THIRD ANNUAL REPORT. 31 



GROUND IMPROVEMENT EXPENSES. 



Plank and stone roads, walks, drainage, grading, etc. . . .$2,836.61 



General Forestry work and Maintenance 237.44 



Engineering, for all purposes 1,566.91 



Store House 55i-50 



Insurance 46-38 



$5,238.84 

 Total expended from Building Fund, to May i 43,172.77 



THE CITY AND THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Soon after the new administration came into office it was 

 definitely learned that the new Board of Parks was very friendly 

 toward the new undertaking, and would promote it to the limit of 

 its power. The debt limit question made it necessary to postpone 

 for several months our application for the appropriation to be 

 granted by the City for ground improvements ; and when it became 

 positively known that no new city bonds could be issued without 

 an amendment of the Charter, the outlook was decidedly doubtful. 

 Fortunately, however, it was learned that the Mayor was well dis- 

 posed toward the plans of the Zoological Society; and when, upon 

 June 2ist, an application for $125,000 to be expended on ground 

 improvements was presented to him, it was promptly taken up by 

 the Board of Estimate and referred to Comptroller Coler for report. 

 Later on it was also referred to Corporation Counsel Whalen. 

 Both reports were favorable ; but it was declared to be impossible 

 to provide, in 1898, so large a sum as $125,000. 



In view of the fact that half the year had then passed away, and 

 that it would be almost impossible to complete all the ground im- 

 provements during the year 1898, the Society proposed that one- 

 half the whole sum be appropriated for use during that year, 

 at the same time agreeing to expend from its Park Improvement 

 Fund an amount equal to any appropriation the City might choose 

 to make. On July 27th, without a voice being raised in opposi- 

 tion, the Board of Estimate appropriated $62,000, and made it 

 immediately available for expenditure by the Commissioner of 

 Parks for the Borough of the Bronx, Hon. August Moebus, in 

 accordance with the plans of the Zoological Society. 



