have sud-
denly gone mad like some of the Roman
emperors whom they appear ambitious
to excel. nor is it That Father knickcr-
CANT habits SO far as expenditures are
Concerned. The explanation is found
in the desire of the dying Tammany
Hall administration, confronted by the
prospect of four lean years. to make as
big "clcan-up' as possible, to award
as many contracts and authorize as
many schemes for the expenditure of
city funds as possible through its faith
ful hcnchmcn Since election day the
city funds appropriated for various
purposes have amounted to $4,000, 900
or at the rate of nearly S2,ooo, 900
for each business day In addition it is
reported on good authority $4,000 900
more is scheduled for appropriation be-
fore the end of the year. Contracts in
volving $40, 900. 900 have been let and
this amount will be increased by an
equal sum if the nerve of the dispensers
of city funds holds out With the
patronage of the city departments
cut off Tammlny must depend on the
holders of city contracts to supply
places for it's followers and it evidently
intends to make the opportunities in
this direction as numerous as possible.
The reckless piling up of the city's
debt has called out many protests, in
GLIDING one from Mayor-clcct Gaynor
although he was elected to Office on the
Tammany ticket.
What is said to be the highest price
ever paid for land in the history OF the
world was recorded here this week when
the northwest corner of Wall and
Nassau streets was sold for 81 500 900.
This was exclusive of the skyscraper
which occupies the site and for which an
additional 81 100000 was paid. AS
the lot contains about SaS square feet
this price represents Il rate of SSa2 for
each square foot of the land alone.
What this figure really means may be
better understood when it is computed
that if the ground area were covered
with silver dollars these would need to
be stacked fifteen feet deep to equal the
purchase price, or. ii they were stretched
out in single row would extend for
forty miles. The corners formed by the
functions of Broad and Nassau streets
with Wall have long been recognized as
the most valuable in the city. This is
the very heart of the financial district.
One corner is occupied by the sub
treasury, another by J. p. Morgan 4
Company, a third for years held the re-
cord price for New York realty after it
changed hands about fifteen years ago
for S,2S square foot, and the fourth is
the one thlt has Just been sold The
highest price previously paid for New
York realty was 500 a square foot,
the corner of Wall and Broadway, In
view of the rate at which property in
this section is advancing it seems likely
that the prediction that it will be
necessary to pave land in New Works
financial section with twcnty-dollar
gold pieces in order to own it will be
realized within another five years
In spite of the fact that nearly ali of
the manufacturers of automobiles have
enlarged the capacities of their plants
and expect to turn out in the aggregate
between $50, 900 and 100000 American
cars next season. there will bca shortage
in the country at large of 1900 auto
mobiles during 1910. In other words
this number of persons who desire to
own motor cars will be forced to postpone
the realization Of their ambition until
another season This at least is the
estimate of one of the leading men in the
automobile trade who has just returned
from trip which covered nearly every
state in the Union. The greatest ma
jority of would-bc purchasers are seek
ing cars for pleasure purposes SO that no
particular hardship will result from the
defcrring OF their hopes but in the case
of trucks and other motor vehicles
demanded for business purposes, con-
siderable loss will result from the in
ability of manufacturers to keep pace
with the demand. The west is now
buying more automobiles than the East
according to this authority, and is in
ssting upon high-grade cars. Some
manufacturers who shipped large num-
bers of low-priced cars into the middle
west thinking that these cars would find
a ready sale there have been forced to
reship them to eastern towns and cities
where they have been sold.
New York has a mystery which thus
far the citys most expert statisticians
have failed to solve. 1t is found in the
figures of travel between Manhattan and
Brooklyn. According to these official