70 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
walks, roads and other ground improvements, render the main- 
tenance of all these works a serious burden. The wear and tear 
on our plant by the animals and by visitors is exceedingly severe, 
and for this reason our permanent improvements were originally 
made as substantial as it is possible to make them. This precau- 
tion has served us in good stead. The total amount of repairs 
thus far made on our great plant has been exceedingly small. 
We have endeavored to have our repairs keep pace with natural 
deterioration, and up to date we have so far succeeded that there 
has been no great general lapse from acceptable standards. 
It is a well known fact that all exposed steel work in the 
peculiar climate of New York is constantly and very severely 
attacked by rust, and this condition has been met by extra dili- 
gence on the part of Chief Constructor Merkel and his force in 
rust preventive work. 
The arrangement by which the gate receipts were made 
available to the Zoological Society for the animal purchase fund 
has borne most excellent fruit, but not of the precise kind that 
originally was intended. Several years ago the Society found it 
necessary to devote this fund to repairs and other improvements, 
and now it is annually and regularly dedicated to that line of 
work. It is most fortunate that with this fund in hand the 
Society is ready to begin instantly repairs that are suddenly 
thrust upon us by circumstances beyond our control. Were it 
otherwise, we often would find ourselves in dire extremities for 
emergency repair funds. While the Animal Fund loses this 
benefit, it is of far greater importance that the gate receipts 
should be expended as they now are. 
IMPROVEMENT OF INCOMES. 
The members of the Zoological Park force are deeply ap- 
preciative of the efforts that have been made by the Finance 
Department of the City of New York to increase the salaries of 
all city employees to a living basis. In the increases that have 
been made, the employees of the Zoological Park have partici- 
pated on the same basis as other city employees, and the tension 
that existed in 1919 has been greatly diminished. The good will 
of the taxpayers of New York and of the Board of Estimate thus 
manifested toward the workers in city employ should be grate- 
fully remembered by all. 
