The age-herald., 1899-08-01
MERCHANTS MET
 AT ELKS HALL
To Kick Against Exhorbitant h.
 crease in Rents.
RESOLUTIONS WERE ADOPTED
Declaring That Business Conditions Would Not Warrant an Increase of More Than 5 Per Cent-Willbe
 Referred to Board of Trade

Pursuant to a call issued some days ago. a number of merchants met last night in Elks hall, corner Twentieth street and
 Fourth avenue. to take action against the proposed exorbitant increase in rents, and while no definite plan of action was agreed
 upon an effort will be made to bring the
 matter before the Board of Trade at it's
 meeting tomorrow night.
 A resolution was adopted declaring 1t
 the sense of the meeting that improved
 business conditions would not warrant an
 inrease of more than 15 per cent in rents except in extreme cases where the rents heretofore had been unreasonably low. About thirty representative business
 men were present when the meeting was
 called to order J. H. Roll was called to
 the chair and briefly stated the object of
 the meeting, which. he said, had been
 called for the purpose of getting some
 concerted action among renters who were affected by the raise, and also all persons in sympathy with the movement. In order that something tangible might be presented to the meeting. MT. Roll stat ed that he had taken it upon himself to | gather few facts. He said that by actual | count he had found thirty-four empty | store rooms in the city and had learned | that there would be four more shortly. He also stated that a number of large rooms were being occupied by small shops | which could not afford large rents. | From an agent he had learned that nine | rooms could be secured in one block at rentals not to exceed $50 per month each. | These rooms he admitted. were not in the | most desirable part of the city, but sug- gested if a number of merchants with | different lines would occupy them that | they could carry their trade with them. | and thus cooperate to prevent the pro- posed increase in their present quarters. number of suggestions were offered. | and it was almost the unanimous opinion | that merchants should refuse to pay the | increased rents. and that one merchant | should not rent a place where another 1 merchant had refused to pay the advance. | It was suggested that the merchants them- 1 selves were largely to blame, but the gen. eral opinion was uhat a few rental agents were working the merchants with ''al- l legged" tenants, who offered more rents. | It was also shown that largest increases l had been made where the expense of nov | ing would be equal to the increased rent l in tn case of bakeries and other lines, | whiGn required special ovens or machinery. l It was also suggested that a fictitious | value had been created In Second avenue | by the building of the new opera house, | and it was predicted that if the merchants | would stand firm that rents would be l cheaper by the first of October than at the | present time.
 Inasmuch as the exorbitant increases I seemed to be confined to a few agents, 1t | was suggested that some concerted action might be taken to withhold insurance from | these firms in retaliation and although no 1 definite action was taken along this line, | nineteen of those present expressed their l willingness to do so
 After the adoption of the following reso- lutioa the meeting adjourned, with the un- | derstanding that the matter would be brought to the attention of the board of | trade:
 | Be it resolved, That 1t is the sense of | this meeting that the improved conditions l of business in Birmingham dc not justify
 an increase of more than fifteen per cent | In rents"