The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-30
2,394 HOMES BUILT IN YEAR
 BY RESIDENTS
Total Number Of Buildings For Period Is 6,145, Accord ing To Figures Compiled By Office Of City Inspector
 BRICK AND HOLLOW TILE BECOMES MORE POPULAR Money Involved In Program Is $9,717,520, As Against 1922 Aggregate 0fS7,645,- 966-Many Dwellings

Birmingham established, a record for new buildings and money invest ed in them during the fiscal year that closes with this September that leads the next best year by thou sand buildings and more than two million dollars.
 An idea of the tremendous advance made in this phase of the city's growth can be grasped from the fact hat the amount of money invested in 1923 in excess of the money spent for such purposes last year is about equal to or greater than the entire investment for the year 1909 or any preceding year.
 The average rate of new buildings per day for the year was 16. The total number of new buildings IS 6,145.
 The year t992 was considered Bir- mingham's banner year. It showed an investment of $7,645,966 in new buildings, bEt this year was $2,ttT,- 554 above that figure with grand total of S9,T17,520. This sum is greater than the total for 1915, 19l6. II 917 and 1918 combined, and those were the war period years with their war babies" and lavish expenditures
 It is often said that Birmingham is s ' people each year. The men who op- crate the real estate business and ad"isa realty investors are convinced of this, it is shown in the number Of new homes built, 2,@54. With the average family reckoned at the rate of five persons to the family, these homes represent accommodation for 11,970 additional people. This an nual record shows dwellings, were built during the wear at the rate ot more than six g day. Save, for 192D, 1921 and 1922, more money was spent in Birmingham this year for resi- dences alone than for all classes of year,
 Brick Becoming Popular.
 An interesting feature of the an nual report of City Building lnspec- tor J. F. Spencer, as compiled py Chief Clerk Claude Kendrick, is the steady ratio of increase in the amount of money invested in brick aud hollow tile structures, indicat- ing that the city is steadily replac- ing wood with permanent material. For brick and hollow tile structures, IFS total for the year, represent an outlay of S2,279,S32. This figure is on parity with the total invest mont in building in 1909, greater ihuh any year preceding 1909, and iu the same financial class with several years since 1909.
 As great as the advancement in Dutding m 1929 has been over pre- codins years, authorities say t would haVc been even greater but for the unusual advance in material and labor costs which brought opera : lions to limp in midsummer and slowed down wave of building that would have carried the figures 10 heights far higher than those res istered.
 Points of interest in the building inspectors report for the year are Ag follows; Frame structures, 9.394, costing $4,559,227; apartment houses, 10, costing S512.500i brick and hollow tile structures, 173, cos.- ng $3,e79,S32; concrete and stone structures 6, costing S37l. 100; fire proof structures, 2S, costing $7l6,- 1l4; repairs to frame buildings, : o23. costing s4O3, 3,425S miscellaneous buildings elevators, heating plants, fire escapes and other items bring the total investment to $9,71752o.