New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-21
RENTS.


rents, tencment-rents. and store-rents-is now
as wide and deep-spread as it was at the same
season last year. The agitation does not. Of
course. affect the wealthest class of citizens,
who either own the houses in which they live
or lease them for long terms at fixed rate,
and to whom. moreover. an advance III rental
is matter of only limited consequence. But
the great body of the population, the business
people and traders, the clerks and statesmen,
the professional men, the mechanics, opera
tlves and laborers-who take their houses by
the year. or from month TO month, and 20
whom rent is one OF the heaviest items of ex-
penditure, and one Of the gravest burdens OF
life-loolS with apprehension for the re-
suit of their annual conflict with the
property holder and landlord At the
renting season of last year, the struggle
on the part of tenants was against the general
advance of rents which had been threatened.
For every one OF the previous six or seven
years rents had gone on mounting upward /;
and landlords had come to look on an annual
increase of ten or twenty per cent as a legiti-
mate and proper thing. But last year, the
great majority of people occupying middle
class houses and tenement-houses were utterly
unable TO endure any increase OF rents. The
incomes Of large numbers of business people
had been reduced; the wages OF many working
people had been cut down; business was dull,
and profits were diminishing. The demands OF
the landlords we're, therefore necessarily and
firmly refused and all sorts of expedi-
ents were resorted to, or spoken OF,
"a means of meeting the necessities of
the situation. A general migration from
the city was for q time the popular cry, and
thousands Of householderS actually decamped
from New-York and took up their residence in
the suburbs and in the railroad towns and
hamets of New-Jersey and Long Island. There
were also great numbers Of people who con-
Guided to put up with lesser accommodations
than they had been accustomed to- Those who
had paid rents from $4,000 to $1,000 or more
contented themselves with cheaper and smaller
houses in less desirable localities those who
had occupied whole houses Of the second or
third class were satisfied with half house;
many people took single floor in respectable
dwellings many went boarding; and in tene-
ments, the working people who had occupied
three or four rooms took still more limited
quarters. BY such means az these, the threat
ened advance in rents last year was pre-
vented Had the landlords insisted upon it,
the interests of the city-not to say any
thing of their own particular interests-woud
have been greatly disturbed. AS it was, there
were not few who were losers through de-
mands which left their premises vacant or their
rent-blls insecure. 1t is only necessary that one
should take a survey of tho different parts of
the city at the present time to be satisfied that
the lrrepressible and overcoming rent con-
ict Is this year very extensive. There are, of
course, exceptional localities. in which, owing
to circumstances of one kind or another, there
are no signs of residences or stores to let. But
in all such quarters rs those in which second or
third class dwellings or tenements are to be
found there are abundant proofs visible on
the houses. or at the renting agencies, that the
dissatisfaction OF hOusehOlders is as great as it
has ever been at any time during the last
eight or ten years We do not believe there
has been any general movement on the part
of landlords toward an advance in rents, but
we know there ere very great numbers of
people who are utterly unable to continue pay
lug the existing rates-whicli are kept as high
~ they were during the highest-pric times
of the war.
Since then, however. gold has come down.
I'LL IT now stands ut very small premium.
Since then workingmens wages have come
down, and are still coming down. Since then
tho prices of many of the necessarios of life
have come down. Since then tho profits of
nearly all branches of business have decreased
Since then the cost of house building and tho
price OF building materials have been reduced
In fact. there has been fall in almost every
thing but rent. and everybody except the prop
etV owners musL now DO satisfied with less re-