1940: Michigan

Area and Population.

Officially recognized by Congress as a state of the Union on Jan. 26, 1837, Michigan ranks 22nd in size among the states, with a land area of 57,980 sq. mi. It has also a Great Lakes water area of 40,000 sq. mi. Its shore line extends 1,624 mi. on the Great Lakes. In population it ranks 7th, numbering 5,256,106, according to the census of 1940, an increase of 8.5 per cent since 1930. The largest cities are: Detroit, 1,623,452; Grand Rapids, 164,292; and Flint, 151,543. Others are Saginaw, 82,794; Lansing, the capital, 78,753; Dearborn, 63,584; Hamtramck, 49,839. Of the 1930 population, foreign-born white numbered 840,268.

Education.

With few exceptions, education in Michigan is compulsory for children from 7 to 16 years of age. Usually, however, children begin kindergarten work at five. The public school enrollment for the year 1939-40 approximated 1,000,000. The development of community schools is causing both the total number of districts, and the number of districts maintaining high schools, to decrease. There are now approximately 6,400 school districts, of which 600 maintain approved high schools. Almost 33,000 teachers are employed, who receive an annual average salary of approximately $1,600.

A study of the number of pupils continuing into high schools brings out the fact that whereas in 1920 the percentage of the entire enrollment, in grades 9 to 12, was only 25 per cent, that percentage had increased to almost 45, twenty years later. Almost 80 per cent of the youngsters from small rural schools now carry on their studies in the ninth grade in other districts.

Health Program.

Full-time local health service, especially for the rural areas of the state, has been a major objective of Michigan's 1940 public-health program. The addition of three counties brought the number served by full-time county or district health departments up to 63, leaving only 20 which still need to establish such departments. The high spots in the state health-program for the year were improvement in sanitation in the resort sections; a more extensive industrial hygiene program in the cities, in preparation for defense measures; more widespread and cheaper tuberculosis case-finding through a new $10,000 mobile diagnostic unit; greater attention to postgraduate medical education in its relation to better obstetrical and pediatric service; and marked increase in variety and volume of laboratory service to physicians. The state will probably record for 1940 the lowest infant and maternal death rates in its history.

Mineral Products.

Production of iron ore, in which Michigan ranks second among the states, was increased in 1939 to a total of 11,238,605 tons, with a value of $37,026,665. The flow of petroleum again reached a new high at 22,799,000 bbl. as against 19,211,000 bbl. in the preceding year. Salt, a product in which Michigan leads the Union, amounted to 2,408,872 tons. The output of copper for the year was $9,402,464 pounds. Production of gypsum, in which Michigan ranks next to New York, the leading state, amounted in 1939 to 643,190 tons. In 1938 the total value of Michigan's minerals was $81,380,602.

Industry.

Michigan ranks first in the Union in production of automobiles, auto-accessories, engines, refrigerators, adding machines, chemical products, drugs and pharmaceuticals. The principal automobile centers are Detroit, Flint, Lansing, and Pontiac. One of the world's largest furniture centers is Grand Rapids. The Dow Chemical plant at Midland is world-famed. Battle Creek is noted for its cereal and breakfast-food preparations. Kalamazoo is the seat of the world's largest book-paper factory. Michigan's three large steel mills increased production in 1938.

Michigan is a recognized leader in airplane and engine production. In 1940 Michigan was the fourth state in the Union in the number of licensed airports, and fifth in the number of airplanes and licensed pilots.

Highways.

At the close of the 1940 construction season, Michigan was engaged in the most intensive road-building program in its history. This included the first military road in the current national defense program at Fort Custer, near Battle Creek.

Recognized as the capital state of the automobile industry, Michigan is also rapidly assuming a leading position among tourist states, and its highway system of more than 9,000 miles was credited in a statewide tourist survey in 1940 with being the chief factor in attracting new vacationists.

Between $50,000,000 and $60,000,000 are expended annually on Michigan's system of highways, of which more than 6,000 miles are hard-surfaced. The Highway Department also maintains 3,500 picnic tables along the trunk-line system. In addition, it maintains 160 roadside parks, and three information lodges at strategic points, for the convenience of tourists. The Department's tree-planting and roadside-landscaping program caused A. D. Taylor, landscape consultant of the U. S. Forest Service, to declare recently that Michigan has the most beautiful roadsides in America.

An aid to the state in encouraging and cultivating a growing winter-sports program is the policy of the Highway Department in keeping Michigan highways open the year around. This work involves the removal of snow and ice from every mile of state road, as well as alongside curves and hills.

Civil Service.

The 1939 amendment to the State Civil Service Law removed from the jurisdiction of the State Civil Service Commission approximately one-half of the positions in the state service. Throughout 1940 the State Civil Service Commission continued to carry on in examining, classification, and other personnel activities for the reduced classified service.

A popularly initiated amendment to the State Constitution, which returns to the jurisdiction of the State Civil Service Commission all those positions which had been exempted under the 1939 legislation, and which greatly strengthens the powers of the State Civil Service Commission, was submitted to the people on Nov. 5, 1940. The amendment was adopted and took effect on Jan. 1, 1941. It is estimated that approximately 18,000 of the 18,700 state positions will be subject to the rules of the new Civil Service Commission.

The new Commission will be a bi-partisan, nonsalaried board of four members, with overlapping, eight-year terms. The Commission appoints the Civil Service Director.

Banking.

The total assets of Michigan's State Banks during 1940 amounted to $889,521,310.79, as reported on Dec. 31, reflecting an increase during the year of $122,389,962.36. Total deposits in the banks, following the nationwide trend, rose to new peaks with an increase of $117,526,552.54. An expansion of credit is evident in the growing total of loans and discounts, which at the end of the year stood at $269,000,000 as against $229,000,000 on Dec. 31, 1939. However, the volume of available funds seeking employment is still considerably in excess of the demands for credit.

Particular satisfaction is taken in noting that the total capital structures of Michigan State Banks have increased $3,585,672 during the year, notwithstanding that preferred capital stock totaling $2,230,715 has been retired.

During 1940 dividends totaling $6,534,298.68 were paid to depositors of banks closed at the time of the banking holiday in 1933, with further substantial recoveries expected.

Finance and Taxation.

Michigan leans heavily upon the 3 per cent sales tax for support of government, particularly for additional costs of education and welfare. During 1939 the sales tax amounted to approximately $52,000,000. The total state revenue from all sources was in the neighborhood of $200,000,000. The total assessed valuation of the state, equalized, was about five and a half billion dollars.

The general property tax, amounting to $167,296,253.04 in 1939, was the major source of revenue, the sales tax coming second. The major source of revenue for the schools is still property taxes. State aid from sales tax comes second, with approximately $25,000,000, followed by a primary school fund which is levied by the State Tax Commission on railroads, telephones, etc., in turn supplemented by insurance and inheritance taxes.

The public Debt Commission (created in 1932) has supervision of the issuing of bonds and the refunding of same, by the 8,200 municipalities of Michigan. These municipalities now have outstanding about $650,000,000 in funded debts. Since the creation of the Commission, more than 250 municipalities have been brought out of default; only three remain in default at the present time. The Commission has approved refunding plans of over half a billion dollars. The Commission consists of the State Treasurer, Attorney General, and Auditor General, and is under the direct supervision of an employed manager.

State Officers.

Governor, Murray D. Van Wagoner; Secretary of State, Harry F. Kelly; Treasurer, Theodore I. Fry; Attorney General, Herbert J. Rushton; Auditor General, Vernon J. Brown; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Eugene B. Elliott.

United States Senators:

Arthur H. Vandenberg, Prentiss M. Brown.