November 6, 1886
The Record and Guide.
1361
THE RECORD AND GUIDE,
Published every Saturday.
191 Broad^^^srav, IST. "IT-
Our Telephone CaU is .... . JOHN 370.
TERMS:
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Communicatious should be addressed to
C. W. SWEET, 191 Broadway.
J. T. LINDSEY, Business Manager.
Vol. XXXVIII.
NOVEMBER 6, 1886.
No. 973.
Silver continues to advance in price on the London market.
This means that values are passing oufc of gold and into- commodi¬
ties. The elections have interfered somewhat with business
throughout the country, and then the season has been so mild as to
interfere wifch the free purchase of winter goods. The bulls keep
control of the stock markefc. Securities are firmly held, in view of
the large railway receipts and the probable early resumption of
dividends by Western Union, Lake Shore, Michigan Central &
Canada Southern. The interest in real estate keeps up, and
dealers reporfc an excellent market. Everyone who understands
the situation believes that next spring will see better business and
higher prices than ever before in the history of the city.
The result of ihe election throughout the country has been very
mixed. The Prohibition vote did not seem to be of much account,
while the Labor vote was a very important factor in the State
contests. The free traders were roughly handled by the voters out
West, while the tariff reformers proved to be quifce popular in the
New England States. The Republicans gained in the South, while
on the whole fche Democrats have lost so much ground that they have
barely retained control of the " House." It is clear that the political
parties of the country are in process of disintegration and recon¬
struction. President Cleveland, while popular with the best
elements of his party, does nofc seem to have entirely satisfied the
rank and file.
A proposition has been made for the Real Estate Exchange to go
into the newspaper business, which we are sorry to hear some of the
directors are countenancing. A printing concern wants the
indorsement of the Exchange for a publication in return for the
free printing of the bids and calls which now cosfcs a small sum of
money. It would not look well for a rich corporation to be under
any obligation to private persons for necessary work, and then it
is no part of the business of the Exchange to invest money or give
its countenance to newspaper enterprises. The matter has gone
so far that one of the directors proposed, if the enterprise be
undertaken, that a committee be appointed to see thafc nothing
objectionable appears in the proposed journal. Ifc is hardly to be
expected that the stockholders will sanction the issue of an organ
which may involve editorial supervision as well as money outlay.
None of our city exchanges have seen fit to establish journals of
any kmd. They all issue price lists and the Produce Exchange
keeps an official statistician; but while there are swarms of pajjers
furnishing the news and gossip of the markets, none of them are in
anyway countenanced by the exchanges, the interesfc of whose
members they are supposed to subserve.
Ifc is understood that this newspaper scheme originated from an
agent who in time past has favored The Record and Guide with
a great many communications. We published what would have
cost an ordinary adverfciser afc least a thousand dollars, but finally
had tc call a halt, as our space was wanted for more legitimate
purposes. If this dealer wishes to see himself in print he is at
liberty to start a new paper, but the directors of the Exchange will
be exceeding their powers if they in any way countenance a pri¬
vate enterprise of this kind. The daily papers devote a great deal
of attention to real estate, and The Record and Guide occupies
the field fully. A new paper simply means a swarm of advertising
agents to worry real estate men and a useless expenditure of
money and effort on the part of the promoters. A paper like The
Record and Guide costs a great deal of money to get up—very
much more than any other trade paper in the country. Hundreds
of thousands of dollars have been spent in trying to start rival
papers, but so far they have all proved dismal failures.
The Eeal Estate Exchange owes its existence more to The
Record and Guide than to any other one agency. After advo¬
cating such an institution for over two years, and no one taking
any action in the matter, the proprietor of this publication called a
meeting at his office, No. 191 Broadway. Of the original committee
appointed at that first meeting, Messrs. Cammann, Scott, Bellamy,
Cruikshank, Harnett, Freedman and Croly are now directors.
Messrs. Ludlow and Honig, now dead, were also on the original
commifctee aud were subsequently directors. If there was any
paper recognized officially it ought to be The Record and Guide,
which publishes more matfcer of interest to the members of the
Exchange than any journal in existence, but we never asked for
nor expected such recognition in any official way. We demand,
however, as a matter of simple justice, that the institution we did
so much to bring into exisfcence shall keep out of the newspaper
business altogether, as being a matter with which the directors
of the Exchange have properly nothing to do.
The New Buildings and Conveyances for a Year.
The great building movement which still continues in New York
and vicinity, really commenced in the fall of 1885. The May and
June of that year showed an actual falling off in real estate tran¬
sactions, compared with the same monfchs of the previous year.
Rut the revival of business during the midsummer of 1885 first
made itself manifest in the stock market. Then an improvement
was noticed in our manufacturing industries'and in trade generally,
and when September arrived the purchases of real estate and the
plans for new buildings showed a decided increase. By October
the improvement in real estate circles became very marked, and it
has continued up to this time.
Usually we wait until the end of the year before giving annual
statistics, but as the decided improvement first showed itself in
September, 1885, it seems best to give the totals for the year ending
October 31st, 1886. Here are the figures for the year compared
with two previous years, also for October compared with two
previous Octobers:
BUILDINGS PROJECTED.
1S84.
Jan. to
Oct., inc.
Total No. of plans filed................... 1,479
Total No. of buildings projected.......... 2,476
Estimatedcost......................... $37,969,358
No. soutli of 14th st..................... 2S0
Cost...................................$6,721,870
No. bet 14th and 59tli sts................. 438
'Cost.................................$10,004,747
No. bet 59th and 125th sts, east of Sth av.. 661
Cost...................................$11,330,220
No. bet 59th and 125th sts, west of Sth av. 265
Cost..................................$5,4.14,290
No. bet 110th and 125th sts, Sth and Sth avs 45
Cost.............................. $548,500
No. north of 125th st..................... 248
Cost..................................$2,453,630
No. 23d and 24th Wards.................. 539
Cost..................................$1,383,536
Total No. of buildings projected____
Estimated cost.....................
No. south of 14th st................
Cost..............................
No. bet I4th and 59th sts................
Cost..............................
No. bet 59th and 125th sts, east of Sth av..
Cost.............................
No. bet 59th and 125th sts, west of Sth av..
Cos"-.................................
No. bet 110th and 125th sts, 5th and Sth avs.
Cost................................
No. north of 125th st.....................
Cost.............................
No. S3d and 24th Wards...................
Cost................................
1884.
October.
202
$>,345.9nj
12
$130,4:5
$512,450
h?,
$707 900
29
$601,000
18
$96,405
(15
â– $174,810
1885.
.Tan. to
Oct., inc.
1,589
2,874
$39,917,626
2S9
$6,625,075
436
$7,609,760
591
$8,700,475
574
$8,947,480
102
$1,714,000
374
$3,589,418
.509
$1,722,391
1R85.
October.
299
$3,394,005
20
$iMC,830
26
$337,400
67
$808,2L0
79
$1,174,7.50
16
$180,000
27
$333,015
64
$198,900
No.
Jan to Sepfc. incl. 2,274
October.......... 2J2
2,476
November....... 163
December........ 173
-1884.------------,
Cost.
$35,623,398
2,345,99J
$37,969,388
2,119,685
2,126.350
No.
2,575
299
2,8 r4
233
263
-1885.-----------,
Cost.
$36,523,561
3,394,065
$39,917,6^6
2.986,205
3,011,415
No.
3,419
285
1880.
.Jan. to
Oct., inc.
1,863
3,704
$53,119,068
383
$8,628,580
434
$9,114,1.')0
$11,110,015
892
$14,027,0uO
197
$2,774,2.50
453
$5,356,730
598
$2,082,386
1886.
October.
285
$3,037,5 0
25
$430,7.W
•dO
$349,525
54
$804,315
55
$1,050,0(,'0
9
$129,000
50
$659,600
06
$214,-3:^0
-1886.-----------,
Cost.
$49,481,558
3,637,510
3,704 $53,119,068
Total........... 2,812 $42,215,123 3,370 $45,915,246
KINGS COUNTY PROJECTED BUILDINGS.
-1885-
-1885-
ToUl
No. of
No. of
Total
No. of
No. of
No.
brick
frame
No.
brick
frame
1885.
1886.
b'gs.
b'gs.
b'gs.
b'gs.
b'gs.
b'gs.
Cost.
Cost.
Jan. 183
90
93
266
lu6
160
$784,710
$1,10.5,310
Feb. 206
78
12S
228
113
115
998.968
844,685
Mar. 374
230
144
424
278
146
1,966.962
2,274,480
Apr. 470
304
166
411
289
132
2,547.846
2,395,216
May 429
215
214
250
142
107
2,213,043
1.312,196
June 368
187
181
299
160
1.39
2,0.55,493
1,,395.5.30
July 274
149
125
288
194
94
1,633,288
1,666,647
Aug. 376
208
168
415
193
222
1,745,420
1,9.53..575
Sept. 319
370
149
401
149
252
1,.509,540
2,173,983
Oct. 301
ISO
151
483
194
288
1,418,667
1,78^,120
Total 3,3J0
1,781
1,519
3,464
1,818
1,645
$16,973,937
$16,9U3,7't2
It will be seen from the above that there were planned 3,704 build¬
ings, costing $53,119,068, against 2,874 buildings last year, costing
atrifle less than $40,000,000. The business of 1884 was still smaller.
The analysis of the numbers and costs of buildings erected in differ¬
ent parts of the city will greatly interest all those who deal in or
own real estate. The greatest improvement is in the region west of
the Park; next in importance"comes the district just north of it. The
October of this year does not much exceed the October of last year,
for the building movement has slackened off somewhat, due to
the plumbers' strike and other causes. The above table is well worth
careful study by those who fchink of purchasing, for it must be
borne in mind that the best and most profitable dealings are on the
line of immediate improvement.