Evening journal., 1919-10-11
Peoples Column
~oFIrEEERs. RENTALS


AND TENANTS
~ the Editor Of The Evening Journal;
~ir r.-ln these days The main topic Of
conversation is Of course the high
ost Of living People are continually
lsying What next and there is no
lne to answer them because no one
Knows what the proilieers win be do
ne next We put nothing past them
20 we are not surprised 81 anything
hey bring forth.
Among other things now being CON
idered With a great amount OF inter
,st is The rent question. II is a relief
o some minds that The County ASSESS
nent Board Is now looking most Wig
lrously into the rents, etc, Of real es-
. ate
10 is really unbelievable when one
5 confronted with the rents OF today
md but few years hence We. Of
course, appreciate The fact lhat the
var has made prices of most every
hing advance, yet everyone knows
hat the proiteer has blamed entirely
90 many things on lhe war, Mr. Prof.
.eer Of course. looks upon The siiua-
lion in this way Well ! have OBJ
aimed 81 so easily. why not make it
go and tHcn when he finds that the
people pay this - Tor what else can
hey do he decides that he might As
we'll have So lie docs not even think
n The suffering endured by many on
account 0f those extra dollars Why
should he think OF 10. he is not inter
'sted in how other people live so long
IS his pockets are full
Property that but a few years hence
rented for 500 and S25 per month now
-ents for $50 and $50 per month. TN
5 double the amount previously rented
for and yet in a large number Of cases
the rents have not only doubled but
have irebled
A large number OF property owners
object 10 such a large assessment on
their property. They say why 10 is
not worth that muchn Yet you offer
them that much for 70 and see II
YOU can buy H. II he were forced 10
,cll at the assessment value, he would
claim he was being robbed, and yet
he wants TO rob The county OF its
laXes. Real estate men in selling prop
'riy. when asked the assessment Of
that particular property, hold their
breath and then say they don't know,
'r that The assessment has nothing to
DO with The selling price.
one case called 10 my attention was
where a property assessed at $1,000 was
heing sold for 5000. Yet il the owner
had 10 pay taxes on even an additional
$500 he would claim that tho property
was not worth that much. Another
ease was where a certain property as
sessed at $1,000 was on sale al a figure
close 10 $4,000. and yet the owner
claimed that the assessment was too
much
one house assessed at 5000 is on sale
Al $500. and is renting at si5 per
month or $50 a year The rent before |
This did not come near Slj per month
because it Is a house in very bad con
diton.
Then. consider the houses assessed
al 5000 or 5000. where the owner
rents out The house in rooms. For the
nrst floor he can easily obtain $40 per
month. of $3.50 per year: the second
floor. s35 per month. or $40 per year;
while the third viii easily bring $40
per month or $3.50 per year. While
fiis house at one time could have been
rented for sij per month. or $50 per
YEAR. IT'S owner now obtains Si260 per
,csr. or over twice the amount pre-
.,iously obtained. IN a large number
of cases the rents are being raised still
higher I'm obtaining si260 per year
Tho owner soon receives enough in
rent 10 have paid for the house Some
folks say. well. why do people do |
ite' The answer Is that they have TO /
ffef
live somewhere, and this the real es-
tate men realize. They have 10 pay |
what Is asked or stay in the street.
let as an continually hope that
someone puts their foot down hard on
this question and that this prohteering |
in real estate viii soon end.
JOHN A. AllLNOR.
Wilmington. Del, oct fl, 1919,