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. 



