Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-17
HIGH RENTS.

There has been recently manifested in
this city very decided feeling among the
citizens upon the subject Of current rent
rates. There is unquestionably substaH-
tial foundation for the complaints that have
been made upon this subject Merchants
and artisans, mechanics and laborers, who
are not the owners Of lots and houses, find,
at the end Of the month, that they have
barely enough means from their labor 10
settle with the butcher, grocer and landlord.
It Is with the utmost economy that enough
Is retained TO purchase shoes and clothing
for the family.
This state Of things does not proceed al
together from high rents bnt from the gene
raj desire to keep up high prices. The
stock raiser, the butcher, the gardner, the
farmer, the grocer and the merchant-all
are seeking the very best prices. The taxes
national State, corporation, are enormous.
The landlord adds them to his rent-rates,
the merchant adds them 10 the price Of bis
wares, the grocer to his provisions, the
workman to his wages, and the farmer TO his
produce. They 60 around in a circle, and
are often made the pretext for extortion. 1t
is difficult to find just where to FIX the re-
sponsibility, and where to begin to correct
the evil First there should be general
reduction Of taxes. This depends upon get
ting proper public administrators Of the
Government, in all departments, who will
not steal, or DO what is equivalent plumber
the people under color Of law. The public
must economist, as the individual does.
The Southern producing communities,
who lost 20 much during the late strife, have
wisely resorted to the strietest economy to
restore their losses, and build up again their
fortunes. They are making as few Furcha-
ses as possible, and devoting their energies
to home and farm Improvements. This
leaves the trades and industries Of the cities
al a lower ebb, and renders taxes, rents and
other expenses onerous-burdensome to all
classes The only remedy is to share the
burdens all around. Prices Of everything
should come down. The more opulent
should set the example. The city landlords,
as a general thing, are best able to yield at
the outset, and they ought to do it promp
Iy, gracefully and cheerfully.
We believe in the future growth and pros
perity Of our city. We have no thought
that grass will ever grow in our streets or
that bats are to tenant our houses. We are
Just now, it is true, having a dull season.
precisely what we have always had at the
same time Of the year. ELECTROMAGNETIC
and hasty expressions Of decline in our
prosperity, substantial and permanent, are
unwarranted. The growth Of our city has
been solid, based upon accumulated capital,
from the beginning. 1t is improving now
on the same basis, as rapidly as at any time
heretofore. Our permanent population is
increasing, and it ia sturdy and
thrifty population. We have great
future before us. But the present
general condition Of the country is such,
that something must be yielded to tempo
rary necessity. Our people have spoken on
the subject Of high rents-they will speak
again. They have held meetings and will
hold them again. We propose that the
landlords also hold meeting, consider the
question in all its bearings, and resolve
upon a general reduction of rents, and an
nounce that after a given date, twenty, or
thirty, or forty per cent of the rent-rates
shall be RENTED to leaseholders. This
would be magnanimous and just and would
lead more directly to n general reduction Of
prices than anything we know Of Cheap
homes and cheap food create population,
and population gives increased value to all
city real estate.