1940: New Hampshire

Area and Population.

One of the thirteen original states, New Hampshire is sometimes referred to as the 'Granite State.' With an area of 9,282 sq. mi., its population (U. S. census of 1940) is 491,524, representing an increase of 26,231 or 5.6 per cent over that of 1930. The capital is Concord, with 27,171 inhabitants. Other cities exceeding 15,000, are Manchester, 77,685; Nashua, 32,927; Berlin, 19,084. During the decade from 1930 to 1940, the rural population of New Hampshire grew more rapidly than that of the urban areas, thus reversing a trend which had existed from 1820 to 1930. According to the 1930 census, of the white population, 381,690 were American born, while 82,660 were of foreign birth. Among the foreign-born were the following: immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland, 11,539; French Canadians, 37,682; other Canadians, 13,277.

Education.

For the school year ending June 30, 1937, there were 77,374 children registered in the public schools of New Hampshire. They included 56,082 elementary pupils, 20,012 high school pupils, and 1,280 evening-school pupils. Most recent data available show that there are in New Hampshire some 1,941 public schools, including 103 approved public high schools, 16 public academies approved as high schools, 5 accredited private academies, 612 private schools and two teachers' colleges, the latter located at Plymouth and Keene, respectively. Total state expenditures for public education, for the year ending June 30, 1939, were $8,547,642.

In secondary schools, the average of teachers' salaries, for the years 1936-1937, was, for men, $1,934, and for women, $1,374; in elementary schools the average for men was $1,338, and for women, $1,007. There were at that time 2,156 elementary teachers and 839 high-school teachers. There were also approximately 33,000 pupils enrolled in private schools, which included almost 21,000 in parochial schools. The latter figure probably represents as large a proportion as is to be found in any other state in the Union.

Agriculture.

The principal farm products are milk and cream, potatoes, apples, and live poultry, marketed principally in cities of eastern and central Massachusetts, and in New York City. Maple syrup and maple sugar are also important items. The number of farms in 1935 was 17,695, with an average size of 119.6 acres. Lumber production in 1937 was estimated at 157,000,000 board feet. Throughout the year 1940, lumbering operations have been continued on a large scale, in an effort to salvage the timber felled by the hurricane of 1938. The amount of white pine lumber made available by the storm is estimated at 500,000,000 board feet.

Industry.

The industries of New Hampshire are marked by their diversity and by the relatively large number of small plants. Their principal products are textiles, boots and shoes, paper and wood pulp, a variety of other wood products, and machinery. The value of manufactures in 1937 was estimated at $249,631,724. The wholesale trade of New Hampshire in 1939 amounted to $64,263,000, an increase of 18.9 per cent over 1935, and of 4.6 per cent over 1929.

The New Hampshire State Planning and Development Commission, in a report issued in 1939, estimated that there had been more than a 50 per cent increase in the value of manufactured products during the period 1933 to 1937.

Recreational activities, including summer resorts and camps, winter sports, etc., are of increasing importance in the state's resources; in 1936, they produced an estimated gross income of $9,641,503.

A mineral survey carried out in 1940 revealed that in 1937, minerals to the value of $1,219,869 were sold, about 82 per cent being accounted for by granite, clays, sand, and gravel. Some mica and feldspar are also produced.

Banking and Finance.

Savings banks and savings departments of trust companies reported deposits of $205,579,479, as of June 30, 1940, representing an increase over June 30, 1939, of $1,115,064. For the fourth consecutive year there was an increase in the number of savings accounts, the total of 314,400 on June 30, 1940, being 2,256 greater than for June 30, 1939.

There were, in 1940, 27 building and loan associations with resources of $12,543,567, an increase of $573,113 over the preceding year. Cash receipts of the State Treasury Department, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1939, were $38,502,796; cash disbursements, $39,302,215. The net total bond and note and temporary loan debt, on June 30, 1939, was $10,328,744. Action taken by the Legislature in 1937 and 1939, regarding a debt reorganization plan for financing, has resulted in a more orderly plan for debt retirement.

Political and Legislative Affairs.

In the November election of 1940, the Republican candidate for Governor, Robert O. Blood, carried the state by a vote of 112,401, over 109,138 for his Democratic opponent, F. Clyde Keefe. In the presidential election, however, Franklin D. Roosevelt carried the state by a popular vote of 125,292, as compared with 110,127 for Wendell L. Willkie.

The General Court convened for its 163rd session on Jan. 31, 1941. During the year 1940 the State Supreme Court held constitutional the sales tax on tobacco levied by the Legislature at its last session, thus marking a shift in the position of the Court concerning the taxation of single commodities. The revenue derived from this source made a state property tax unnecessary. During 1940 the state completed a large flood-control and conservation project on the Connecticut River at Pittsburg, while the War Department began the construction of flood-control projects at Surry Mountain on the Ashuelot River, at Webster on the Blackwater River, and at Franklin Falls on the Pemigewasset.

State Officers.

Governor, Robert O. Blood; Secretary of State, Enoch D. Fuller; State Treasurer, F. Gordon Kimball; Commissary-General, Charles F. Bowen; Attorney-General, Frank R. Kenison.

United States Senators:

H. Styles Bridges, Charles W. Tobey.