New Britain herald., 1926-09-28
RENTS CHEAPER,
 SURVEY DISCLOSES
Report Indicates General De-
 cline in Prices Charged


 New York, Sept. 2S Pl-Rents in the United States have steadily de- clined during the past two years. since July, 1924, when they reached their peak, and in August of the cur rent year were nearly per cent lower than in July, 1924, more than ? per cent lower than in August, 1925. and more than 1 per cent lower than last January. according 10 re- ports from I'll cities throughout the country to the National Industrial Conference board, PAT Park avenue New York. These figures are based on quotations on small houses and apartments such as are occupied by wage earners and other families Of moderate means, and represent an average for the country as whole. They take into account rents in large as well as small cities in the various sections. but being national averages, do not necessarily apply to any one specific locality.
 That the downward movement since August year ago has been at q much lower rate than during the previous twelve months is indicated by the fact that rents on the aver age declined only a little more than ? per cent from August, 1925, to Au- gust. 1926. while there was an aver age decrease of nearly i per cent from July, 1924, 10 August, 1925. The average rents as of August or this year were 75 per cent higher than in July, 1914, while rents at their peak, in July. 1924, were SS per cent higher than at the outbreak of the World War.
 Out of I'll cities reporting to the Conference board, rents during the twelve months ending with August of this year were stable in 70 cities, decilend in @ other cities, while in croases were noted in 13 localities In the eastern section of the country 33 cities out of 61 covered by tho investigation reported no change, 26 reported slight decreases and only . cities small increases not exceed ing 10 per cent. In the middle west S4 out of SS cities showed no change. A reported lower rents and in 10 cities out of the SS there were small increases. In the south, rents were stable in F out of 22 cities report ing; they were lower in cities, and only one city reported a slight in crease during the year.
 Rents Decline Slightly.
 Rents since July 1925, have de- clined somewhat in all but two of the 1o largest cities, the two eNcep- tions being Baltimore and Philadel- phia, where rental values remained stable throughout the year ending with July, 1926. They were lower in Buffalo, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles. New York, Pittsburgh, Detroit. St. Louis, and San Francisco, Los Angeles. which up to July, 1925, had experienced that greatest net increase in rents over the pre-War period, experienced a decline of 50 DOT cent between August, 1925 and August, 1926, rents there on the aV- craze now being only about S5 per cent higher than before the war. Of the largest cities, Minneapolis shows the least increase in rents since 1914. rental values there being between 21 and 80 per cent higher than before the war. Other large cities showing only moderate in crease in rents since prc-War days are Kansas City, Mo, Indianapolis and Seattle. where the average rent al values range between 31 and 40 per cent above the 1914 level.
 Bethlehem. Pa, reports that de spite unusual building activity there is a scarcity of houses for rent and that houses for sale barely meet the demand.
 In Nashville Tenn, rents are practically at the same level as in July, 19li. just before inc World war began. The following table gives rental values as compared with the 1914 level in cities where rents arc either above or below the present average level.
 Rents as Of August, 1926, were be- low the 1914 level in Davenport. la. tbetween II and 20 per cent below 1q1D; Wichita, Kans. Qess than 10 per cent below 19ID; Bay City, Mich. Ocss than n per cent below 191D; Miles City, Mont. (hetwceI II ani 20 per cent below 1914; Roanoke, Va. (bctwcen 21 and $0 per cent below 19fD; Butte Mont (between 31 and 40 per cent below 19l4; Billings. Mont. (hc,wcen 31 and 40 per cent below 19tA).
 Rents in the following cities Were less than 20 per cent higher than in 1914: St. Paul, Minn.; pulu'h Min nesota. Fort Wayne. Tex; Lincoln Noh,; Tulsa. Okla; Sioux Falls. $ D.; Springfield, O.: AIlinacc. O.; Su- perior. Wis; Bridgeport, Conn; Lansing Mich.; Houston. Texas; Portsmouth, Va; Charleston, $. C.; Fl Paso. Tex; Mobile. Ala.
 Rents higher than the present ay- craze for the country as whole prevailed in Johnston, Pa. Cnatwcen