26 
Brooklyn leads the country in Postal Savings gains. One half 
the foreign commerce carried through the port of New York and 
one quarter of the foreign commerce of the entire United States. 
is handled from Brooklyn docks. Over 40 steamship lines with 
a combined fleet of over 700 vessels sailing to all parts of the 
world have their home port in Brooklyn. Newtown Creek (in 
srooklyn) handles a greater shipping tonnage per year than does 
the Mississippi River in its tooo miles from St. Paul to New 
Orleans. 
Brooklyn produces more manufactured goods per year than 
Pittsburgh and Minneapolis together. It ranks first in the entire 
world as a center for the importation, refining, and distribution 
of sugar, and first in the importation, roasting, and distribution 
of coffee. In industrial production it ranks fourth in the entire 
United States. It has over 200 miles of total wharfage or nearly 
35 per cent. of the total for Greater. New York. Brooklyn ranks 
first in the United States in the number of pupils (approximately 
500,000) in its 350 schools; its citizens own 200,000 automobiles 
and rent nearly 350,000 telephones. The products manufactured 
in Brooklyn total over $1,200,000,000 annually. 
A striking illustration of the general prosperity of Brooklyn’s 
citizens is found in the Report of the Tenement House Commis- 
sion, issued December 1, 1928, giving a survey of apartment house 
facilities, range of rents, and number of vacancies of apartments 
of various price-classes. Of a total of 394,883 apartments only 
about 7 per. cent. are vacant. Of those renting for $60 a month 
or less 12~25 per cent. are vacant, while of those renting for more 
than $60 a month only one per cent. are vacant. The largest 
number of vacancies (25 per cent.) occurs in the $30 a month 
apartments; $100 a month apartments are only 1.6 per cent. 
vacant, $150 a month, one half of one per cent., and $200 a month, 
two tenths of one per cent. Nearly three quarters of the vacancies 
(70 per cent.) are where rents are $50 a month or less. The 
vast majority of the people of Brooklyn are apparently able to 
live in the higher priced apartments. 
