This island race

THE islands dotted around the waters off Manhattan may do much for the area's natural beauty, but they are doing less for the nerves of New York's authorities. Just over a year ago President Clinton offered to hand Governors Island to New York for $1—on condition that it came up with a plan to develop the island for public use. New York has dithered, so the government may now sell the island to developers for up to $500m. To add to New York's island woes, on April 1st a Supreme Court arbitrator recommended that a 170-year dispute with New Jersey over control of Ellis Island, the immigrant gateway that New York has long thought of as its own, should be settled by dividing the island in two—with New Jersey getting most of the land. Rudolph Giuliani, New York's mayor, described the decision as “a fix”.