TENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 83 



DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION. 

 H. Raymond Mitchell, Chief Clerk; WiUiani I. Mitchell, Assistant. 



During the year 1905 the work of the Chief Clerk increased in 

 direct proportion to the general development of the Park. The 

 volume of business done by the privileges, and the protits realized 

 therefrom, was the greatest of any year thus far, and the amount 

 turned into the Animal Fund was highly gratifying. With the 

 increased facilities which the Society proposes to furnish this 

 department, its operations will be further increased. 



During the year 1905, several much needed improvements were 

 made in the office of the Chief Clerk, which materially lessen 

 the labor of handling the ever-increasing volume of clerical work. 



Our single-wire telephone connection with the City became so 

 overtaxed as to render it impossible to secure reasonably prompt 

 service. Early in the year, therefore, a contract was made with 

 the New York Telephone Company for two trunk wires, a switch- 

 board, and five extensions. A telephone operator was engaged to 

 handle this switch-board, and also that of the 22 stations on our 

 own Park system, all Of which has resulted in placing our tele- 

 phone service on a more satisfactory basis. 



Rocking Stone Restaurant. — The season just closed has been the 

 most successful in the history of the restaurant. Increased busi- 

 ness made it possible to inaugurate the complete checking system 

 which had long been contemplated. The net profits for the season 

 amounted to $1,616.09. 



Soda Water. — Heretofore the ice-cream used in connection with 

 this privilege, and also the supply to the restaurant, had been pur- 

 chased from outside parties, but early in 1905 a complete plant 

 for the manufacture of ice-cream was installed in the basement of 

 the Service Building, at a total cost of about $1,000. This ex- 

 periment has proven highly satisfactory, and a saving was made 

 for the season sufficient to cover the entire cost of the plant. The 

 total net profits for the year amounted to nearly $3,000. 



Riding Animals. — Such additions were made in the riding ani- 

 mal equipment as their popularity demanded. In 1904 the profits 

 of this privilege for the season w^ere $766.52, while for the past 

 season they amounted to $1,433.12. 



Souvenir Postal Cards. — The method of handling souvenir 

 postal cards was completely revised. Instead of selling them 

 singly as heretofore, they were sold only in sets, costing 10 cents 

 and 25 cents. This caused a large increase in sales. The net 



