The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-27
THE MOST PRESSING WANT OF NORFOLK

The most pressing want of Norfolk is
more buildings, both for stores and
dwellings, in order to cheaper the rents,
relieve the burdens of the tenant, and
provide for the poorer classes. Our popu-
lation is fast increasing; people are flock
ing in from all quarters of the world to
make their homes with us, and add their
skill and intelligence to the general
wealth of the community but they are
met upon their first landing with
the very disheartening encouragement,
through our inability to provide for their
most pressing and actual necessities.
There are no houses for them, no dwell
ing places, ever at the exhorbitant and
! Uniustifiable rents demanded. There is
not q vacant house in the city, and as
capitalists manifest no disposition tn
erect tenements Or stores, and rooms and
| boarding houses are scarce, and the few
that offer are very miserable concerns,
and demand such enormous prices, we
are not surprised that people who come
to ''view the land" with the intention of
seeking a future home, should become
discouraged at the gloomy prospects pre-
scented and leave the place in disgust.
There are plenty Of vacant lots in every
part of the city, upon which cheap and
comfortable cottages could be erected,
and let at reasonable rates, which would
pay a better interest on the capital in
| vested than it could command in any
other kind of security; and these houses
would be Immediately filled by an In
dustrious and desirable class of people,
business men, mechanics and manufac-
turers, whose settlement among us
would be of the greatest advantage to the
prosperity of the city. Why not set to
work at once and build these houses ?
Material in abundance can be had, and
labor is cheap, for although III proper
ty holders are advancing their rents TO
such enormous rates, mechanics and Ia
borers are compelled to work for lower
wages than In any other part of the
country. Were houses built, rents would
tumble down, increased inducements
would be held out to immigration,
and the city would soo be filled up
with an industrious and useful popula-
ton. Until something of this kind is
done by the moneyed men of Norfolk,
their city cannot prosper and their
property will not increase in value, but
the place will continue to retrograde as
rapidly as 1t has for the last half a CEN
tury.
Some people have been greatly de-
ceived by the momentary Importance
given to Norfolk during the war, which
seemed to inspire it with renewed life
but 1t was only spasmodic. The pros
perity was forced and merely ephem-
e~rai-passing away and dying out with
the termination of the causes which
produced it. As the great central point
Oh military operations, it could not but
be prosperous for the time being; but,
with the cessation of hostilities and the
withdrawal OF the support given it by
the government, our city is fast reIaps-
ing into its former drowsiness and
apathy. Many OF the property-owners
have allowed themselves to be deceived
into believing that the place had really
received a new lease of life, and had
again been started forward OIL, the high
road to fortunes and that, without anv
effort on their part, it would increase
and grow in greatness by its own inhe-
rent strength and powers of attraction,
and must, of necessity, thrive on
account of the advantages of its central
commercial and agricultural position,
In this they will find they are mis-
taken. Cities do notspring spontaneously
into prosperity in these days Of steam
navigation nnd railroads, merely because
they happen to have an advantageous
position on The seacoast and a good har-
Dor, and are easy of access 10 sailing YES
sells. Natural advantages are of little
Importance now that they can be so
easily surpassed by artificial means. So
ong as there were no steamboats, and