TMIRTKKXTll ANNaJAL REPORT 7<) 



heinii- hou.yiit and paid fur l)y llic Society, as formerly, the}- nmv 

 are purchased on orders issued by the Park Commissioner, and 

 the bills therefore are forwarded to the Comptroller's office for 

 ])ayment. 



Prk'ileges. — In all lines of business the year 1908 showed a 

 more or less extensive falling off, due to the panic of the pre- 

 vious fall, and the subsec;uent financial depression which con- 

 tinued throughout 1908. Early in the season this depressed con- 

 dition was brought to the attention of all members of the 

 privilege force, and their personal interest was enlisted in a 

 special effort to bring the results for the season up to those of 

 the previous year. The manner in which our employees re- 

 sponded was, indeed, gratifying, as the figures for the year will 

 show. While the business fell off in some directions, it in- 

 creased in others, so that when the profits for the year were 

 made up, there was an actual gain of several hundred dollars. 



A large reduction was made in the amount put into new^ 

 equipment and betterment of plant, over that expended for this 

 purpose in the previous year ; and finally, the actual cash re- 

 mitted to the credit of the Animal Fund reached $21,341.43. 



A few' interesting calculations have been made to show the 

 development of the Privileges during the past five years, as com- 

 pared with the increase in attendance during the same period. 

 They are as follows : 



INCREASES DURIXG THE PAST FIVE YEARS. 

 (1904 TO 1908, INCLUSIVE.) 



Attendance 2T, per cent. 



Gate Receipts 51 per cent. 



Xet Earnings from Park Privileges. 96 per cent. 

 Profits of Privilege Department, 



generally 153 per cent. 



Profits from Soda Water, specially. . 271 per cent. 



Soda ]l'atcr. — To our former equipment of fountains was 

 added during the season of 1908, the fountain installed in the 

 new soda pavilion. This is a combination of wall and counter 

 fountain utilizing the double wall fountain which was purchased 

 in Brooklyn about two years ago and has been stored, together 

 with the Becker twelve-foot counter apparatus previously used 

 in the temporary stand near the riding animals. 



Owing to the hard times, the gross receipts of this privilege 

 did not increase greatlv during the season. The net profits, how- 



