The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-18
SOUTH |S FORGING
 AHEAD RAPIDLY Big Increase in Almost All
 Fields of Aabor NEW INDUSTRIES ABOUND Old Ones Flourlshing and Enlareing. Good Times Unprecedented in the Southern country-In-
 vestments Increase.
NEW INDUSTRIES ABOUND

Following the usual custom of acquaint- ing it's readers with the industrial growth of the territory served by the Southern railway lines, for stated periods, the Southern Field presents in this issue brief summary of the development re- corded by the land and industrial depart ment for the year ended on June 30, 1905, in comparison with other years This statement, covering tributary country in Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Ken lucky. Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi. In- ments taking place along the lines of the Mobile and Ohio and subsidiary lines operated in connection with Southern railway lines proper The inquiries of the land and industrial department cover not only the developments of productive industry-industrial establishments and operations which contribute to the ton mage of the ralroads-but also those in- vestments of capital which are designed to improve living conditions In the sec tions served, facilitate aHic, encourage the establishment of additional industries and promote the more rapid peopling. through immigration, of sections of the south whose crying need is more people. In the latter category are included the liberal and constantly increasing expendi- lures on the part of municipalities for street pavements, sewers, water supply and public htng-improvements which bear very distinct and positive relation to the work of locating factories and peo- pe for nothing has been more conclu- sively demonstrated in the industrial re- mobilization of the south than that cap ital for industrial investment Is seeking out the cities and towns which are talk ing advanced positions in the character of their public conveniences and utilities.
 South Forging to Front.
 This may be counted as one of the sever al reasons why the south Is forging to the front industrially faster than any other section of the country, for cities and towns are very generally undergoing marked physical changes in the sections reached by the Southern railway lines and almost without exception municipal and private enterprise are keeping pace with each other. The sum total of such investments and expenditures, public and private, for the period named, was $119.- 900, ,934 compared with s1l5,O40s4S for the previous year. an increase in the rate of growth of $4,s6O, ,OS6o AS per cent. Dur ing the past four years the rate of this growth has been remarkably uniform
 In 1902 it was represented by invest ments and expenditures amounting to SIP. Al. .B59; in 1903, s117, 434 69O; in 19o4-5. as already stated, $115,040S4S and s119.- 900, 934. respectively, making grand total of S464. SIS, ,031. all of which Is demonstra- tive of the fact that the present indus- trial progress of the south-so far as the territory contiguous to southern rail- way lines is illustrative of the general situation-is well sustained and remark ably free from recurrent periods of activity and depression. This conclusion is borne out by examination of statistics relating to purely industrial developments as well as In the statistics covering the public and quasi-public Improvements in the sections under notice. For the year ended on June 30, 1905, the amount of capital actually invested in new indus tries tributary to these lines amounted to 80, ,799 300, compared with s32 ,9oS, l50 for 1904, s25, ,659 for 1903. and s273O6,S50 for 1902 total for the four years Of s116, ,7s5, ,159 During the past year there was invested in the form of additions to industrial establishments the sum of s. Ol2, ,312, compared with $14,569,7 7SS for 1904. sl5,593 643 for 1903 and $6,26S,300 for 1902. a total of $45, ,437 043, or a grand total of S115 7S5.1 159 representing the amount Of capital invested in productive industrial fnd nf years. In other words, the of the 464,S1S, ,0S1 variously invested and expended. 25 per cent was devoted to the establishment and equipment of industrial plants for the utilization of southern resources and the employment of labor at points reached by these lines. This. of course, does not take Into account that great multitude or minor investments which, singly, are not important enough to be statistically re- corded but which in the aggregate make LID a tremendous force in the upbuilding of the south.
 An Increase In Numbers.
 It is to be noted in this connection that while there has been slight de- crease in the capital invested in industrial enterprises during the past year, com pared with the year previous. there was an increase in the number of such enter prices. exceeding the record for 1904 by 96 or 13 per cent. This Is consistent with the fact frequently pointed out by the land and industrial department. that the south Is proving an inviting field for the manufacturer of comparatively small means and in no line of industry is this fact more noticeable than in furniture making and general woodworking. In- deed, industrial developments of every class, not excepting the cotton mills, are very generally a growth from small be- gnnings in this section of the south; they earn their means of growth from year to year. Illustrative of this are the very large investments in additions, previous ly alluded tn Enr exa mnle in 1QQ2 such