poses of the Department of Docks, yet under this order, the Department received during the months of February, March, and April, 1872, only one-tenth of the appropriation.

During these months the Department should have been engaged in mapping out its work for the year, and in getting together the necessary machinery and material to prosecute its work for the remainder of the year, with economy and despatch.

To do this it was necessary that the Department should know, with some reasonable degree of certainty, the amount of funds to be placed at its disposal.

Thus during the first four months of the year 1872, and up to the time of the date of this report, the Department of Docks, which has in charge a work which underlies the commercial prosperity of this great metropolis, and in the vigorous prosecution of which every merchant has the deepest interest, has had its main operations practically suspended.

The Department of Docks on January 8, 1872, in conformity with the law, sent a further requisition to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund requesting them to direct the Comptroller to issue Dock Bonds to the amount of $1,000,000 for the uses and purposes of the Department, but, so far, no action has been taken by the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund on said requisition.

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PLANS AND MAPS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATER

FRONT.

The plans and maps for the improvement of the water front of the city under the new system have during the past year been completed from the foot of Sixtieth street, North river, around by Spuyten Duyvil Creek and Harlem river, to the foot of Grand street, East river, and were adopted by the Board of Docks on the 23d day of March, 1872, and have, in compliance with the law creating this Department, been submitted to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund.

Thus the new bulkhead and pier lines have been laid down for the whole water front of Manhattan Island.

The report of the Engineer-in-Chief of the operations of the Bureau under his supervision for the past year is hereto annexed, and you are respectfully referred to it for the details of that important branch of the work of the Department.

CONVEYANCE OF LAND UNDER WATER TO THE CITY.

In accordance with the provisions of subdivision 10, of Article 99, of the Charter, the Department applied to the Commissioners of the Land office for a conveyance to the Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty of the City of New York, of all the property, right, title, and interest of the

People of the State of New York, in and to the land under water around the city, out to a point a short distance beyond the proposed pier-head line.

In compliance with such application such conveyance was made. It bears date September 28, 1871, and a copy is herewith submitted, marked "A," to which you are respectfully referred.

In view of the present and prospective commerce of the City of New York, this grant of land under water heretofore owned by the State, but now belonging to the city, is of the greatest value.

This extensive area outside the present pier and bulkhead lines will, under the plans adopted by the Department of Docks, greatly increase the facilities for commerce, and at the same time add largely to the revenues of the city.

BUILDING, REBUILDING AND REPAIRING PIERS AND BULK

HEADS.

It will be seen by referring to the report of the Superintendent of Repairs and Supplies, herewith submitted, that a larger amount of work has been done by the Department in building, rebuilding and repairing piers and bulkheads during the past twelve months than in the first year of its organization, and the facilities for commerce have been thereby much increased. Twelve new piers have been constructed, thirty piers rebuilt and repaired, and ten

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bulkheads rebuilt and repaired. For the details of the expenditures for said work, you are respectfully referred to the said report of the Superintendent of Repairs and Supplies.

ADDITIONAL WHARF ACCOMMODATION FOR STEAMSHIPS.

Numerous applications have been received from various steamship lines for additional wharf-room to accommodate the increasing business of those already established, and to afford accommodation for several steamship lines newly organized, and for others now occupying berths on the opposite shores.

The Board has fully appreciated the necessity of providing all needful facilities for this important branch of the commerce of New York, and had the Department at its disposal piers built upon the new plan as adopted, they could be leased at rates which would not only pay seven per cent. on the cost of construction, but provide a sinking fund for the rebuilding of the piers, when necessary, and also liquidate the bonds issued for their construction at maturity; thus making the wharves now owned by the corporation self-sustaining, and not as heretofore a charge upon the city.

OBSTRUCTIONS ON WHARVES, PIERS AND BULKHEADS.

The Department has met with much opposition in the

removal of the obstructions on the wharves and bulkheads,

and in the slips, from many who, from long occupancy of public property, have supposed themselves entitled to exclusive possession, and some delay has been occasioned in the removal of these obstructions in consequence of injunctions having been obtained, restraining the action of the Department in this regard.

These injunctions having been all set aside, the Department now sees no reason why the water front should not at an early day be cleared of all obstructions and a large area of wharf accommodation be redeemed for the exclusive use of legitimate commerce.

COLLECTIONS OF WHARF RENTS AND WHARFAGE.

The amount collected since the last report, for rents of wharves and slips leased, and the daily collections of wharfage from those unleased, as shown by the Treasurer's report, amounts to the sum of $412,974.93, which sum has been paid over to the City Chamberlain for account of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund.

The amount collected during the previous year, as per last report, was $350,901.54, showing an increase of receipts for the past year amounting to the sum of $62,073.39.