Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-08-31
MORE TENEMENTS NEEDED
TOWN CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO
GROW WITHOUT THEM.
Canvass Of Real Estate offiees Shows
Less Than Half a Dozen Desirable
Places TO Rent-Board OF Trade In
teresting Itself in the Problem.

The scarcity Of teuements in Brat
tleboro is becoming serious problem.
A meeting OF the manufacturing and
new industries committee Of the local
board of trade was held last Friday
evening TO discuss this question, and
IL was decided 10 make an attempt 10
interest several local people in the con
struetiOn OF modente-priced houses 10
an this want. i, is obvious that Brat
tlcborO cannot expect 70 increase its
population unless more new houses are
erected The Brattleboro Cabinet com
many has stated that il is willing 20
employ 100 more hands than az pres
ent but It is hardly able TO find accom-
modations for the present force. The
board OF trade cannot very protitably
devote its time 10 securing new indus
tries for Brattleboro when there are nc
suitable places to offef the families that
would accompany any new concern 70
town. in fact such a condition kills
at the outset any strh attempt. In en-
deayoring 20 secure the erection OF
more tenements, therefore, the board
Of trade has begun a good work and
one which deserves the cooperation Of
the townspcople. II is the first step
toward increasing the population OF
the town.
For the purpose of ascertaining the
number OF available tenements IN Brat
tleboro a representative Of the Reform
er called at the various real estate Of
fees this week. His canvass revealed
the fact that the total number Of desir-
able tcnements now at the disposal OF
the local real estate men Is i've and he
average price asked is Sl5 a month.
This list does not include few cheap
teuements that are being offered by one
Office. for an investigation showed these
10 be almost uninhabitable. Every
real estate dealer Is flooded with apph'
cations for moderateprieed tenements
but there are none to be had. Dne Of
the real estate men said "Give me %
fairly good houses Of seven rooms each
and I can rent them all inside Of
month. Another real estate agent
when asked if he had any houses to
rent replied: Not single one.
The result Of this investigation shows
beyond doubt that the talk about a
shortage Of tenements is absolutely
true. One can easily satisfy himself
about this by taking a trip aboDt town
and keeping his eye out for tenement
10 rent signs. He will see practically
uone. And yet plenty Of land can pc
isseurad AZ reasonable prices and buiid
mp matefiais ure 10 higher heie that
elsewhere. In other towns two-tene-
iment houses are built At a cost winch
enables tine owner to rent the tenements
as low as $40 a month, and there IS no
reason why this could not be done u
Brattleboro. The place for houses Of
this kind is in the southern part Of the
town for it is in that direction that
Brattleboro 8 industrial development
must be made. If the board Of trade Is
successful in the negotiations whleh y
is now making with the Morningside
cemetery association for the right to
build a road from South Main street to
Vernon street the value of building lots
in the southern part of the town viii
he greatly enhanced Brattleboro peo'
ple should remember, too, that there Is
( still the likelihood of a dam across the
Connecticut river and resulting boom
of real estate throughout the town
More tenements is the crying need lnst
Al present, however. and the board Of
trade deserves credit for giving its at
tenti0n to this need