The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-14
LARGE increase
IN POPULATION
Directory Just Issued Esti-
mates 9,SSS in
BrattlebOrO
GREAT DEMAND FOR
TENEMENTS NOTED
Last Official Census Placed Towns Pop
ulatiOn at 1882 - Building Situation
Here a Problem that Needs Immediate
Attention

Brattleboro's increase in population is
subject of interesting discussion when
ever groups of local citizens led up to the
subject by comparing this towns indus
trial situation with that of other commun-
tiles. The matter is given special inter
est by the issuance this week of the 1921
Brattleboro resident directory by II. \.
Manning & Co, which estimates the
towns population as 9,SSS.
The government census of 1920 gave the
figures for the town as S,332, those for the
village being 1924. These figures ex-
ceeded those of any previous official census,
but during the time between the enumera-
! tion and publication of the result it was
known that the population had increased
materially
/ According to the census of Manning &
Co. there has been an increase of approx
mately 1850 since the government cen
, Sus. The new directory lists the names of
about 5,4O0 adults, and to this list must
be added the children down 10 the babies
| in arms to get the total population.
That Brattlehoro Is growing is a fact
well known To all residents. There never
was a time when tenements here We're
/ as scarce az at present, and the shortage
/ of housing facilities Is one of the pressing
I problems that Brattleboro will have to
/ take under consideration at once if the
I town Is to receive the benefits that are
knocking at the door.
When asked for his views as o the
correctness of Manning & Co.'S estimate,
/ s w. Edgett, real estate agent, said he
| had no doubt that they were approx
mately correct. In the - years that
| have been in business here" said Mr.
/ Edgett. Il have never before known OF
such a demand for teHpments as there has
/ been the past six months and as there
lis ut the present time. Two or three per
sons a day are coming to me to enquire
about houses or tenements. and if there
were sufficient accommodations there is
no question but that our population
would increase 1,J00 the next year. About
! the only way a family can secure tene
meat is to buy the house. 1t frequently
Is said that there would be more building
/ II lumber wasn't 80 high, but that isn't
/ the real reason. Lumber isn't nearly as
high as it was. but the cost of lumber is
lonly about One-quarter of the cost of q
house: the rest Is labor-carpenters
plumbers. painters. If the charges o1
these was down somewhere near normal
there would be plenty of building"
! These are not alone Mr.. Edgett's views
as many others have the same ideas as tC
the building situation in Brattleboro
| President Carl s. Hopkins of the
/ Chamber of Commerce said it was eviden
to all that the population of the tow
was growing rapidly. but he was not 81
sure that Manning & Co.'S figures were no
too high. They may be correct at that.
/ Mr. Hopkins admitted
/ Sometimes it is said that because o
general prosperity and high wages peOpl,
have abandoned the cheaper tenement.
and moved to the more expensive ones
but whether this is true or not the fact
remains that all the cheaper tenements in
Brattleborc are occupied.