188





RECORD  AND  GUIDE





August 17, 1918







AND





6,  BUILDERS
illil





Pounded Marcb 21. 1868, by CLINTON W. SWEET

Dcroted to Real Estate, Bnilding Constrnction and Bnilding
Management in tlie Metropolitan District

Publlsbed Every Saturday
By THE RECORD AND GUIDE COMPANY

FRANK E. PERLEY, President and Editor
W. D. HADSELL . . . Vice-President
J. W. FRANK . . . Secretary-Treasurer
S. A. PAXSON . . . Business Manager
119 West 40th Street, New York
(TclqiboDe. 4800 Bryant.)

Entered at the Pott OMce at New Tork. N. T., at lecond-claii matter.

Copyright, 1918, by The Record and Guide Co.

TABLE OF CONTENTS





SECTION L

Does New York Want Temporary War Factories?........  183

Government Will Not Build on Battery Park............  185

Zoning Law Not Upset by 58th Street Decision..........   186

Real Estate Improvements on Staten Island..............  186

Housing Progress in the  Metropolitan  District..........   187

Editorials   .................................................  188

Real  Estate Review of the Week........................   190

General Survey of the Building Situation................   197

Current   Building   Operations............................  198

Leases   .................................................  193

Personal   and  Trade   Notes..............................  200

Private Sales of the Week................................  190

Real   Estate   Notes......................................   195

Statistical Table of the Week............................  196

Wholesale  Material Market..............................  198

SECTION II.

Record of Conveyances, Mortgages, Leases, Auctions, Ap-
praisals, Lis Pendens, Mechanics' Liens, New 'Buildings
and Alterations.

Big Production, But Not Enough

WHILE in the production of both anthracite and
bituminous coal the country is considerably
below the program set by the United States
Fuel Administration as marking a minimum at which
the necessary war work could be carried on at the
rate of highest effĩciency, the fact remains that coal
production has reached a higher point than ever before
in the history of the industry. In a great many
districts, both anthracite and bituminous, production
records have been broken, but still production remains
short of  requirements, by several million tons.

Almost daily applications are being received by the
United States Fuel Administration from War Indus-
tries for allotments for coal in addition to those made
at the beginning of the coal year. Some are from new
plants authorized by the War Industries Board, not
known to the Fuel Administration at the beginning
of the year. The requirements for these plants are in
addition to the original allotments. Other demands are
from plants already on the Preferred List of war in-
dustries, for increased allowances because of enlarge-
ments and extensions to original plants, made since the
Fuel Administration compiled its estimates of con-
sumption.

The increased demand for coal for the Navy reached
almost one hundred per cent. in July. Whereas three
and a half million tons was allotted to the Navy in
April, the requirements by the middle of July had
reached a basis of six million tons. By the end of the
calendar year 1919 it is estimated that approximately
eight million tons will be required to cover these de-
mands.

With  the  launching  of  new   ships,   the   requirements





of the Shipping Board have likewise grown beyond all
expectation. When the annual allotment was made,
at the first of April, ten million tons was assigned for
the purpose of the Shipping Board. The actual re-
quirements as demonstrated by ejcperience, and as a
result of the phenomenal results being achieved by the
Shipping Board, now place the figure at thirteen mil-
lion tons. So, also, coal for bunkering purposes, at
first estimated at thirteen and a half million tons, has
grown in demand until present calculations call for
twenty-one million tons.

New industries, not in operation at the beginning of
the coal year, are now running on full time or are
about to start. These new requirements alone re-
present an annual consumption of nearly a million and
a half tons.

Practically all the steel plants and furnaces are
running on full time, twenty-four hours per day. There
are no suspensions of operations save for repairs and
overhauling of plants. In some instances the yearly
coal requirements were underestimated. In many
others, enlarged production, under increased effĩciency
has created a demand for additional coal. Invariably,
increased steel production calls for increased coal pro-
duction, demanding about five tons of coal for each ton
of steel produced.

In response to ajij^eals by Director of Production
James B. Neale of the United States Fuel Administra-
tion the mine workers are making every patriotic sacri-
fice possible to get out the coal. The ranks of the mine
workers have been depleted by the draft and by vol-
untary enlistment. Earlier in the year there was such
a marked shortage of cars that other mine workers
could not work steadily and numbers of them drifted
into other war work.

The appointment of Production Committees in every
mine, whose dtities are to see that all the mine workers
who can work do their full share, six days in the week,
should help the situation. At the same time, if mine
workers are unable to work because of the inefficiency
of the operator, the Committees are to report that fact
so that the United States Fuel Administration can place
the blame, if there is any, where it belongs.





Another View of a Current Question

AN interesting though rather unusual view of the
bearing of war industries on the future of the
metropolis was expressed before the Brooklyn
Chamber of Commerce in a recent address by Mr.
Lawson Purdy, former President of the Department
of Taxes and Assessments. Because of his long ex-
perience and intimate study of conditions in New York
City, the Record and Guide reprints in full in this issue
Mr. Purdy's address.

The speaker most certainly was on firm grotind when
he declared that no community in the United States
should be backward in welcoming any war industry
when it is to the advantage of the United States Gov-
ernment. "But," Mr. Purdy added, "it is by no means
desirable for a large community to have added to it
suddenly a large number of workers in an industry
which must be temporary. I can see no gain to the
Borough of Brooklyn by having established here a
temporary industry that would bring a large number of
workers here  for the time being."

A good many observers have been inclined to regret
the fact that the government in its war work has not
seen fit to locate more of its war indtistries in the
metropolis. They contend, and unquestionably a great
many others share their view, that the more war in-