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Show EXORBITANT KENT. ' The rents charged in this city are exorbitant, ex-orbitant, and in some cases they are nothing more nor less than robbery. The exorbitant prices are discouraging to the people who come hero to locate, and arc obliged for the time being to rent dwelling houses. An undue advantage ad-vantage is being taken of newcomers. For instance, a small brick cottage which last year rented for $23 per month, is now held at $bU A four-room four-room brick cottage, without even a closet or any modern conveuieueies, is runted at W0, and for a similar sim-ilar live-room cottage ' &10 rent is demanded. The rents asked for business houses, if there are auy to bo had, arc still higher in proportion than those charged for dwellings. There is, of course, a daarth of buildings, build-ings, and landlords argue that they are worth in rent just what they will briug. Suppose tliero was a famine in Salt Lake, and a few dealers had cornered all the potatoes, which had cost them about 85 cents a bushel, and they should ask $10 a bushol just because there was a crying demand aud the supply was limited. Would they uot be denounced as heartless robbers? Yes; and they would very likely bo mobbed. The advantage ad-vantage that is being taken In the matter mat-ter of rents is about on a par with tho action of men who would corner the provision' market and then rob tho hungry people. The landlords tire giviug Salt Lake a black eye, and bringing down curses upon thoir heads. However, rents aro bound to oomo down soon. People will not permit themselves to be imposed upon very long. Tho miserable apologies for dwellings that are uow being rented for prices ranging from $40 to $0 will soon go begging for tenants at the old ligures of $15 to $35 per mouth. Tho new residences, resi-dences, with all modern conveniences, that aro now beiug built will bo completed com-pleted during the summer, and many of them will be rented at moderate ligures. lig-ures. Meanwhile, wo suppose, the cx-ortion cx-ortion In ronts will continue. The high rates would iu a measure bo excusable if wages and salaries were as high in proportion, pro-portion, but they are -not anything of tho kind. They are not any higher than in tho eastern cities whero the cost of living is tit least 35 per cent cheaper than in Salt Lake. MINSTATEMKNTS COKBKCTED. Our cemotcrial contemporary, tho Deseret News, has agaiu put its foot iu it. Referring to the statement made by City Attorney Merrill to the council ou Tuesday night it says: City Attorney Merrltt, in speaking upon the subject of Improving the Tenth ward square, expressed, iu the same breath, t he oplniou that the conditions of the trust by which the city parted with the property had been complied com-plied with, but that a bill in equity would He to secure its reversion back to the city. This may be good law to lawyers, but laymen will wonder how equity can step lu to dissolve a contract, admitted to lie legal in its inception und provisions, every stipulation of which has been, compiled with. Now that is just exactly what Mr. Merritt did not say. " The expression ho used was to the effect that if tho provisions pro-visions by which the square was entrusted en-trusted to the society had not been complied with, as provided in the trust deed, by which it became crdowed with the possession of tho property, then a bill iu equity would lie. Otherwise there was no way for the city to regaiu possession except by agreement of both sides. Tin News in its statement does the city attorney .au injustice. Its action is evidently intentional, too. Were it unintentional it might bo forgiven, as all are liable to mistake, but mark this paragraph: There Is a suspicion thai, some workers for 'Liberal" success wanted t heir pay. There is also another suggestion that a legal tight over (las.dwl worth of property would yield some fat legal fees. This statement of course will pass unheeded un-heeded by tho intelligence of Salt Lake, but the animus exhibited is apparent. Why should not the News cease its petty mud Hinging and unite with other papors iu working for the interest of the city iustead of throwing cold water on every project brought up? At the meeting of the council it was said that an arrangement could lie entered into by which the matter could be amicably am-icably adjusted, that the secretary wanted to change the location of the sheep pens, aud that a conference of the council with the trustees would probably result in a satisfactory manner. man-ner. Tho News d oes not advocate anything any-thing of the sort, but by untruthful iu-uendo iu-uendo seeks to besmirch those who are working for Salt Lake's advancement. |