telat 
not been disposed to complain, and have compelled ourselves to 
be patient, for we fully realized the difficulties under which the 
financial department of the city was laboring with the enormous 
burden which had been placed upon it for the construction of 
the great system of subways which are now happily advancing 
towards completion. Notwithstanding this, when a large con- 
tribution was generously tendered to the city from a private 
source towards the erection of this laboratory building, the board 
of estimate, under the advice of the sound business man and 
excellent administrator who is our present comptroller, and of our 
faithful and reliable borough president, saw at once the wisdom 
and the public advantage of accepting the offer, and immediately 
made the grant of funds that remained necessary for the fulfill- 
ment of the project. For all of which, our thanks. In this 
relation, although not germane to the subject of this evening, | 
may be permitted, on behalf of the Brooklyn Institute, to express 
the heartiest appreciation and commendation of a recent grant, 
from the same source, of the funds required for the completion of 
the large unfinished section of the museum building, on Eastern 
Parkway. 
I cannot pass from speaking of the relation of the Institute to 
the Botanic Garden without referring to the remarkable man who 
passed from earth nearly three years ago, who was the director 
of the Institute for so many years, and to whom every department 
of the Institute owed so much at the time of its origin. It is to 
him that we owe the conception of a botanic garden upon these 
acres of land. It was as a result of his energy and enthusiasm, 
supported by the city government and influential citizens of the 
time, that legislation was obtained at Albany setting these lands 
apart for use as a botanic garden. It is true that nothing was 
done for many years towards a realization of the project, and it 
remained for others, still active in the work, to take it up, to 
organize it, and carry it forward to successful operation. In this 
work Professor Hooper was also enthusiastic and helpful. It 
remains true, and will stand to the lasting credit of Professor 
Hooper, that were it not for his original conception, and for his 
services in obtaining necessary legislation, it is doubtful whether 
we should have today a botanic garden. 
