The Cairo bulletin., 1912-05-04
SHOPPERS SPEND
TWO billion IN
new YORK YEARLY
FA 1871
Statistics Show Gotham is the
Worlds Greatest Shopping
Center

New York, May 3.--That London,
Berlin and even Paris are far behind
New York as shopping centers are
indicated by figures Just complied
for the first time which show that
the great plant in which New York
ers do their shopping. that is the
great department stores, represents
an investment OF S350.000, 600. This
figure includes only real estate and
buildings, exclusive of stock which
represents probably an equal sum,
and makes the island of Manhattan
easily the greatest shopping district
for its size in the world. The amount
expended by the shoppers from all
parts of the country who throng
these great establishments is in
capable of exact estimate but is
probably not less than two billion
dollars in the course of year Were
all the more important stores on
Manhattan Island alone gathered
together In one section, instead Of
covering a wide area as they now do,
they would easily spread over a
space of land equal TO about five city
blocks, each block measuring 200
feet in width and 500 feet in length
This illustration does not do justice
to the immensely of the department
stores of New York, for, rolled to-
gether into an integral mass, they
would form structure more than
i62 stories in height with a base
Measuring about 1,000xS00 feet.
Taking such a structure, were it pos
,ible of erection, with an average
leight Of fifteen feet TO each floor, it
would rise toward the clouds higher
than the peaks OF many mountains.
The roof of the structure would be
$3.50 feet above the street level.
Se' New immigration Record.
That o new high immigration
record Tor q single month will be
shown as soon as the official figures
or April can be completed is now
egarded as a certainty here Per-
ons in a position to know estimate
hat more than 100000 immigrants
overwhelmed this port last month,
unning into six figures for the first
ime on record The arrivals during
April last year totalled 1876 and
hat was a big month which tested
he capacity of the facilities at Ellis
Stand where the immigrants land
md are examined But while heavy
immigration is generally looked
ipon as a good sign, as indicating a
lemand for labor here, the unpre-
,edented number of arrivals during
he past month has brought the city
face to face with a serious condition
st Ellis island 1900 persons can be
accommodated at night and with al
most twice that number arriving
laily it Is necessary TO rush them
through. Aliens who would natur-
ally be detained for more thorough
examination are permitted to enter
he city and in this way it is be-
lieved many who would be deported
in the ordinary course of events be-
-ome a burden on the country. One
official has pointed out that many
lged men and women who come here
)stensibly to join their sons and
daughters come for no other reason
than to enter some charitable insti-
tuition for the remainder of their
ives. They have no children here
but through agents get other per-
sons to pose as their children until
they pass the authorities. Under high
pressure they are naturally passed
IN as there is no means of OBTAINING
hem for further investigation. That
congress is to blame for such con-
lition of affairs is the opinion OF
me of the commissioners, who says
hat appropriations for suitable
quarters and facilities to maintain
IN efficient standard Of inspection
nave been too long refused. Alto
gether New York Is finding its in
;reasing flood of immigrants SER
tous problem which unless proper
steps are taken may become a grave
menace to the health of the whole
country.
Must Improve Roads.
The statement of a prominent
railroad official that the enormous
sum of $4,000, 100000 would be
needed within the next five years for