Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

The Record and guide: v. 38, no. 958: July 24, 1886

Text version:

July 24, 1886 The Record and Guide. 941 THE RECORD AND GUIDE, Published every Saturday. 191 BroadTArav, IST. "ST. Onr Telephone Call Is.....JOSN 370. TERMS: ONE YEAR, in adyance, SIX DOLLARS. Communicatioiis should be addressed to C. W. SWEET, 191 Broadway. J. T. LIKDSEY, Business Manager. Vol. XXXVIII. JULY 24, 1886. No. 958, A volume which should be in the hands of every builder, con¬ tractor, architect, and owner and dealer in real estate, is now ready and can be procured at the office of The Record and Guide. It is a new edition of the law relating to buildings in the City of New York, with added matter, marginil n^tes and colored engravings to illustrate the subject. It contains the laio limiting the height of divelling-houses, also the existing Mechanics^ Lien Law. This work is edited by William J. Fryer, Jr., whose original and well-thought-out comments give it a special value. The volume will also contain a complete directory of architects in New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City, Newark and Yonkers. The book is handsomely bound in cloth, and is sold at the low price of seventy-five cents, by mail eighty five cents. On the v5rhole we have had a moist, cool summer here. East, and consequently tbe hay crop over a large section of the Eastern and Middle States is the largest we have had for seven years. But in other parts of the country the weather has been m^xed. It has been too hot in large areas west of the Mississippi to the injury of all the growing cereals, especially spring wheat and oats. There is complaints that corn is suffering from want of rain, but that plant will stand a good deal of dry weather. Our winter wheat is the best grown for many years, both in quality and quantity. In any event we will have an abundance of food for man and beast, and our railway companies are sure of a good fall business. The cotton crop will not be as large as for the last two years, but even if that and corn is short prices will be better and they will be worth as much to the producers. Very hot weather is reported across the water. The past has been a dull week in business circles, but a confident feeling in the future is manifested everywhere. Stocks have been strong—Erie and the Vanderbilts leading wiih good buyingon the London Stock Exchange and the Continental Bourses. "When our securities were under a cloud last spring the foreigners sold theirs, but the higher prices now prevailing does not deter these same speculators from buying Amei-ican stocks eagerly. The coal trade does not look very well, and the surplus on hand is so large that the production for August is to be cut down from 3,250,000 to 2,500,000 tons ; but it is hoped that this will get rid of the surplus of 600,000 and warrant an advance of 25 cents a ton. It is claimed by those who have studied the subject that more coal will be mined and consumed during the last half of this year than ever before in the history of the country for a similar period, and this because of the prosperity of our manufacturing industries. Trade seems to be looking up, temporarily at least, in Great Britain. The woolen industries have all revived, and there is a better feeling in cotton goods. There has been some more life in steamship building, and the exports for the last two quarters show an increase over previous returns. But iron, the key to the indus¬ trial situation, is still slow of pale, and does not advance in price as on this side of the ocean. We question, however, whether there can be any permanent improvement in the trade of any of the nations of the Old World unless silver is remonetized. Prices will tend downward as gold enhances in purchasing power, but of course at times there will be reactions and spurts of activity which will always be followed by dullness and still lower quptations for all articles which enter into the trade of the world. wholly due to the marvelous industrial development of the South. Memphis has got to be the great cotton centre of tbe world, and then the second, third and fourth-rate cities are having as marvelous a growth as the first-class places. Unfortunately the statistics of building are not kept, except in a few instances, by the dif¬ ferent municipalities, the States or the nation. Just now there is an enormous consumption of bricks, stone, lumber, lime and the metals and other materials used in building, but the statistics are almost wholly wanting. We tried to have the government collect them, for it would serve a useful purpose if it could be known how much money was invested yearly in business operations. We doubt whether this exces-ive activity is quite wholesome. We fear it will be fol¬ lowed by several years of dullness, if not actual collapse. The year 1886 will be memorable for the great expansion it will witness of the cities of this country. All accounts agree that build¬ ing was never so active in the great ce? tres of population. Our readers are well aware of what New York and Brooklyn have been doing in the way of building, for we have given the figures repeatedly since January last; but our people generally are not cognizant of the magnitude of building operations in other cities. The same story comes from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, St. Paul, Duluth and San Francisco. Oincinnati hasbeien making giant strides lately in population, almost The proposed amendments to the extradition treaty now existing between this country and England ought to be indorsed by the St^nate without much opposiaon. Should both governments agree to it Canada would no longer be a land of refuge for bank default¬ ers, betrayers of financial trusts and the agents of boodle aldermen. This treaty ako provides that refuge shall be denied the dyna¬ miter. This provision will have the hearty acquiescence of the people of both countries. It is discreditable to the civilized nations of the world that some general treaty has not long been in force for tbe extradition of and punishment of avowed criminals. What with steam, the telegraph and the telephone, the violator of laws desigijed to protect society should not feel himself safe in any civilized or even semi-civilized country. Bill Tweed, it will be remembered, fled to Spain.with which country we have no extradition treaty ; but the Spanif«h govern¬ ment surrendered him, though not under any obligation to do so. But it would be a great deterrent of crime if the murderer, robber or dynamiter fully realized that he was safe nowhere on earth, unless near the poles or far into the interior of Africa. It would greatly redound to the credit of the administration of President Cleveland if a grand convention of all the nations was held to come to an understanding that would outlaw the criminal classes from the habitable portions of the earth. --------•-------- The Washington Commissioner of Agriculture calls attention to the remarkable annual increase in the acreage of corn. It has become the favorite crop of our farmers for many weighty reasons. It is a surer crop than wheat. If the price is not satis¬ factory it can be fed to hogs and other cattle. New uFes for it are constantly being discovered, and th n we have an even more perfect monopoly of it than we have of cotton. It is growing in favor abroad also, and is the best stand-by of our farming popu¬ lation. A good corn crop fills the land with animal products for several years after it is gathered. There is, however, a limit to the amount of land available for corn growing, while there is no limit practically to the soil upon which wheat may be grown; hence the certainty that corn will be a safer crop to grow year after year. With any kind of luck this year, we ought to harvest 2,2.0,000,000 bushels of corn. --------•-------- Of course it is all right to bury the telegraphic and telephone wires—indeed this ought to have been done long 8i|pce; but why bring into existence a new corporate monopoly to profit by per¬ forming this very necessary work ? Every new company which is given exclusive privileges is certain to be worked in the interests of its stockholders, and is a constant menace to the purity o? muni¬ cipal oflficials. Surely our experience of ferry corporations and horpe-car companies thoald warn us not to bring into existence another organization likely to make immense profits from facili¬ ties granted by city and State enactments. Let the city itself build the subway and charge reasonable rates for its use, but let no more monopolies be brought into being. At a convention- of the master painters, held in Philadelphia recently, there was some discussion as to the necessity of devising some means for reviving the apprenticeship system in the painting trade. The ranks of the house painters have been for years past recruited almost wholly from among foreigners, as the tradei unions had practically put a stop to American boys learning this trade. There is a great deal of building taking place all over the country, and house painters as well as workmen in other of the building trades are very scarce. The master mechanics and con¬ tractors interested in building should see to it that technical schools are established and maintained to keep up the supply of workmen needed in the building interest. There is always a super¬ abundance of unskilled workmen, but never too many trained craftsmen. The movement now under way to teach the boys and girls in our public schools various handicrafts should be encouraged. •---------- The following has been introduced into the Board of Aldermen: Resolved, That a committee of three members of this Board be appointed by the Chair to consider the advisability of uniting the cities of New York trnd Brooklyn, Yonkers, Long Islaud City, and such adjacent territory em