Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-10-27
Letters From the People

Tulsa, Okla. oct %, 1918.
Editor Tulsa World:
| have read with some amusement,
but more disgust, the hue and cry
OF certain class OF tehants about
the high rents In Tulsa. Paraphras-
ing, | would say to them:
III you don't like Tulsa, 20 back
to the town where you enjoyed
cheap rent. low wages and a scarcity
OF work"
| came here from Collinsville. and
| hundreds OF others have done the
same. because could make double
in Tulsa what could there. Thou
sands OF other people have come
here from other towns In Oklahoma.
Arkansas, Kansas, Texas and other
states for the same reason that I
| came here, and rents and wages
were In the same condition where
they came from as they were in
| Collinsville.
Before the Bartlesville Zinc COM
pany smelter closed In Collinsville
wages were good there and house
rents were double what they are
now. Then | often heard the same
cry from the "Ne'er-do-well' class
OF tenants
House rent here Is couble what II
was In Collinsville in its palmiest
days, but material and labor to con-
struct a residence today cost dou-
BILE what II did then. | finished Al
home there four years ago this fall
and "B" finish cost t2S a thousand
feet. The sam grade Of lumber now
costs $50. Carpenters were drawing
40 cents an hour and non union ma
sons received 90 cents. A plumbing
job that then cost $40 they want
$500 for Is there any sense or rea-
son why a house should now rent
for the same money that II did three
years ago?
E-/Carpenters, plumbers. painters. In
fact artisans Of every kind, receive
from 2b to so per cent better wages
In Tulsa than they do In other towns
"'If you don't like your Uncle Sam
mie--' II you don't ike Tulsa 90 to
some town that you DO"
have talked with several Of these
knockers and I ave found two
things. First--they were living In
some town where rents were cheap
and employment was uncertain and
wages very low. SAcond-without
exception they wound up with the
admission that thew were socialists.
! I have nlso found that nnlv four Of
| IL persons with whom have talked,
who were rent howlers. had ever
owned property and only two OF
khem had ever rented property to
I other persons. Don't get into an ar
gument with these people, but en-
7 4 aN Ill a
hey will convict themselves.
II you don't like Tulsa. with plenty
/ " work and good wages. go TO the
| town OF cheap rent. scarcity Of EN-
! ployment and low wages. Any man
who wants one can buy home In
! Tulsa. Every day I see houses ad-
vertlsed for sale with three to five
rooms. some modern and some not.
| that can he purchased with 5000 to
$500 down and monthly payments OF
$25 to $40. why need anyone pay
rent?
There are even cheaper houses on
the outskirts Of the city. The houses
first mentioned are from 10 to 25
blocks from tho movies and the
bright lights" and these people
could not spend their time down
town in the afternoon or at night.
Any man who has not saved enough
during the prosperous times OF the
last three years TO make a payment
on home is not worth the powder
and lead Il would take TO kill him.
inless he has had some very serious
misfortune,
There were only four OF the Is
men I talked to who had raised
enough garden truck to supply their
tables There was not a single one
who had canned anything out OF his
garden. I know many OF these rent
howlers' who go TO the picture
shows three TO seven times week
and spend from 10 TO so cents a
day for cold drinks. do not say
that they should never go to the
movies. hut they would he better off
financially. morally and physically.
II their wives spent less time down
own in the afternoon and the men
md women would put less OF the
'old drink slops In their stomachs.