The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-11
RENTAL SITUATION DUE ENTIRELY ID
 LACK OF SUPPLY
Building of Residences, Be side High Prices, Re- tarded By Permanent
 X Returns .A

If five hundred angered citizens were to decline to pay the advance in rents slated for october 1 and tell the landlords that they proposed to va cate rather than pay the advance, what would happen"
 This question was put to Wm. F. Johnson. vice-president of the Messer- Johnson Realty Company. MT. John son replied, in substance, as follows;
 If the suppostitious five hundred bungalows and even their places of business, one thousand would grab at the vacated premises.
 "One of the leading causes of rental advances has been the pressure on the owner of premises. They have been approached by others than occupants of their premises and offered more than the tenant is paying. The tenant is given first choice to pay the offered advance. If he does not, there is the other man waiting to grab the vaca- ted house or apartment.
 That is the long and short of the condition"
 Questioned as to underlying causes of the condition Mir. Johnson said:
 Birmingham has grown in popula- ton faster than it has built homes. For instance, our increase since 1910 is the same as Atlanta so far as pop ulation is concerned. We have not begun to approach Atlanta in the in crease of housing facilities.
 Tn the city proper, home after home has been divided between two and three families. Out in the suburbs the same is true. One land company has built more homes in the past year than all individuals put together. Individuals have not built homes. Population has increased. There is a famine in hous- ing. The rentals are the answer"
 THE REMEDY son said:
 That stumps one. When there are two persons waiting to seize what an other man turns loose a situation ex- ists that is beyond ordinary control There is no remedy at law that l know of in the matter of rents any more than there is in thA matter or prices paid for anything else. Until the hous- es are built Birmingham rents Will be high, because competition among those who wish rooftrees and business houses will render the bidding spiri- ted.
 ssFhe number of outside concerns
 that have come into Birmingham
 or that have given notice of com
 ing to Birmingham by leasing Tor
 terms of years some of the most
 available corners and inside loca-
 tions in the heart of the city caused
 an increase of rentals of central
 property. The unhoused local con
 cerns went further out and that
 stimulated the further reaches of
 business property.
 "Ffyerywhere we turn, we see growth in population and the increment Of new business concerns, but little in- crease in the number of residences and store houses.
 Tt is noticeable to any one who ob- serves that the greatest proportion of the money represented by building per mits has gone into the construction of garages, oil stations and other structures relating to the automobile industry. None of that represents the housing of families or, of business con cerns other than those handling auto mobiles.
 Rents will be high in Birmingham until at least 5000 new homes are built. When that will be I cannot say
 For the present there are two and three persons standing by eager to 1. afcAc account of rental advances. It is the penalty of growth in numbers with out corresponding increase in hous- ing"