The following communication was received from the Department of Street Cleaning, relative to a renewal of the lease of premises No. 81 King street, Borough of Manhattan:

NEW YORK, January 22, 1904.

Hon. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Mayor, and Chairman of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund:

SIR-I request the consent and approval of your Board, pursuant to section 541 of the Charter, for a renewal of the lease from the Corporation of Trinity of the first floor, or store, of the premises known as No. 81 King street, in the Borough of Manhattan, for another term of two years from May, 1904, at an annual rental of $600, payable quarterly, and otherwise upon the same terms and conditions as are contained in the existing lease.

Respectfully,

JOHN MCGAW WOODBURY, Commissioner.

The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund may properly authorize the renewal of the above lease upon the same terms and conditions as in present existing lease. MORTIMER J. BROWN,

January 26, 1904.

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

In connection therewith the Comptroller offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund hereby approve of and consent to the execution, by the Commissioner of Street Cleaning, of a renewal of a lease to the City from the Corporation of Trinity Church, of the first floor or store of premises situated at No. 81 King street, in the Borough of Manhattan, for a term of two years from May 1, 1904, at an annual rental of six hundred dollars ($600), payable quarterly, otherwise upon the same terms and conditions as contained in the existing lease-the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund deeming the said rent fair and reasonable and that it would be for the interests of the City that such lease be made.

Which was unanimously adopted.

The following communication was received from the Department of Street Cleaning, relative to an amendment to resolution authorizing a renewal of the lease of premises at No. 231 Bowery, Borough of Manhattan, by substituting Charles Ring as the name of the lessor, in place of Nellie May (see page 20):

NEW YORK, January 26, 1904. Hon. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Mayor, and Chairman of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund:

SIR-I request that your Board amend its resolution of January 20, 1904, in relation to the renewal of the lease of the premises No. 231 Bowery, Borough of Manhattan,

so as to substitute for Nellie May, as lessor, the name of Charles Ring (doing business at Nos. 423-427 Kent avenue, Borough of Brooklyn); Mr. Ring having purchased the property from Nellie May, along with the rents for the three months ending December 20, 1903.

Respectfully,

JOHN MCG. WOODBURY, Commissioner.

Respectfully recommend that the Sinking Fund Commissioners amend their resolution of January 20, 1904, by the substitution of the name Charles Ring for Nellie May.

January 27, 1904.

MORTIMER J. BROWN,
Appraiser of Real Estate in charge of Bureau.

In connection therewith the Comptroller offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the resolution adopted by this Board at meeting held January 20, 1904, approving of and consenting to the execution, by the Commissioner of Street Cleaning, of a lease to the City from Nellie May, of the rear store of premises known as No. 231 Bowery, Borough of Manhattan, be and the same is hereby amended by substituting the name of Charles Ring as the lessor in place of Nellie May.

Which was unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following report and offered the following resolution, relative to the payment of three months' rent of premises Nos. 153-155 Furman street, Borough of Brooklyn, occupied by the Fire Department:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

February 3, 1904.

SIR-Hon. Nicholas J. Hayes, Commissioner of the Fire Department, City of New York, in a communication under date of January 26, 1904, requests the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund to authorize the occupancy of the present quarters of Engine Company 124, at present located at Nos. 153-155 Furman street, Borough of Brooklyn, for a further period of three months, from February 1, 1904, at a rental of $100 per month.

The Fire Department is erecting a new building for Engine Company 124, located on the westerly side of Hicks and Joralemon streets. It is not as yet completed, and will not be for a period of three months. The City has been occupying these premises for some time past, lease of which expired on December 31, 1903, and owing to the building in Hicks street not being finished, the then Commissioner of the Fire Department requested the owner of the premises, Mr. Squibb, to permit them to use the same for the month of January at a rental of $75. This was agreed to by Mr. Squibb, and the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund adopted a resolution authorizing the use of the premises for a period of a month. Mr. Squibb has now increased the rental to $100 per month for a further period of three months.

Inasmuch as this building is absolutely necessary to the Fire Department, I would respectfully recommend that the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund authorize the hiring of these premises for a period of three months at a monthly rental of $100, and that the Comptroller be authorized to pay the rental without the necessity of executing a lease.

Respectfully submitted for approval,

MORTIMER J. BROWN, Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

Approved: N. TAYLOR PHILLIPS, Acting Comptroller.

Resolved, That the Comptroller be and is hereby authorized and directed to pay to Edward H. Squibb and Charles F. Squibb, the sum of one hundred dollars ($100) per month, for a period of three months, commencing February 1, 1904, being the rent of premises occupied by the Fire Department at Nos. 153 and 155 Furman street, Borough of Brooklyn.

The report was accepted and the resolution unanimously adopted.

The following communication was received from the Law Department, relative to the hiring of Room No. 227 in the Stewart Building, No. 280 Broadway, Borough of Manhattan, to be occupied by the Bureau for the Collection of Arrears of Personal Taxes:

NEW YORK, February 2, 1904.

Hon. N. TAYLOR PHILLIPS, Secretary, Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of The City of New York:

SIR-Mr. Henry Steinert, Assistant Corporation Counsel in charge of the Bureau for the Collection of Arrears of Personal Taxes, has addressed the following communication to me:

"The space in the present offices of the Bureau for the Collection of Arrears of Personal Taxes (Rooms 225-226) is entirely inadequate for the proper filing of the records, and the present arrangement of offices does not supply sufficient space to accommodate the desks of the employees, nor does the present arrangement provide any space whatever for use as a waiting room. Adjoining these offices there is a room, No. 227, 28 feet by 15 feet and 5 inches, comprising 432 square feet. The addition of this space, I believe, will give enough room to remedy the crowded condition which I have referred to.

"I am informed by the Superintendent of this building that the rent of the office in question is $450 per annum, and the same can be hired from month to month. I have, discussed the matter with Mr. N. Taylor Phillips, Deputy Comptroller and Secretary of the Sinking Fund Commission of The City of New York, and he has advised me that, in view of the fact that the offices of this Bureau are shortly to be moved to the new Hall of Records Building, the rental from month to month will be preferable to hiring by lease.

"I would, therefore, request that application be made to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of The City of New York for authority to hire the room in question at the terms and under the conditions above referred to."

In view of the statements contained therein, I hereby make application to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of the City of New York for authority to hire Room No. 227, Stewart Building, No. 280 Broadway, New York City, from month to month, at an annual rental of $450.

Respectfully,

JOHN J. DELANY, Corporation Counsel.

In connection therewith the Comptroller presented the following report and offered the following resolution:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

February 3, 1904.

SIR-The Hon. John J. Delany, Corporation Counsel of The City of New York, in a communication under date of February 2, 1904, requests the approval of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund for a lease of Room No. 227 in the Stewart Building, No. 280 Broadway, Manhattan, containing about 432 square feet, as additional space for the proper conduct of the Bureau for the Collection of Arrears of Personal Taxes, which at present now occupies Rooms Nos. 225 and 226.

He requests that they be rented month to month at the rate of an annual rental of $450, and, in view of the fact that the officers of the different departments of the City will shortly be moved to the new Hall of Records Building, I would respectfully recommend that the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund adopt a resolution authorizing the hiring of Room No. 227 in the Stewart Building, No. 280 Broadway, in the Borough of Manhattan, for the use of the Corporation Counsel for the Collection of Arrears of Personal Taxes, at a monthly rental of $37.50, said rate being reasonable and just; the lessor to furnish light, heat, janitor and elevator service, and that the Comptroller be authorized to pay the rent without the necessity of entering into a lease.

Respectfully submitted for approval,

MORTIMER J. BROWN, Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

Approved: N. TAYLOR PHILLIPS, Acting Comptroller.

Resolved, That the Comptroller be and is hereby authorized and directed to pay to Horace Russell and Edward D. Harris, executors, etc., the sum of thirtyseven dollars and fifty cents ($37.50) per month, for a period commencing from the date of occupation to May 1, 1904, being the rental of Room No. 227 in the Stewart Building, No. 280 Broadway, Borough of Manhattan, to be occupied by the Bureau for the Collection of Arrears of Personal Taxes of the Law Department.

The report was accepted and the resolution unanimously adopted.

The following communication was received from the Board of Education, relative to a lease of premises at the corner of Potter and Steinway avenues, Long Island City (see page 14):

NEW YORK, January 29, 1904.

Hon. N. TAYLOR PHILLIPS, Secretary, Commissioners of Sinking Fund:

DEAR SIR-Referring to the preamble and resolution adopted by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund on January 20, 1904, a certified copy of which was received from you on January 23, authorizing the lease of premises at Potter and Steinway avenues, Long Island City, "with the understanding that the ground floor of the building only shall be used for school purposes, and that any occupation of the building for school purposes other than the ground floor will be without authority," I am instructed by Hon. Richard H. Adams, Chairman of the Committee on Buildings, to inform you that the Board of Education has not requested, as stated in the abovementioned preamble, that said lease be renewed with the understanding that the ground floor only be used for school purposes. Mr. Adams wishes me to inform you further that it is necessary for the Board of Education to have the use of the entire building, and that this Department has taken steps to erect a fire escape in order to comply with the requirements of the Department of Buildings.

Will you, therefore, take steps to have the resolution adopted on January 20 amended?

Respectfully,

A. EMERSON PALMER, Secretary, Board of Education.

In connection therewith the Comptroller presented the following report and offered the following resolution:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

February 3, 1904.

SIR-The Board of Education, in a communication under date of January 29, 1904, in the matter of the lease of premises at Potter and Steinway avenues, Long Island City, states "that it is necessary for the Board of Education to have the use of the entire building, and that this Department has taken steps to erect a fire escape, in order to comply with the requirements of the Department of Buildings.

The Board of Education at a meeting held on the 21st day of October, 1903, adopted a resolution requesting the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund to authorize a renewal of the lease to this property, which expires on the 15th day of February, 1904, for a term of one year, at an annual rental of $2,000.

On examination of this property by the Department of Health and the Department of Buildings, it was discovered that the building was in such a condition as to make the use of the entire building for school purposes absolutely out of the question, and a full report was made thereon to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund on November 11, 1903.

At a meeting of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund January 20, 1904, a further report was made thereon, which appears in the minutes of said meeting, and at that meeting a resolution was adopted by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund which permitted the use of the ground floor only of the premises, for the reason that it was absolutely dangerous to use the rest of the building without having fire escapes attached thereto, and in the minutes of that meeting there is a