1940: Nevada

Area and Population.

First settled in 1849, after the land had been acquired from Mexico, Nevada was made a territory in 1861 and was admitted into the Union as a rapidly growing mining state on Oct. 31, 1864. It ranks 6th in size among the states, with an area of 110,690 sq. mi. In population it ranks 48th, numbering 110,247 according to the U.S. Census of 1940, compared with 91,058 in 1930. Reno has now a population of 21,317, and is the largest city in Nevada. Other cities are Las Vegas, 8,422; Sparks, 5,318; Ely, 4,140; and Elko, 4,094. The capital is Carson City, with 2,478, the smallest capital in the U.S. Of the total population 90 per cent are whites; Indians, Mexicans, and Orientals make up the remaining to per cent. The total area of Indian reservations and colonies, on Jan 1, 1940 was 800,000 acres, and a U.S. Indian Census of that year gave the Indian population of Nevada as 5,462.

Agriculture.

According to the farm census of 1935, Nevada had 3,696 farms with an area of 3,621,796 acres, of which 379,658 were crop land.

On Jan. 1, 1941, there were in the state 360,000 beef cattle, 21,000 dairy cows, 23,000 swine, 840,0000 sheep, 39,000 horses, 2,000 mules and 310,000 chickens.

Mining Products.

The total value of gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc products in Nevada in 1939 was $30,480,870, exceeding that of every year since 1929, except 1937.

In 1939, production from 891 lode mines and 104 placer mines amounted to 361,518 fine ounces of gold valued at $12,653,130; 4,316,029 fine ounces of silver valued at $2,929,668; 133,194,000 pounds of copper valued at $13,852,176; 8,472,000 pounds of lead valued at $398,184; and 12,456,000 pounds of zinc valued at $647,712.

Estimates for mineral products during 1940 indicated an increase in the production of all metals. The greater need for strategic metals caused rapid development work in all the mining counties in Nevada. Especially noteworthy was the activity in the mining of tungsten ores, the production of which in 1940 promised again to exceed that of any state in the Union. In 1939 Nevada had produced 2,091 tons of concentrates. Mercury mines throughout Nevada were also active, because of high prices due to war conditions.

The program providing for the expenditure of $1,000,000 for domestic manganese ore beneficiation, by the metallurgical division of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, was reported to be well under way at the close of 1940. Plans are being made for the construction of a large pilot plant at Boulder City, Nev., at a cost of $400,000, for the electrolytic beneficiation of manganese ores.

Education.

A building program for the construction of a new engineering building and a gymnasium, at the University of Nevada, in Reno, was well under way at the close of the year. The completed engineering building is to cost $175,000.

In 1940 there were in Nevada 259 elementary schools, 14 kindergartens, and 45 high schools, with 633 elementary teachers, 14 kindergarten teachers, and 268 high school teachers. The total expenditures for schools during the 1939-1940 school year were $3,128,746.82. The average salary of the elementary teachers was $1,433, and of the high school teachers $1,866. Nevada high schools have evidenced, during the year 1940, a greatly increased interest in vocational guidance, the trend being sponsored by the Department of Education. Pupil enrollment in Nevada has shown a 10 per cent increase both in high schools and primary grades.

Finance.

The state of Nevada has a treasury surplus and has no bonded debt to outside interests, as all outstanding bonds are held by various departments of the state, having been purchased for the benefit of state trust funds. The bonded debt outstanding in June 1940, amounted to $513,000. The various trust funds — excepting the Nevada Industrial Commission fund — had investments with a par value of $3,606,964. In June 1940, bonds held in trust for the Commission fund had a value of $2,625,000. Nevada received $1,961,063.94 from the Federal Government for highway construction and improvements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1940.

The present tax rate is fifty-eight cents per hundred dollars based upon a total assessed valuation of $190,189,855.54. The state constitution provides that the total tax levy for all purposes, shall not exceed five cents on each dollar of assessed valuation. Nevada has no sales tax, state income tax or inheritance tax. The last was repealed in 1925. All mining companies pay a quarterly tax based on the net proceeds of the mines.

Social Security accounts, handled by the State Treasurer's Office, comprise State Welfare, Old-Age Assistance, and Unemployment Compensation.

Events of the Year.

The outstanding events of 1940 were the re-election to the Senate on Nov. 5, of Key Pittman, U.S. Senator for Nevada for 26 years, and his death in Reno on Nov. 10 after a brief illness.

As to state legislation there have been no changes in Nevada's tax law, but in recent years laws concerning Workman's Unemployment Compensation, Child Labor, and the legalizing of open gambling have been passed. The following amendments to the state constitution were approved during 1940: all license fees and gasoline taxes, paid by motor vehicles, are to be expended for public highways; legislators are denied the power to abolish any county in Nevada unless the voters of the county first approve such abolishment.

State Officers.

Governor, E. P. Carville; Lieutenant Governor, Maurice J. Sullivan; Secretary of State, Malcolm McEachin; Attorney General, Gray Mashburn; State Treasurer, Dan W. Franks; State Controller, Henry C. Schmidt; State Auditor, Don G. LaRue; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mildred Bray.

United States Senators:

Pat McCarran, Berkeley Lloyd Bunker.