ing conditions scheduled for the new lines it will lose its identity and be merged for operating purposes with other lines assigned under the dual agreements to the Interborough. The dual system was created when the city, through the Public Service Commission, on March 19, 1913, entered into an agreement (the dual contracts) with the Interborough and the Municipal Railway Corporation (the latter a Brooklyn Rapid Transit subsidiary), providing for the construction and operation of new lines and extensions.
Electric cars connect with all the suburbs and many places on Long Island, Westchester county, and western Connecticut. There are ferry lines connecting with Brooklyn, Jersey City, Weehawken, Staten Island, Hoboken, Long Island City, and other cities and islands about the city. There are steamship lines connecting with over 140 points on the Hudson river, the Atlantic coast, Long Island, and the bay. Manhattan is united with Brooklyn by the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges, and with Queens by the Queensboro Bridge. There is also the Hell Gate Bridge, connecting the Pennsylvania and New York, New Haven and Hudson River railroad systems. Both the Hudson and the East rivers have been tunneled, the former in connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad terminal and the Hudson and Manhattan railroad system, and the latter in connection with the Long Island Railroad and the subways to Brooklyn and Long Island City. A new tunnel for vehicular traffic between Manhattan and New Jersey is to be built.
Manufactures.—The manufacturing interests of New York City are extensive and varied, and are nearly as important as her commerce. According to the last census of manufactures (1914), New York City was the leading manufacturing center of the United States, both in respect to the number of establishments and to the value of the products. There were in 1914 almost 30,000 establishments, with an average number of wage earners exceeding 550,000 and a value of products exceeding $2,250,000,000. The most important industries were the manufacture of clothing, printing and publishing, meat packing, the manufacture of foundry and machine shop products, tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, millinery and lace goods, fur goods, shirts, furniture, men's furnishing goods, electrical apparatus and supplies, pianos, etc.
Finance.—On Jan. 1, 1920, the total funded gross debt of New York City was $1,238,260,597. There was $204,382,238 in the sinking fund, leaving a net funded debt of $1,033,878,359. The interest on the city debt amounted to almost $50,000,000. The assessed valuation of property for the entire city was $8,428,322,753 for real estate property and $362,412,780 for personal property. The Borough of Manhattan led with an assessment of over $5,000,000,000 for real estate and almost $300,000,000 for personal property; Brooklyn, with over $1,850,000,000 for real estate and almost $45,000,000 for personal property, being in the second place.
Government.—The first charter of Greater New York went into effect Jan. 1, 1898, but has been amended at various times since then. The present charter of the city in its main features is that of 1901, which went into effect Jan. 1, 1902. Under this charter the city is governed by a mayor, elected every four years, a comptroller, also elected every four years, and a Board of Aldermen consisting of 67 members, elected every two years. At the head of the latter body is the President of the Board of Aldermen, elected every four years. For purposes of local administration the city is divided into five boroughs, each of which having a president, elected every four years. The executive power of the city is vested in the mayor, the presidents of the boroughs, and the officers of the departments, which latter are appointed by the mayor, with the exception of the head of the department of finance, and the comptroller, an elective office. The mayor has also the power of appointment of the Board of City Magistrates. The legislative power of the city is vested in the Board of Aldermen. The mayor has the power of veto for all ordinances and resolutions of the Board of Aldermen. There are departments of Public Markets; Plants and Structures; Fire; Police; Tenement Houses; Law; Taxes and Assessments; Health; Water Supply, Gas and Electricity; Correction; Docks and Ferries; Parks; Licenses; Street Cleaning; and Public Charity. Each of these is headed by a commissioner, appointed by the mayor. There are also various boards, the most important of which are the Board of Education; the Board of Estimate and Apportionment; the Board of City Record; the Board of Elections; etc.
History.—In 1609 the Island of Manhattan was first visited by Hendrik Hudson, who ascended the river which bears his name. In 1613 Adrian Block, a merchant, arrived and built four houses. In 1623 a Dutch colony was established and in 1626, Peter Minuit, the governor, bought Manhattan Island from the Indians for $24 in trinkets. This colony was known as New Amsterdam, and
