The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1865-09-23
HIGH RENTS.

we THINK II there was more enterprise on
the part of our citizens, who have the means
there could not be such complaints prevailing
In regard to high rents. There are any num-
Der of carpenters, bricklayers, &C., ready and
willing to take hold of the work. and before
the beginning of the new year, fifty or hun
dred dwelling houses and stores could be fin
ished, and ready for occupants, at fair. remu-
nerative terms to the landlords. Our popula
ton has increased more than one hundred Der
cent. We want, at least, three hundre more
stores and dwellings, Immediately, and this
number will only partially relieve the pressure
We have within the corporate limits, vacant
ground enough for the erection of one or two
thousand dwellings-that is, ground that could
oe ootalned at small price, comparatively.
Now, If we want help, we must help our
selves, and not stand with our hands folded
replnlng at the state of affairs in which we
md ourselves. We are in dilemma. truly
but 1t is dilemma of the kind which almost
any city in the Union would like to be placed.
We lind ourselves suddenly enriched by vast
influx of population, and, of course popula-
ton is wealth. We are somewhat like Bonni-
face-who sticks out his single and hopes to
secure share of the travelling public for his
customers, and after hoping and watching for
a long time, just as we have done, suddenly
wakes up, one morning, and finds his house
thronged with more guests than he ever could
have anticipated; the preparations he has
made Tor their reception does not begin to be
on scale commensurate with the occasion,
and he is .fushated-and 50 are we. We have
been tor number Of years hoping and pray
ing for an increase Of population. We had
no faith IN our hopes ever being realized, or if
we had, certainly not to the extent that they
have been lately. We made but Door prepa-
ration, according to the faith that was in us,
and now high rents is the consequence
What, then, is the best remedy? Surely, the
best that we can see, for the present, is pa
thence, bricks and mortar the two last to be
applied vigorously, by the thousands of idle
hands who stand ready and willing to take
hold
We are glad to see that measures are being.
taken to set the ball in motion, by the organi-
cation OF a Building Association. Let us have
such an Association, and let there be vigor in
1t. Ii its object is to draw together capital to
be used in the immediate construction of
houses for the people, we say, God speed its
operations. Let it dot the vacant lots and old
fields of Norfolk and Portsmouth with dwell
ings and stores and if they can do no better
do as they done in California on it's first efforts
to accommodate the crush" there-let them
erect shaffies, the best and most comfortable
they can, until they can do better Possibly,
in less than five years, the place of every
shanty they erect now, may be filled with
line brown stone front; for we feel assured
there is sufficient back country to Norfolk, if
we get the right kind of men to take hold of
1t, to cover the entire city limits with marble
and brown stone fronts. We believe it, truly.
Take the map and look where our railroads
and canals point to as, our back country, and
then reflect on the. almost miraculous growth
of some of the cities on this continent, parti-
cularly in the West-and see if you can't be-
lieve it also. Move along the ball vigorously,
and in little while we will have so much
business on hand that high rents and taxes
will trouble our idle brains no longer.