If the owner refuses to accept the $200 as rent per annum the Borough President should be requested to look for another location.

Respectfully submitted for approval,

Approved:

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller.

Resolved, That the Corporation Counsel be and is hereby requested to prepare a lease to the City, from Mrs. Mary Smithwick, executrix, of the following described premises in the Borough of Queens, for use as a corporation yard by the Bureau of Highways, of the President of the Borough of Queens:

"All those two certain lots, pieces or parcels of land and the buildings thereon, situate, lying and being on the northerly side of Thompson avenue, about 700 feet west of Broadway, in the Village of Elmhurst, and being known as Lot No. 1, Block 53, Ward 2, volume 5, page 53, in volume 3 in the Department of Taxes and Assessments, in the Borough of Queens,"

-for a term of three years from the date of occupation,, at an annual rental of two hundred dollars ($200), payable quarterly; the owner to pay all taxes and assessments and ground water charges and fence in the property and keep the outside of the building in repair during the term of the lease; the City to pay for the water used on the premises-and 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, the Comptroller be and is hereby authorized and directed to execute the same, when prepared and approved by the Corporation Counsel, as provided by sections 149 and 217 of the Greater New York Charter; and be it further

Resolved, That in the event of the owner refusing to accept two hundred dollars ($200) per annum as the rental, the President of the Borough of Queens is hereby requested to seek another location.

The report was accepted and the resolution unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following report and offered the following resolution, relative to a lease of Room No. 138, in the Stewart Building, No. 280 Broadway, Borough of Manhattan, for the use of the Change of Grade Damage Commission: JULY 18, 1904.

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

SIR-Messrs. William E. Stillings, Charles A. Jackson and Oscar S. Bailey, members of the Change of Grade Damage Commission, created by chapter 537 of the Laws of 1893, as amended by chanpter 567 of the Laws of 1894, having been directed by the Court to complete the business before the Commission, the duty of providing office accommodations for the Commission is imposed upon the Comptroller, and in a com

munication under date of March 24, 1904, this office was requested to find office room for them to finish their work. Room 138 in the Stewart Building was selected by this office and approved by the Commission and they have been in possession since March 29, 1904. The room contains 446 square feet and the annual rental is $650, which rental being reasonable, I would respectfully recommend that the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund adopt a resolution authorizing a lease of this room for a period of thirteen months from March 29, 1904, at an annual rental of $650, the rent to be paid out of the issue of bonds in accordance with the laws above mentioned.

Respectfully submitted for approval,

Approved:

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller.

Resolved, That the Corporation Counsel be and is hereby requested to prepare a lease to the City, from Horace Russell and Edward D. Harris, executors, etc., of Room No. 138, in the Stewart Building, No. 280 Broadway, New York, for the use of the Change of Grade Damage Commission, for a term from March 29, 1904, to May 1, 1905, at a rental at the rate of six hundred and fifty dollars ($650) per annum, payable quarterly; the rental to include light, heat, elevator and janitor service-and 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, the Comptroller be and is hereby authorized and directed to execute the same when prepared and approved by the Corporation Counsel, as provided by sections 149 and 217 of the Greater New York Charter.

The report was accepted and the resolution unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following report and offered the following resolution, relative to an amendment to resolution authorizing a lease of premises on Richmond terrace, Borough of Richmond, for the use of the Police Department:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

JUNE 24, 1904.

SIR-The resolution adopted by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund on February 29, 1904, authorizing a renewal of the lease from Edward M. Muller, for premises on Richmond terrace, West New Brighton, Staten Island, for the use of the Police Department, provided that the lessor should pay the water rents accruing on the premises leased. Under the provisions of the previous lease, the City was required to pay the water rents or charges on the premises leased, and it is only fair and reasonable that the City should pay the same. I would therefore recommend that the resolution be amended to provide that the City pay the water rent instead of the lessor.

Approved:

Respectfully,

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

N. TAYLOR PHILLIPS, Deputy and Acting Comptroller.

Resolved, That the resolution adopted by this Board at meeting held February 29, 1904, authorizing a lease from Edward M. Muller, of premises on Richmond terrace, near Van street, West New Brighton, Staten Island, for the use of the Police Department, for a term of one year from May 1, 1904, at an annual rental of fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500), payable quarterly; the lessor to pay any and all charges for water supplied on said premises during the term of the lease, otherwise upon the same terms and conditions as contained in the existing lease, be and the same is hereby amended by omitting the words "the lessor to pay any and all charges for water supplied on said premises during the term of the lease."

The report was accepted and the resolution unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following report and offered the following resolution, relative to bill of Homer L. Bartlett, for making a survey of a tract of land owned by the City, on Barren Island, Jamaica Bay:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

JULY 7, 1904

SIR-I transmit herewith a bill of Homer L. Bartlett, City Surveyor, for making a survey of a tract of land owned by The City of New York, located at Barren Island, Jamaica Bay, containing about 80.138 acres. The survey was ordered for the purpose of determining the situation of a number of houses built by P. White Sons upon property owned by the City under lease to P. White Sons, which lease has expired, and for the purpose of determining the rental value for a lease to be made for another term of years.

There has never been a survey made of this tract of land, and the survey was necessary. The bill being reasonable and just, I would respectfully recommend that the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund adopt a resolution authorizing its payment.

The matter of the ownership of the houses on this tract of land is now before the Corporation Counsel for his opinion, and I hope to receive his reply thereto in a short time. Pending such time the City is at a disadvantage in the matter of rents, for the reason that P. White Sons is still holding over as monthly tenants upon the old rate made five years ago.

Respectfully submitted,

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

Resolved, That the Comptroller be and is hereby authorized and directed to pay to Homer L. Bartlett the sum of three hundred and sixty dollars ($360), being the amount of his bill for making a survey of a tract of land containing about eighty and one hundred and thirty-eight one-thousandths acres, owned by the City, located on Barren Island, Jamaica Bay; said payment to be made from the appropriation for 1904, entitled "Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, Expenses of."

The report was accepted and the resolution unanimously adopted.

The following communication was received from the Police Department, requesting authority to establish, provide and furnish as a station for Borough Headquarters the premises No. 269 State street, Borough of Brooklyn:

To the Honorable Commissioners of the Sinking Fund:

GENTLEMEN-The Police Commissioner this day

NEW YORK, June 29, 1904.

Ordered, That the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund be and are hereby respectfully requested to authorize the Police Commissioner to establish and provide and furnish as a station for Borough Headquarters, in the Borough of Brooklyn, the premises No. 269 State Street, Brooklyn, for the accommodation thereat of members of the Police Force and as a place of temporary detention for persons arrested and property taken within said borough, and also to provide and furnish such business accommodations, apparatus and articles, and provide for the care thereof, as shall be necessary for the Department of Police and the transaction of the business of the Department, the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund having authorized the lease of such premises for a period from the date of occupation to May 1, 1909, with the privilege of renewal thereof for five years.

Very respectfully,

WM. H. KIPP, Chief Clerk.

The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, having at a meeting held the 11th day of May, 1904, authorized a lease of the premises No. 269 State street, Borough of Brooklyn, as headquarters for the Police Department in said borough, may properly approve of the above request of the Commissioner, under and by virtue of the provisions of section 320 of the Amended Greater New York Charter.

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

In connection therewith the Comptroller offered the following resolution: Resolved, That pursuant to the provisions of section 320 of chapter 466 of the Laws of 1901, the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund hereby authorize the Police Commissioner to establish, provide and furnish as a station for Borough Headquarters the premises No. 269 State street, in the Borough of Brooklyn, and as requested by the Police Commissioner on June 29, 1904.

Which resolution was unanimously adopted.

The Comptroller presented the following papers, relative to an application of the Rockaway Park Improvement Company for a release of the City's interest in land under water at Jamaica Bay:

Hon. EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller:

JULY 1, 1904.

SIR-I respectfully return to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund application made by Austin Corbin, as President, in behalf of the Rockaway Park Improvement

Company, for a release of the City's interest in lands under water of Jamaica Bay, together with a report made by this bureau, and an opinion of the Corporation Counsel, which you requested thereon.

A letter under date of June 30 has been transmitted to Mr. Corbin, stating in substance the opinion of the Corporation Counsel.

Inasmuch as the opinion of the Corporation Counsel upon the application is of importance, I would respectfully recommend that the application, report, and opinion of the Corporation Counsel, be printed in the minutes of the Sinking Fund. Respectfully submitted for approval,

Approved:

MORTIMER J. BROWN,

Appraiser of Real Estate in Charge of Bureau.

EDWARD M. GROUT, Comptroller.

To the Honorable the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of The City of New York: The petition of the Rockaway Park Improvement Company, Limited, respectfully shows:

That your petitioner is a domestic corporation and the owner of a large tract of land at Rockaway Park in the Borough of Queens, City of New York, lying between Jamaica Bay on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the south. It has expended large sums of money in improving, laying out, grading, paving and sewering avenues and streets, the installation of water, gas and electricity, the erection of hotels, bathinghouses and cottages, and the development of an attractive suburban settlement.

Its property is assessed for taxation at the sum of $252.700, and it pays annually to The City of New York a large sum as taxes on its real estate. In addition, other portions of the waste land reclaimed and sold by the corporation to private parties represents an aggregate assessed valuation of upwards of $350,000, on which the City collects taxes. The Company maintains its streets and sewers with board walk and attachments at its own expense.

It is in possession under a perfect record title of all the riparian lands shown on the diagram hereto annexed and made a part of this petition, lying immediately south of the mean high-water line as established by the Department of Docks and Ferries of The City of New York April, 1902, as indicated on said diagram by the line colored purple.

It obtained from the Land Commissioners of the State of New York on or about December 1, 1899, a grant of land under water in Jamaica Bay for substantially all that portion north of said mean high-water outlined in lines on said diagram colored purple.

That thereafter under permits issued by the Department of Docks and Ferries of The City of New York, and in accordance with the plans approved by and filed with said Department, your petitioner proceeded at its own cost and expense to fill in and grade the sedge and swamp lands lying on the Jamaica Bay side of its property and to lay out streets and avenues through the same. That it has built a dock and bulkhead and established a pier-head line on Jamaica Bay, which is recognized by said Department as the official pier-head line. This improvement and development have reclaimed a large area of waste land along the shore of Jamaica Bay and represents a substantial investment of capital. It was undertaken and is being completed upon the good faith of the City's co-operation