TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 43 
cost of living, which is especially shown on our men by reason 
of the very low scale of salaries at the Park. In order to remedy 
this injustice, the Society has decided to contribute a sum be- 
tween $11,000 and $12,000, to be raised by special subscription 
among the Board of Managers in order to provide in 1917 a 10% 
increase over the salaries of all the employees of the Park and 
Aquarium whose annual pay is less than $1,300. There is every 
indication that this amount will be furnished by the Board of 
Managers. 
Another year, the Society must have an additional $12,000 
for its employees to take the place of this voluntary subscription, 
and also a similar amount must be provided for restorations and 
repairs, as the Society cannot continue to assume this burden, 
which properly belongs to the City itself. 
The sum of $47,000 was provided by the City for the main- 
tenance of the Aquarium during 1916, and proved sufficient in 
spite of the increased cost of all supplies, which necessitated 
extreme economy on the part of the management, but in 1918 
increases in the salaries and an allowance for repairs must be 
made. 
The total annual cost to the City for the maintenance of 
these two institutions for the year 1916 in spite of the reduced 
attendance is between 7 cents and 8 cents for each visitor. 
CO-OPERATIVE STORE. 
In order to assist the employees of the Park to meet the 
strain of the increased cost of living, the Society has established 
a Co-operative Store for their benefit, and has invested $700 
in the stock, besides paying one-half of the salary of an attendant. 
FINANCES. 
The lack of an adequate Endowment Fund to supplement 
the income derived from Annual Members has cramped the So- 
ciety’s activities in every direction, and nothing except the most 
rigid economy and disregard of all opportunities to expand has 
enabled your Committee to keep the expenditures during 1916 
within our available resources. The balances te the credit of 
