92 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



There was an unusual amount of bad weather during those 

 five months, affecting so many Sundays that when a comparison 

 of Sunday attendance during that period is made with 1914, 

 the percentage reduction is further increased to more than 35 

 per cent. Sunday attendance in May alone was 142,463 below 

 the previous May. On the other hand, it is impossible to reduce 

 help or salary expenses correspondingly, because a certain mini- 

 mum force must be maintained continuously throughout the 

 season. After making every possible reduction in the operating 

 force consistent with maintaining our standard service, we were 

 able to make a cut in this item of only 11 per cent. 



Rocking Stone Restaurant. — The gross business was not up 

 to the normal figures by any means, but considering the attend- 

 ance, the showing made was satisfactory. We were so unfor- 

 tunate as to lose by death on the last day of the year one of the 

 oldest employees at the restaurant, Mr. Leo Fradkin, who had 

 been head waiter for ten years. Mr. Fradkin was a most faith- 

 ful and efficient employee, who had the full respect of every 

 member of the Park force. As privileges employees were ex- 

 cluded from the benefits of the pension plan, when that plan was 

 adopted, it was impossible to provide for Mr. Fradkin in any 

 w^ay from pension funds, during his long illness. 



Boating. — The condition of the dock, and the necessity for 

 its being replaced by a concrete dock, has been previously re- 

 ferred to in these reports. Funds for this improvement were 

 not provided by the City, and by the opening of the boating sea- 

 son the dock was in such a dilapidated condition that the boating 

 receipts were seriously affected, showing a relatively greater 

 loss than any other division of the privileges. At the close of 

 the season another effort was made to get the funds for rebuild- 

 ing, but entirely without success. As it was now impossible to 

 go on another season without danger of serious accidents, ar- 

 rangements were made to tear away the old dock, fill in the space 

 where it stood, and put on the concrete floor in the spring, com- 

 pleting it before the boating season opens. The work is pro- 

 gressing favorably, and it is hoped that nothing will occur to 

 prevent its being finished early in the spring of 1916. 



The usual amount of expense was put into the painting and 

 repairing of the boat equipment, the work being carried on by 

 privilege employees before and after the boating season. 



