The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-08-29

SAY HIGH RENT
DUE TO SCARCITY
Prospective Renters Of
fer Bonus to Get
Possession.
35 PER CENT SHORTAGE
Business Girls Form Clubs
for Mutual Economy in
Room Expenses.
BY ANNABELLE LATIMER

The rental situation Ia becoming
Appalling in Tulsa, according TO
both the renters and realtors. Rent
ers aay that they cannot find houses
hey live in is 40 high hey cannot
to rent and the rent for those they
live in is so high thov cannot afford
10 live there. The real estate men
say there arc no houses or apart
menta to rent
Pioneers here who have followed
very closely the progress Of Tulsa
say that the rental panic which "
facing not only Tulsa, but evory city
in the United states, IN caused by
the old economic problem Of supply
and demand. Shortage Of materials
and building curtailment has held
up tho building OF residences as
we'll as apartment houses and very
few new houses or apartments have
been built this spring and summer
One prominent real estate man says
that he does not have more than
four houses on hand now for sale
OF which the buyers could got Inn
mediate possession.
There Is a runor that people are
building houses and not renting
them, but holding them back to
sell. A careful investigation on the
part OF Tulsa citizen has shown
that there are not any vacant houses
that are being held for sale. II is the
general belief among real estate men
that people are not building, In
hopes that the prices OF building
materials will come down. Mate
riala are not only high. but scarce.
and II In almost impossible 10 get
interior decorations sooner than 20
days or four months.
J. E. Blair OF the Blair Bros.
real estate company says that there
Is not a doubt but what Tulsaswill
have 10 build more offices and apart
ments if she is to continue 10 grow,
Mr.. blair has just returned from
st. Louis, Chicago and Milwaukee,
and he says In those cities they
are building hotels. apartments and
office buildings to take care OF the
great demand for houses and office
space. Mr.. Blair says In Tulsa the
supply OF houses and offices In 90
per cent below the demand.
The demand for houses is so great
that tho owners OF houses here are
approached by people who offer
them from $40 to $40 more on the
month than the house is renting
for at the time. This ts tho cause
OF the high rents In many cases and
In others the proprictors raise the
rents because they know they can
get what they ask. There ts "A we'll
known apartment house here whore
the apartments have been renting
for ss6 n month. Last week the
owner notified the tenants that the
rent would be raised TO Sllb n
month September l. one man In the
apartment sail he would live In a
tent before he would pay $40 i'm
crease In rent He stated that Il
would not have been 80 bad II the |
owner had raised tho rent $40,
with tho raising of house rent |
comes the raising OF room rents, |
and working girls In Tulsa find that |
At In hard TO pay the prices asked.
A thrifty young woman who is em-
ployed in one OF tho banks here de-
cided that she could not pay $50 a |
month for ROOM so she is or
ganizing club OF young women |
and is planning 10 move into fur
nished apartment She has secured |
three young women and needs only |
three others 10 have enough for |
the club. She has rented a seven
room apartment In one OF the incest |
parts Of the residence district, |
which Is furnished to accommodate |
seven girls The club Will be or |
Eanized with a president, secretary, |
treasurer and house manager, and |
each girl will pay $50 a month. She |
will be allowed the privileges OF the |
whole house and three meals day |
for this money. A houstkeeper and |
cook will be employed TO prepare |
the meals and take care OF the |
house. The apartment In very home |
parlor and sleeping porch.
Investigations are being made by |
the United States government and |
statistics show that the building cur
tailment has been caused by high |
lumber prices. Such report comes |
from the United states department |
of agriculture, In March, 1920, the |
report shows that mill prices were |
500 per cent higher than in 1914. |
The report states shortage in hous-
ing accommodations that is almost |
world wide has brought homo vivid. |
ly the close relations OF building TO /
the comfort. health, and general !
welfare OF the public. When, Tor |
any reason, construction fails be-
low normal. overcrowding 1, high |
rates, lowered standards Of living. |
and other evils follow" The report |
states further that present construc- |
ton Us made uncertain and specu- |
lative by difficulty and delay In oh |
tanning material, and the impossl- |
bility OF getting many grades Those |
difficulties take building out OF the
reach OF the majority OF the people, |
NORMALLY, 80 per cent OF con
structlon In this country Is reHiden-
tial," Is the report OF the United |
States housing mission. The re- |
port from this commission shows |
that in 1919 dwellings represented
only "a per cent and before the war
there was a shortage OF million
homes In the United states. In 1918
there was a half million homes de-
mAnded in tho United States, and In
1919 only 10000 were constructed
In dealing with cooperative costs,
the housing commission reports that
a house which was built in Wash
ington ih 1917 for $3.50 was duph-
Gated in 1918 at a cost of sl2,2b0.
The same dwelling plan was used in.
81. Paul, Minn.. by an arcbrfct at
three intervals. In 1915 the cot was
s4.240, IN Ocobor, s7,724, and last
February the cost had increased 10
sii,s20. The architect reported that
the lumber and mill work for the
last Job cost more than the entire
house in 1915.
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