Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

The Record and guide: v. 35, no. 890: April 4, 1885

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AprU 4, 1885 The Record and Guide. 353 THE RECORD AND GUIDE, J^tbli.'shed every Saturday. 191 Broadway, IST. "!r. TERMS: ONE YEAR, in advance, SIX DOLLARS. Communications should be addressed to C. W. SWEET, 191 Broadway. J. T. LINDSEY, Busmess Manager. Vol. XXXV. APRIL 4, 1885. No. 890 STATISTICAL NEW VORK CITY. Sales of the Week. Conveyances. Mortgages. Assignments of Mortgages. Chattel Mortgages. Judgments. Satisfied Judgments. Mechanics' Liens. Satisfied Mechanics' Liens. Projected Buildings. Alterations of Buildings. Business Failures. All General News about Real Estate and Building. Proceedings of Board of Aldermen and Board of Assessors Affecting Real Estate. Foreclosure Sales. Recorded Leases. Building Material Maricet and Quota¬ tions. Westchester Co. Convej'ances. CONTENTS. KINGS COtTNTY. Conveyances. Mortgages. Assignments of Mortgages. Chattel Mortgages. Judgments. Satisfied Judgments. Mechanics' Liens. Satisfied Mechanics' Liens. Projected Buildings. Alterations of Buildings. Business Failures. Lis Pendens. - All General News about Real Estate and Building. Foreclosure Sales. NEW JERSEY. Essex and Hudson Co. Conveyances. Mortgages. Chattel Mortgages. Judgments, &c. The liusiiiess outlook is not particularly promising. Tlie price of iron and steel is again lower, stocks are depressed, the gi'eat railway systems are at war, and the price of our national products which we sell to Europe was never lower. There is Uttle it any profit in business. The only exception seems to be real estate. There is a fair amount of building going on, and our auctioneers had never so much to do. But then, land and labor are always the last to go up in value as well as the last to recede. The time for real estate to show a falling off may not come this year or next, and should business revive in the meantime it may not come at all. The troubles in Central America show the measureless folly of the American people in not keeping up its navy to a reasonably efficient standard. One modern ironclad could blow our whole fleet out of the water. We have, it is true, some few old wooden hulks ofif the coast of Central America, but owing to the parsimony of Congress there are only sufficient seaman available to man the vessels. The commander of the Galena was powerless to protect American prop¬ erty as he hadn't a marine to spare. There is reason to believe that the troubles were fomented by British and Frencli agents to give an excuse for the occupancy of the Isthmus by the military and naval forces of these two governments. Once in control there will be no dislodging them, for they could laugh at our remonstrance in view of our contemptible weakness as a naval power. Our ill-timed parsimony and want of national spirit in the past is destined to cost us hundreds of millions of dollars as well as submit us to unspeak¬ able national humiliation. The following press dispatch from Rome was suppressed in most of the papers yesterday, but was allowed to appear in an obscure place in two of the daily journals. Yet the news it communicates is of the utmost importance to the business world. We quote : " The Italia, in an article on the monetary conference, says that Signer Depretis, the Prime Mmister, and Siguor Magliani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, have decided in favor ot bi-metallism. The acceptance of this principle, it adds, depends upon neither France nor Italy, even though Belgium aud Switzerland consent. The solution ot the problem depends upon Germany, whose acceptance is hoped for under pressure from France aud Italy." Italy, it will be remembered, resumed on a gold basis some three years ago. This step produced great financial distress and a heavy emigration of poor people from Italy, many of whom came to our own shores, and with the exception of the Chinese were the most poverty stricken and miserable of all the strangers that landed upon our coasts. The experience of what gold resumption meant was not lost upon the Italian statesmen, and they are now trying to re-establish bi-metallisiu. Should France, Germany andthe United States combine in agreeing upon a ratio between the two metals, and permitting the unlimited coinage of both, the business situa¬ tion in every country would change as if by magic. With silver restored to its own place as a measurer of values jointly with gold there would be a rise in prices at once, and an assurance of a further advance which would stimulate every industry. Nothing naore would be heard of overproduction, for consumption would quickly "catch on" as soon as labor was employed at remunerative rates. But wUl Germany consent to rehabilitate silver? Everythiug depends upon Bismarck, who thus, by a strange chance, has the business future of the whole world in his hands. He personally acknowledged to Congressman William D. KeUy that the demon¬ etization of silver by Germany in 1873 was a sad mistake, into which act he was betrayed by the doctrinaire political economists. The step once taken, however, it may be difficult for him to change front, for of course the powerful banking interests of Germany, in other words, the owners of capital and lenders of money, are in favor of a scarce and dear currency—of a standard of value, in short, which will greatly and steadily augment the purchasing power of the money in their possession. It is this powerful class who, to-day, as in all ages, are the enemies of all engaged in pro¬ ductive enterprises or who live by the work of their hands. How incomprehensible is the attitude of the city press toward Mr. John Roach, the great shipbuilder. His work is of a character of which his countrjTnen should take a just pride, for the steam¬ ships he turns out under great disadvantages are of the highest credit to the country. Having recently completed an armed vessel for the navy he presented his bill. Secretary Whitney, new in his office, naturally wanted some little time to look over the items, but the comments of the press gave the impression somehow that Mn Roach was a burglar, and that he had come with a "jimmy" to pry open the Treasui-J doors. Of course when he does work f^-^-.i-;^ government or any one ei?e ^le "" , make a profit J) probably looks out to get as IL"^ enough^^'d for his skill a^enced td prise as other investors do in the various fields of businef"'^^ "^UJ'. Should we have war, Mr. Roach's experience and dockyai^.^ ould be worth untold money to the country. But instead of being en¬ couraged in the task of supplying noble ships to his country every miserable cur on the press is yelping at his heels. Mr. Cleveland has been much commended for his nominations to office; partially, perhaps, because he selects men who are com¬ paratively unknown, and of whom, therefore, little of evil can be said. While one-half the country is bound by the dictates of party loyalty to praise, and the other half really knows nothing to con¬ demn, he must remain secure of either ostentatious approval or the silence which gives consent. But, diplomatically considered, one of the appointments of Mr. Cleveland must be regarded as a mistake. He has appointed a German-American citizen to be Consul-General to Berlin. This seems like a very proper thing to have done ; and had we only enough of the foreign contingent to go around he might have sent an Englishman to London, a Frenchman to Paris, a Turk to Constantinople, and so on thiough the different capitals of Europe. But Prince Bismarck hates a Gei-man-American as a deserter from the imperial army and cause ; and to send a German with an American affix to his nationality and an American flag in his pocket as Consul-General to Berlin is a direct challenge to the patriotic Chancellor. Ten chances to one he wiU regard Mr. Fred. Reines as a sort of emigration agent in disguise, a lay figure to dis¬ play the garb of distinction which all German-American citizens are enabled to wear. This appointment, together with that of Mr. Edmund Jussen to be Consul-General at Vienna, should be good for one hundred thousand newly imported German voters when Mr. Cleveland is again called upon to solicit the suffrages of his counti-y- men. But this is a political consideration which Bismf jk will not appreciate. ■-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------•--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- President Cleveland's theory of his duty in making appointments is a curious one. In the first place the candidate must be a lawyer. This is a rule from which he has not departed except in a very few instances, and then in no case must the appointee be an active or prominent Democrat, one who has sacrificed his money or his time for the good of the party. If this policy is continued it is easy to see that it will result at the next Federal election in giving the House as well as the Senate to the opposition. Politicians %vill not make personal sacrifices without any hope of reward. It must be that Mr. Cleveland has given up all hope or care for a second term, and that he is determined to give the country good officers who are not active politicians. The latter he must regard as a bad lot from the way he is treating them. He probalily has made up his mind to do what he regards his duty as the Chief Executive, and if the people of the United States do not like it they can go their way and he will go his. He commenced by antagoniz¬ ing the majority of his own party on the silver coinage question,