The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-02-15
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY Is, 1921
THE RENT HOG UNDESIRABLE

THE RENT HOG UNDESIRABLE
When the government of the United
states finds that any citizen or body
Of citizens has become in any way
implicated in any transaction which
is against public welfare, justice is
dealt with a firm and an impartial
hand which makes the guilty suffer
for the offenses committed.
There is not a loyal American today
who will deny the inalienable right
Of the federal government to punish
those who are guilty Of acts which
rebound against the common veal Of
the nation. Even though the Offend
ors may be sent to the penitentiares
Of the country, even though they be
deported from the shores over which
the Goddess Of Loberty, with her light
ed torch presides, everyone knows
that the punishment has been merited.
and meted in order that the general
good Of the greatest number may be
conserved
In the matter Of conducting busi-
ness which, while it stays within the
letter Of the law and assures. there
fore, safety from punishment to the
one who conducts it, yet is against
the interests of the town. the city.
the community as a whole. public
opinion alone can sit as the Blind
Goddess and hold the balances and
WELD the decapitating sword.
In every town, in every city, in
every community in the nation there
is, today, certain classes Of prop
erty owners who are conducting un-
desirable lines of business. Some of
these can be punished, because their
occupations come within the pun
ishing scope Of the law. Others are
protected in their nefarious pursuits
because there is no written law which
provides a means of castigation.
In the latter class we find the YER
satile, the gifted. the suave, the
graspng rent hog. We find this
cloven-looted animal in every com.
munity in the state Of Oklahoma,
with headquarters. presumably, To-
Gated in close iuxtoposition TO the
otherwise progressive city of Ard
more. We find him talking about
civic pride and town progress and
community uplift and the horribly
high rate Of taxes and the manner
in which the merchants # the city
are conducting their business and the
high and extortiouate prices at which
dry goods and groceries are sold by
the local retail dealers.
We find this gifted town killer
walking about our streets. collecting
his rents ana figuring out just how
soon he may add 2j per cent raise
TO the so per cent raise he boosted
his rents "a month ago. We find him
telling the progressive citizen how
the city is held back by high taxes
ana how prospective new citizens
are kept away from this city by
learning OF the terrible prices which
The grocers are charging for sugar.
coffee, lard and other articles used
for the interior decorations Of the
human anatomy.
We find him sitting in his office,
advising the Rcd Cross rcprescnia-
tives and the salvation Army solicit
ors and the committees from the
churches and the women from the
civic Improvement leagues 20 20 to
the merchants with their lists. telling
them that II would help you IN
minute II were in business here.
hut ] am not iu business. Now.
there .s the firm cf So and So. lo-
Gated 90 Number This and That. on
Such and Such Avanue-that firm IS
doing a go4l business. know be-
cause oTn tte building in which
the business On i5eatsl. Tou 30 20
the members q that nrm. u, ls their
duty as wideawake merchants 10 Kick
in. TO come through. 10 aid you In
your efforts to help the needy and
to boost the town"
It seems to us shat oven as tho
federal government Gusts the man
Who is dlsloyal TO his country's inter-
osts. SO should the commercial body
OF city find some means Of cir
oumventing the activities OF the rent
hog.
lie Is undeniably an undesirable. In
that in place Of doing his bit toward
the upbuildlnR OF the community. he
Is doing all that he can to advertise
the city as an undesirable place in
which TO locate and live.
And {. seems that the Chamber
Of Commerce should be the body. "a
II represents the civic and the COM
mercial welfare of the community,
TO take the matter in hand. in the
rity Of Ardmore. and see what can
be done.
In making this statement we do
not assume that the Chamber of