March i8, 1905





RECORD AND   GUIDE





letting of contracts on public buildings to the contractors doing
the work, so that there shall he no subletting by general con¬
tractors. It expressly provides that all plumbing and gas fitting,
as well as steam heating, hot water heating and ventilating ap¬
paratus shall be let separately.

A No. 507.—By Mr. Friedel.—Prohibiting the construction of any
elevated railroad on Clinton, Delancey. Grand and Canal streets,
east of Clinton street. Passed Assembly Feb. 14. Senate bill in
Judiciary Com.

A No. 523.—By Mr. R. H. Smith.—Providing that the amount
to be assessed for the Riverside Drive extension shall be deter¬
mined by Ihe Board of Estimate and shall not exceed 50 per cent,
of the amount of damages awarded. Passed the Assembly,
March 7. Delivered to Senate and referred to Cities Committee,
March 8.

A No. 503.—Introduced by Mr. McManus.—Prohibiting the
laying down, of steam surface railroad tracks in the streets and
requiring the removal of the present tracks.    Cities Committee,

A No. 578.—By Mr, Bedell,—An amendment to the Railroad
Law permits a street surface railroad company, with the con¬
sent of the Mayor, to remove Its tracks from a street or highway
in any city, when the Board of Railroad Commissioners shall
certify that the operation of cars thereon Is unnecessary for
public convenience, without impairing the franchise or the right
to relay.    Railroad Committee.    Amended on March 7.

A No, 603,—By Mr. Wilsnack,—Permitting the opening and
constructing of Eastern Parkway, 150 ft. wide, through ceme¬
tery lands in Queens Borough. Referred, on Feb. 13, to Com¬
mittee on General Laws.

A No. 621.—Introduced by Mr. A. E. Smith.—Empowering the
comptroller of the City of New York to cancel and to refund
assessments levied fcr the purpose of acquiring title to a new
street,' from Chambers st to Reade st. Cities Committee'. Cor¬
responding bills Senate 382. ordered to third reading Feb. 14.

A No. 655.~Introduced by Committee on Taxation and Re¬
trenchment.—Providing for a tax on transfers of stock. Joint
hearing, Feb. 23. Senate bill, 385, referred to Committee of
Whole, March 9.

A No. 670.—By Mr. Beihilf.—Relating to corporations engaged
In examining and insuring titles to real estate, requiring them to
certify and insure statements of defects, objections, et cetera.
Committee on General Laws. Reported without amendments
and ordered to second reading, March 9.

A No. 683.—Introduced by Mr. Merritt.—Amending the real
property law In relation to the authentication of conveyances
executed outside of the State of New York and within the U. S.
Passed Assembly March 9.    Senate bill in Judiciary Com.

A No. 699.—Introduced by Mr. Hammond,—Amending the real
property law. relative to the postponement or subordination of
liens upon real property. Reported Committee on Revision with
recommendations, January 24.    Senate bill in Judiciary Com.

A No. 718.—Introduced by Mr. McKeown.—Relating to taxa¬
tion of mortgages upon real property. Committee on Taxation
and Retrenchment.

A No. 782.—By Mr. Prentice.—Providing for the adoption of the
Torrens system of registering land titles and reducing the cost of
transfers of real estate. Recommitted to General Laws Commit¬
tee, March 2.

A No. 794,—By Mr. Anderson.—Making the fare of a foot pas¬
senger on the Astoria and 02d street ferry 2 cents. Referred to
Committee on Commerce and Navigation,

A No. 835.—By Mr. Salomon.—Amends Section 274 of the Real
Property law by providing for a charge of $50 for recording a
mortgage in which the terms are not stated.

A No. 870.-By Mr. Fuller,—Repealing Chapter 117 of the
laws of 1901, entitled "An act to amend the tax law in relation
to the taxation of savings banks." Identical with A, 7 and A, 460.
Taxation Committee. Corresponding bill Senate 280. Joint hear¬
ing on March 2.

A No, 947.—By Mr. Foelher.—Providing that no new street
shall be opened in the Nineteenth Ward of Brooklyn, without
the consent In writing of a majority of the taxpayers. Cities
Committee.

A No, 1049.—Ey Mr. Pendry,—Provides that the consents of
property owners to the building, extending or opening of a street
surface railroad, shall not be valid unless they shall describe the
property by metes and bounds, and unless such consents shall
' be registered within thirty days at the place for recording deeds.
Reported with amendments. Placed on the order of second
reading. Ordered to second reading, March 7. Hearing,
March 15.

A No, 1052,—Relating to corporations engaged in examining
and Insuring or guaranteeing titles to real estate. Amended and
recommitted (Feb, 22), to Gen Laws Committee.

A No. 1068.—By Mr. Agnew.—To limit the time during which
action may be taken for the removal of, or for damages by rea¬
son of, certain encroachments upon the streets, avenues and pub¬
lic places of the city of New York. To one year. Cities Com¬
mittee.

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Ten cents a copy will be paid for the following numbers of
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702, 711, 712, 722, 730 and 1891.





The New Elevator Rule.

REALTV LE.\GUE AND ELEVATOR COMPANIES UNITEDLY RE¬
MONSTRATE AGAINST  ITS  ENFORCE.MENT.

The Realty League, speaking through President A, R. Conkling
and. Attorney Carlisle Norwood, announces that it will fight the
elevator rule of January 15, issued by the Manhattan Building
Bureau, and will carry on the war in any way it can. The rule a^
it stands means, the League says, that nearly every elevator car
in the city must be equipped with either the Pratt or the Cruik¬
shank safety device, as these two are the only safety clutches
that have thus far received the approval of the Building Bureau.
The elevator companies not using these particular patents are
up in arms against the rule,

A bill emanating from the Realty League has been introduced
in the Assembly by Mr. Agnew (No, 1069) amending the City
Charter, iu relation to the use of patented articles, and providing
that no officer of the city government shall order any house¬
holder or freeholder to use any patented article on any building
or in any public street or place, except under such circumstances
that there can be a fair and reasonable opportunity for compe¬
tition, the conditions to secure which shall be prescribed by the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment, The bill is aimed at the
New Yorh building departments.

At a hearing before Supt. Hopper, on Wednesday, March S,
Mr. A. G. Mills, vice-president of the Otis Elevator Company,
argued that the Building Superintendent had no authority to
prescribe how a moderen safety device should be constructed.
He personally would like to have any company having an effi¬
cient safety device permitted to use it. AU that the Superintend¬
ent could properly require, he maintained, was that every
elevator car should be equipped with such an auto¬
matic check, and this was as far as he should go.
Mr. A. B. See, president of the A. B. See Elevator Company;
Mr. J. R, Wiltsie of the American Elevator Company, and Mr. W.
E, Stokes of the Standard Plunger Company, all argued against
the enforcement of the rule. They asserted that in the
specifications of what the device should be the Pratt clutch
was described in practically every detail. Particular stress
was laid on the fact that the rule said the safety jaws of any de¬
vice used should be set one-eighth of an inch from the guide
rails. This, It was declared, was a distinctive feature of the
Pratt  safety  clutch.

Mr. Hopper said that if any manufacturer would ask for a test
of his elevator, the department would be pleased to make one.
His only desire was to ensure the safety of the public. He said
he would consider the matter under discussion and would modify
the ruling if he found sufficient reason.

"It is not difficult to understand why the Realty League Is
fighting the order issued by Mr. Hopper," says its president,.
Mr. Conkling, "The device manufactured by the Pratt Com¬
pany costs ?500 to install, and there are 15,000 passenger ele¬
vators in the borough of Manhattan alone. If the order is car¬
ried out practically all of the elevators in the city will hav^ to
be supplied with Pratt clutches. This would cost property own¬
ers $7,500,000,"

The Realty League, President Conkling states. Intends to make
a test case, if the Superintendent should undertake to enforce
the rule in its present form, and then to ask for a stay against
the department's order until the case has been tried and flnally
decided.





Removing Old Buildings.

Work began this week on the tearing down of old buildings in
different sections of the city to make way for three important
new structures. At Fifth av and 44th st, southeast corner, the
old frame roadhoiise and tavern w-ith stables that have so
long withstood the march of progress, have at last given way and
will soon be replaced by a bank and office structure, plans for
which have been drawn by Henry Ives Cobb.               ■             ■

Further south, the old ramshackle Centre Market Euilding
has been attacked and is almost completely demolished. Re¬
cently Gillespie, Walsh Se Gillespie received the general contract
to build the new Police Headquarters on the site from the plans
of Hoppin & Koen.

Public Improvements in the  Bronx.

The following measures for the benefit of the Bronx have been
approved by the Board of Estimate:

Opening Railroad avenue, between Unionport road and Glebe
avenue.    Nine per cent of the cost to be born by the city at large.

Providing for regulating and grading Townsend avenue, be¬
tween East 170th and East 176th streets. Estimated cost, $46,-
3110;  assessed value, $234,800.

Providing for regulating and grading West 259th street, be¬
tween Broadway and Riverdale avenue. 'Estimated cost, $46,000;
assessed value. .$144,200.

Providing for regulating and grading East 240th street, be¬
tween Webster and Verio avenues. Estimated eost, $800; as¬
sessed value, $10,600,

Laying out block dimensions and gi-ades in the territory shown
on Section 29 of the Final Maps of the- Boroftgh of the Bronx.

Layfng out block dimensions and grades in the territory shown
on Section 30 of the Final Maps of the Borough of the Bronx.