Whitney street, from Market street to Murdock street. Strathmore road, Fenwick road, Renfrew road, Sidlaw road, between Chestnut Hill avenue and Commonwealth avenue. Burton street, from Washington street to the proposed extension of Newton street. Plans and profiles of the above-named streets have been filed in the office of the City Surveyor. The following is a list of the real estate belonging to the city, in charge of the Board of Street Commissioners: CITY PROPER. at $3,720 a year. DESCRIPTION. Water street, land and buildings Leased for five years from May 31, 1887, Harrison avenue, corner of Wareham street, SQUARE FEET. 393 land and building. 3,816 Leased for four years from March 1, 1888, Stoughton street, land, north-east side 11,868 East Newton street, land, north-east side 16,120 Albany street, land, north-west side. 6,247 Albany street, corner of East Newton street, land 3,677 Albany street, wharves 56,024 24,979 square feet leased for five years from 26,024 square feet rented at $1,600 a year. 16,600 square feet rented at $600 a year. Rutherford avenue, land on north-east side. Remainder occupied by City Departments. 29,445 streets, land 3,750 East Second street, east of N street, land 15,209 ROXBURY. Swett street, land and building, old Small-pox Hospital 10,660 sq. ft., leased for five years from Nov. 1, 1889, for $300 a year. 111,431 Building rented for $300 a year. Fellows street, near Hunneinan street, land 25,470 Set apart for a playground, by order of the 42,000 square feet rented to Sewer Division Board at $125 a year. Balance rented at BRIGHTON. Western avenue, marsh, north-east of Western avenue and north-west of North Harvard street . Parkman street, land on south-west side of . ISLANDS, ETC. Great Brewster island, Boston harbor, about 16 acres Rented for $100 a year. Apple island, Boston harbor, about 9 acres. Summer and Pleasant streets, in town of Everett, old gravel-pits Marsh, about nine acres, in city of Quincy. 10,890 5,000 20,700 The yearly rentals from lands and buildings, in charge of the Board of Street Commissioners, amounts to $10,142. George C. Glover paid the city $10 for grass on marsh at Squantum, for the year 1891. By an order of the City Council, approved by the Mayor, Oct. 19, 1891, the "Wilson Hotel lot" at the junction of Washington and Cambridge streets, Brighton, containing 70,977 square feet, was transferred to the Department of Public Buildings. Under an order of the City Council, approved by the Mayor, Oct. 19, 1891, 92 square feet of land, at the junction of North square and North street, was sold for $240, with a deed conveying to the city 32 square feet to be used for street purposes. Under an order of the City Council, approved June 11, 1891, 2,957 square feet of land, with the buildings thereon, at the corner of Bunker Hill and Tufts streets, Charlestown, was sold, Dec. 16, 1891, for $6,025. A record has been made and plans filed in Vols. 3 and 4 of "Plans of City Lands sold," of the following estates sold by the Mayor under authority of the City Council: Warrenton street, near Tremont street, 3,078 square feet Sept. 9, 1891, for $23,500. East street, between East-street place and Cove street, 14,385 square feet, Sept 30, 1891, for $81,000. Hawkins street, in the rear of the Wayfarers' Lodge, 102 square feet, Oct. 7, 1891, for $510. Respectfully submitted, JOHN P. DORE, Street Commissioners. TO HIS HONOR NATHAN MATTHEWS, JR., Mayor of the City of Boston: The Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston have the honor to submit herewith their fortieth annual report. An ordinance of the city requires that the trustees shall annually appoint an examining committee of not less than five persons, who, with one of the trustees as chairman, shall examine the Library and make to the trustees a report upon its condition. In obedience to this ordinance, the trustees appointed in January, 1891, a committee whose report is submitted herewith. Mr. Prince, of the trustees, acted as its chairman, but took no part in the preparation of the report. This committee was constituted so as to fairly represent all portions of the community, and it was appointed as early as possible in the year in order that the members might have ample time and opportunity to examine most thoroughly the Library in all its branches and relations. The trustees appreciate fully the advantage of such an examination made by a disinterested body, which often detects weaknesses likely to escape the notice of the most careful administration. They have always been greatly assisted by the suggestions and recommendations made by the different examining committees. They feel that their thanks and those of the citizens. at large are due to the members of the present committee for the thorough and careful way in which they have performed their difficult task, and the valuable time they have devoted to it. The trustees justly feel great satisfaction at the result of the committee's examination. They are aware that in the administration of so important a trust there must necessarily be some things open to a fair criticism. The present report, however, finds that the working of the Library has been successful beyond their reasonable hope. The examining committee finds nothing of importance in the condition of the Library, which it is its duty to examine, to bring to the notice of the trustees as requiring remedy. Its advice in regard to future action upon matters which are specially left to the discretion of the trustees, while not required by the terms of the ordinance under which the committee is appointed, will be taken as an evidence of the great interest of its members in the welfare of the Library, and will receive. the careful consideration that the trustees always gladly accord to the suggestions of any of their fellow-citizens. The trustees deplore the fact that the arduous duties of the examining committee did not afford the members leisure or opportunity to point out the deficiencies that must inevitably exist in so large a collection of books, and by their advice to assist them to strengthen the Library in departments that may be weak. In past years they have received great assistance from the reports of examining committees made by experts in different subjects: such as those by Dr. Harold Williams, of the last year's committee, upon medical books; by Mr. John Heard, Jr., of two years. before, upon the literature of science and technology; by Dr. Horace Howard Furness on the Barton library; by Mr. Thomas Sergeant Perry on French literature; by Prof. William F. Apthorp on music, and by Col. T. W. Higginson upon the Parker library. But the trustees recognize how difficult it is to examine into so large an institution and to obtain anything more than a very slight knowledge of its workings in the short space of time that the most hard-working committee can devote to it in the year at its disposal, even if its attention is confined exclusively to the present condition and immediate wants of the Library. The trustees have always been of the opinion of the committee" that it is very desirable that broadsides be placed conspic |