The Washington times., 1926-01-16
SEES BIC
BIuLD|NG GAIN

p
Building construction in the Is
Southern states for the year of
1925 far ec1ipsed any other year in
the history of the South, reaching
the tremendous total of more than
; $1,225, 900 .0Q0-a gain of more than
q quarter of billion over 1924. &C.
cording to statistics compiled by
the Building Construction Research
Bureau of G. L. Miller & CD, Ma
tionally known investment bond
house specializing in BUILDING con-
struction.
Building figures from official
sources, compiled In the survey,
showed that construction in 1s3
principal cities Of the Sou.h tctaIied
1926, 422. 1922 for the year of 1925 m
comparison with a total % $685.
00S.9S0, a gain Of more thar ID per
cent. 1t was estimated that con-
struction In the large number OF
resort developments and in smaller
cities and towns which do not Of
ficially record building permits,
would add approximately $SVV'-
O00, 200 to the 1926 total.
The survey stated that December
building figures showed construc-
ton still going forward at the same
record breaking pace, which lndl.
Gates that the huge buildirg pro-
gram for 1925 viii be carried into
1926. Building totals for the month
Of December not only gained =
per cent over the same month IN
1924. but exceeded the November
record of 1925 by 25 per cent.
Huge Florida Building Gains
While tremendous building dc.
weIopment in Florida was largely
responsible for the huge gains n
Southern building construction =
was noted that the other fiItsen
states also made gains averaging
more than 10 per cent during Ins
YEAR. Forty cities In Florida re-
ported s302, 507, 53S against SS7,,-
So. AT for the previous year, a gain
of approximately as per cent. The
greater Miami district. which in
cltldes Miami. Coral Gables, Miami
Beach and HiaIeah, registered the
tremendous total of $105, 372.192 as
compared with sd ,52G, 1874 In 1924
Miami alone. with $50, 024, go worth
of construction, led all Southern
cities for the year, outslripping even
such cities as st. Louis. Baltimore.
Kansas City. Houston. Atlanta and
Memphis.
Another outstanding feature Of the
years building program, It was ex
planned, was the large number 81
resort developments which were
made in numerous sections OF the
South. This movement, While most
conspicuously felt in Florida, ex-
tended over a much wide area. The
gulf coast had a remarkable growth,
particularly in the State Of Missis-
sfppi. induced by the purchase of
,as,.,,<,t fS.T1fr1ns-k ard Rf10Yt
by the Illinois Central railroad.
Western North Carolina and East
Tennessee also reported numerous /
important developments, many of
which rival the Florida projects 10th
in extent and cost.
Millions For Industry
The substantial character Of the
development of the South during
the past year was emphasized By
the survey which said:
The fundamental growth Of the |
South: however. is best reflected
BY the fact that more than $780, |
600. 900 Vas invested in the new
individual plants in 1923. The in.
dustriaI strength OF this section vas
also still further emphasized by the
TACT that more than zoe, 900 horse
power Of the new hydroeIectric
power was either brought in during
the year or viii be brought into
production during the early months
OF 1926. Several hundred thousand
Of new horsepower to be secured
from dams TO be erected during 1925
was also announced.
while the textile industry at
large was slightly depressed during
1925, the great southern textile belt
of the Piedmont continued to ex-
pand at an amazing rate. More
than 100000 new spindles and $500 |
looms were added to the South.s
already huge totals and many mil
lions of dollars were spent in afford
ing bleaching and dyeing facilities |
Numerous new hosiery plants were
established during the year.
THE most striking textile expan.
sion, however, lay outside the cot.
ton manufacturing field. Four i'm.
mense rayon plants. were either |
begun or expanded during 1928, |
giving the Southern area at least |
30 per cent of all the rayon pro-
duction in the country. These newt
plants and improvements will rep
resent an investment OF more than /
$21 900. 600 when completed
Diversified textile production is
becoming conspicuous throughout
the textile belt. with several new
silk mills begun. Much of the new
construction is by northern firms
who are moving their machinery I
from northern plants to tie South.
or purchasing existing southern
and expanding them.
One power official makes the L
statement that northern manu-
facturers have so invested sums in
excess of 800, 900 900 during the
past two years
643 Miles of New Railroads
THE Southern railroad lines had
one of their greatest years IN 1925.
and all the leading lines spent i'm
mense sums in improvements,
particularly in double tracking, in.
Sailing block signals and bringing
both roadbed and rolling stock up
20 present day requirements. More
than so per cent Of all new line
laid down in the country for the
year was in Southern territory.
The total for the South in all
lines was 643.53 miles.
"One of the most important
events OF the year was an an
nounccment of the Atlantic Coast
Line that its extensive improve.
ment plan begun in 1920 at a cost
or more than $1Q0.000.0 900. had been