The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-08
DIRECTORY SHOWS.
 3,595 INCREASE IN. .C|TY'S PULAT|ON.
Birmingham Has 222,735 h. habitants, Latest Polk
 Figures Indicate

An increase in the population of Birmingham within the past 12 months of 3,595 people is shown by the city new directory pust isoued by R. L. Polk S Co. This organization credits Greater Birmingham with a population of 222,735 persons, when the 2I2 multiple Ca federal estimate) is considered, which accounts for children and others not listed.
 -n the directory appear S9,o94 names, compared to S7,656 in the di- rectory issued q year ago. The list ing does not include the communities of Boyles, Fairfield, Inglenook, West field or Tarrant City, nearly all in street car communication with the city proper, utilizing public service accommodation and doing business directly with the municipality and in the aggregate, representing a total of approximately 30,000 per sons.
 Polk x Co.,, estimate the population of Greater Birmingham's metropolis tan area, including Bessemer, at 240,- 900. They made the following state ment Tuesday:
 
 Birmingham's New Directory.
 Advance cop! of the Birmingham city directory for 1923 are being de- livered to it's patrons. The directory contains 1870 pages and is a com plete assemplage of the people of Birmingham in a list, showing theI. names, addresses and business con- and vital item concerning the city and it's civic, social, commercial and industrial activities.
 The directory IS recognized as great social and business necessity and valuable asset Tn a community. 1t is not only a book. of names, ad- dresses and occupations it is an en- cyclopedia of accurate uata concern ing the people of community and their various activities. It is the only accurate history of what the community was yesterday; it pres ents it in the concrete today, and is reliable index of what it may be to- morrow. Its pages point unerringly to the progress and development munity. Every item in the directory Is of interest to some individual and to the city as whole. Upon the pub lication of the new book the previous one becomes in a large measure obsolete, except as affording a chap ter in the history of the city for the benefit of future generations, since experience testifies that at least 50 per cent of the population of cities over 150,000 change their business connections or addresses within twelve month
 Compiled In Departments.
 The directory is compiled . in de- partments as follows:
 Eleven DageS inClll a riScallana- ous department containing informa- tion, churches. libraries, business and public institutions, courts, state, county and federal officers educa- tion churches, libraries, business and professional organizations, clubs, hospitals, newspapers, social organi- zations. postoffice data, etc.
 Eighty-seven pages are devoted to a buyers guide, including the adver- tisements of the leading manufactur- ing, business and professional in terests of Birmingham, printed on tinted paper; these are carefully grouped By departm ents and are in dexed under headings in the classi- fled business directory. A casual perusal of these advertisements will picture many interesting phases of the city's activities. In Nustling, manufacturing city like Birmingham, the need for this kind of information IeduIly at Hdnu IS very great. The street and avenue guide covers one hundred and seventy nine pages. It takes nine hundred and twenty-one pages to cover the alphabetical list of names of citizens, business con- cerns. commercial, professional and industrial organizations in Birming- ham.
 One hundred and nine pages include classified business directory, which sets fortt the various manufactur mercantile and professional occupa- tions, compiled in alphabetical order under headings afpropriate to the class of business of industry pursued. This feature forms an invaluable trade directory. Following the in troduction to the directory is an in teresting array of notable facts con corning the city in it's civic, social, commercial and industrial aspects. 2
 The publishers of the directory re- mind the public that copies of the latest editions of directories of other cities are on file in the lirSctory li-r brary maintained in the offices of the Chamber of Commerce. where they are accessible for free reference by patrons and the general public. Copies of the Birmingham directory are deposited in directory libraries which are maintained in the princi- pal cities of the country, where they serve to advertise the city and and. enable distint inquirers to study Its various features and interests.