74 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Telephones. — During the year the very unsatisfactory state of 

 our private telephone service became unendurable, and the ques- 

 tion of the installation of a new system was taken up with the 

 New York Telephone Company. The figures of that company, 

 for the maintenance of our entire telephone system, were so 

 satisfactory that it was decided to place the maintenance of the 

 system in their care. As soon as several matters which are now 

 pending in regard to underground cables have been settled, it 

 will be possible to communicate with the office from all buildings 

 and entrances. For various reasons, however, public service will 

 only be extended to the Park entrances, soda stands, Rocking- 

 Stone and Boat House Restaurants. 



Privileges. — On the whole, the season of 1907 was a very suc- 

 cessful one for the Privilege Department. This was despite the 

 fact that weather conditions were very unfavorable. The policy 

 of developing of the privileges by the installation of the best and 

 most modern equipment was, without question, the means by 

 which we were enabled to show a substantial increase of profits, 

 notwithstanding the unfavorable season. 



Soda Water. — The four new "Twentieth Century" sanitary 

 soda fountains, mentioned in our last year's report as having been 

 ordered, were duly installed and made ready to operate about 

 the 15th of April. To this equipment was added two complete 

 outfits for carbonating water, which were attached to our most 

 important fountains, and so arranged that they worked auto- 

 matically as the supply in the carbonating tanks was lowered. 

 From a sanitary and an economic standpoint the new foun- 

 tains and carbonators were an entire success. Many compliments 

 on their neat and clean appearance were received from visitors, 

 and we were often informed by strangers that they were the most 

 perfect and up-to-date apparatus to be found in any park in the 

 country. The vindication of ]\Ir. Mitchell's judgment in install- 

 ing them was found in an increase of fifty-eight per cent, in 

 profits for the season of 1907. This increase in the volume of 

 business can be accounted for only by the unusual attractiveness 

 of the fountains. 



The manufacture in the Park of the ice cream for the soda 

 fountains and for the Boat House and Rocking Stone Restaurants, 

 which was first inaugurated in a small way several years ago, has 

 grown to such proportions that the facilities for this work in the 

 cellar of the Service Building are now entirely inadequate. The 

 greatest need of the Privilege Department at this time is a com- 

 bination ice-house, ice manufacturing and refrigeration ])lant, as 



