Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-12-22
EMPTY HOUSES IN
MOLINE ARE LESS
Population Shortage Found TO Re s32.
as Compared With 3-5G8 Last
Spring.
CONDITIONS GROW
BETTER
theck Made by Mail Carriers tnfail-
Ing Barometer Oh Factory Ac-
tivities.

! There are today in Moline 1872 empty
houses. AS barometer Of conditions
existing in any city there is none bet
ter than the number Of empty houses.
and Moline. in the figures presented.
may awaken TO the fact that things
| are slowly and surely returning 10 the
normal locally.
There are, It is estimated. $500
I houses In Moline. All were occupied
when the city census of 1913, which
gave a population of $500, was taken.
This means the average in each family
was >1-3. On this ratio the 1872
empty houses of today represent
shortage in population of 832.
Mail carriers, each Of whom checks
every vacant house on his route. esti-
mate that $500 persons had left the
city during the period Of little work
i In Moline factories. The high tide was
reached last spring From shortage
Of $500 in the spring to one of S32 TO-
day Is surely an improvement that
speaks most eloquently of better CON
ditions.
All sane persons know that Moline
not only suffered retardment, but actu-
ally lost some ground during the last
year. Figures cited, however, support
those who have faith In the future and
indicate that 1t is matter of months
only till the city will be once more
paining In population.
Few Are Desirable.
From where I sit" said a Moline
real estate dealer, houses seem to be
plentiful in Moline, but when one gets
out and looks around bit. it is diff
ficult matter to find what one might
call desirable residences at rentals
tenants are willing to pay, There are
some unusually good ones at high
rentals. BY next June 7 expect to see
every house in Moline that is fit for
habitation occupied
"The real estate business, locally, is
far better than it was year ago. This
means that business conditions gem
orally are improving W+r+ie there
seem to be prospects of better times
on the way, l for one do not care to
have the city go through such boom
as the one of four years ago. The re-
suit is usually demoralizing What
every realty man who is here to STAY
wants. is normal conditions, with grad
ual growth. Prosperity, such as visit
ed Moline three or four years ago,
brought out lot of fair weather birds
in the real estate and insurance
games. They bought and they sold
and then eventually they passed out
Of existence. They had stepped in just
long enough 10 spoil good many
sales for the permanent dealers
Exchange Is C0mplimented.
IT'S a fact that members of the
Real Estate exchange are now being
recognized as perfectly honest men
engaged in legitimate business. Not
long ago the exchange was looked up
on as d sort of monopoly formed for
the purpose of getting property-own- |
ers in its power But this idea has
since changed, / am pleased to say |
Only the other day man came to me
and eomplimented the exchange for /
things it has accomplished, and for |
sensible policies which it has adopted. |
There is no reason in the world |
why a person can not get just as fair |
treatment in transaction with a real |
estate dealer as it is possible to get /
from a merchant in any other line |
You will find the real estate men who |
are members of the exchange honora-
bic business men men and | believe !
there is not one who would not rather
lose a sale than misrepresent what he
has to sell A real estate dealer who
the business can make a
sale when his client can not; he Is the
medium which brings the buyer and
seller together"