1940: New York

Area and Population.

New York, the Empire State, has a land and water area of 49,204 sq. mi. It is the leading state in the Union in population, which, according to the 1940 census, is 13,479,142. Of these, more than half live in New York City. The state increase is 7.1 per cent, or 891,076, since 1930, when the population was 12,588,066. More than half of the increase, or 449,813 persons are residents of New York City.

The capital of the state is Albany, with a population of 130,577. The largest cities are New York, 7,454,995; Buffalo, 575,901; Rochester, 324,975; Syracuse, 205,967; Yonkers, 142,598; Utica, 100,518; Schenectady, 87,549, and Binghamton, 78,242. New York City and Albany are ports for ocean-going vessels.

Agriculture.

The greatest agricultural problem in the state is still the distribution of milk. Hearings have been conducted since Oct. 7, 1940, by the State Department of Agriculture, on the principle of $2.82 per hundred-weight for class 1 (drinking) milk as a base price paid to dairy farmers.

Meanwhile the Department of Agriculture awarded contracts to eight New York City handlers for supplying milk to 39 schools and low-income areas, and to the New York City Welfare Department for distribution at 596 free school-lunch centers. Milk supplied to schools will be made available to pupils at one cent for a half-pint, and free at centers where free school lunches are served. Handlers will receive a subsidy from the United States Surplus Marketing Administration averaging 5.67 cents a quart for quantities delivered in half-pint packages and 3.9 cents a quart for milk delivered in 40-quart cans.

On Nov. 20, 1940, the State Health Commissioner announced an amendment to the State Sanitary Code to be effective April 1, 1941, providing that only one grade of milk will be sold in upstate New York. Such a ruling was already in effect in New York City.

Industry.

New York's three leading manufacturing industries have to do with: (1) textiles and their products, including men's and women's clothing, knit goods, and millinery; (2) printing and publishing; and (3) food and kindred products. These three industries employ about 50 per cent of the total number of wage earners in the state. Approximately 75 per cent of the state's manufacturing plants are located in New York City.

Weekly earnings of all New York State factory employees, both office and shop, averaged $27.29 a week in 1939, as against $26.29 in 1938. In 1929 the average weekly earnings were $29.99.

From April 1, 1939, to December 31, 1939, there were 968,986 claims filed for unemployment insurance. Of these, 793,375 were found eligible. At the beginning of the year funds on hand for employment insurance totalled $138,189,795, and a net total of $80,019,224 was paid out during 1939. Persons registered with the state employment service as actively seeking work at the end of 1939 numbered 566,292.

Mineral Products.

Production of the state's most important minerals compared favorably in 1939 with the figures for 1938. Petroleum amounted to 5,098,000 bbl.; building stone had a value of $10,111,032, and cement added $9,866,102 to the state's resources. Gypsum, in which New York leads, amounted to 709,495 tons; and salt, in which the state stands second, totalled 2,041,492 tons. Production of pig iron and of coke were substantially increased over that of 1938, with 2,210,223 tons of the former and 4,468,437 tons of the latter.

Education.

During the 1938-39 school year, 2,244,134 pupils were enrolled in the public schools of the state, 1,513,303 in the elementary grades and 730,831 in the secondary. This was a decrease of 40,096 pupils in the elementary and an increase of 29,578 in the secondary schools from the 1937-38 figures. There were approximately 9,000 elementary schools in the state; 854 four-year high schools, 126 junior high schools, and 269 centralized schools. Private schools reporting to the Education Department for the 1938-39 school year enrolled 93,945 pupils from 287 academies.

The number of teachers in the public high schools was 25,999, their average salary being $2,400 in cities and $1,500 in rural districts; teachers in the public elementary schools numbered 56,393, their average salary being $2,100 in cities and $1,300 in rural districts. The cost of maintaining the public schools in 1938-39 was $347,775,704.30 of which the state contributed $123,885,607.96. The amount of state aid appropriated for the 1939-40 school year was $116,780,809, which represented a 2 per cent reduction authorized by law.

A law passed in 1940 requires the State Commissioner of Education to allow absences from school for religious education and observances. In New York City this requirement has been met by allowing such absence during the last school hour on Wednesday for attendance at approved religious centers of the three denominations: Catholic, Jewish and Protestant.

Public Finances.

The total revenue receipts paid into the state treasury for the fiscal year 1939-1940 amounted to $393,542,188.97. This was $33,766,140.95 more than the previous year. The increased revenue was due almost entirely to increased alcoholic beverage and beer taxes, and the cigarette tax. The cigarette tax yielded $20,436,776.60. Although the racing season had hardly begun at the end of the fiscal year 1939-1940, the pari-mutuel tax had already yielded $2,056,560.06.

Social Welfare.

Home-relief expenditures in the state for the fiscal year 1938-1939 totalled $146,757,240, or $97,191,441 in New York City and $49,565,799 upstate. Old-age assistance amounted to $32,951,197: $16,023,540 for New York City and $16,927,657 upstate. Aid to dependent children totalled $21,003,834: $15,097,023 for New York City, $5,906,811 upstate. Assistance to the blind amounted to $800,539: $466,253 for New York City and $334,286 upstate.

Legislation.

The Legislature was in regular session from January 3 to April 29, 1940. On October 22 a special session was held, to provide for absentee voting for the National Guard in training camps, and to extend the voting hours in the state until 9 P.M. for the 1940 general election.

The greatest problem which confronted the Legislature in 1940 was the establishment of a system of pari-mutuel betting on horse racing. This was authorized by Section 9, Article I, of the Constitution, as adopted by the voters in 1939. The bill became law on March 31, 1940. Pari-mutuel betting was legally inaugurated on April 15th. As estimated by the racing associations, the total tax revenue from this system, received by the state at the end of the 1940 racing season, which lasted only 174 days on 5 tracks, amounted to $5,572,727.

Other important legislation enacted at the regular session included authority for credit unions to establish a central credit union insurance fund; the establishment of a savings-bank life-insurance fund in the state banking department; laws prohibiting unlicensed resale of theater and other amusement tickets, and permission to charge fees from visitors at historic sites, except that children under 16 are to be admitted free. Among other new and increased fees were the following: $3 for certificates for librarians' and teachers' licenses; professional license fees increased from $1 to $2.25; license fee for private trade schools raised from $25 to $50, annual renewal from $10 to $20; renewal of correspondence school license increased from $10 to $20.

The sale of fireworks is now prohibited except for public display purposes.

The state was authorized to acquire the Bear Mountain Bridge across the Hudson, near West Point, at a price not exceeding $2,300,000, to be collected in tolls. The sum of $100,000 to the Conservation Department was appropriated for a program of information and publicity to induce more travel over New York state routes and for general advertising of the attractions and advantages of the state. An amendment to the State Constitution was adopted by the Legislature authorizing a 'lump-sum' budget, the subject of much controversy in 1939. This amendment will have to be passed again in 1941 before it is submitted to the people. (See also MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.)

National Defense.

The subject of greatest interest to Governor Lehman in 1940 was the state's part in the national defense program. New York's strategic position and important resources in industry would make it one of the key states for attack. In order to speed up production, increase the manufacturing of war material in the state, and bring to the national defense all the agencies available, the Governor created on Aug. 1, 1940, a State Council of National Defense. Charles Poletti, the Lieutenant-Governor, was appointed vice-chairman and Thomas L. J. Corcoran, secretary.

In connection with defense preparations the Governor has inaugurated: (1) a census of important manufacturing establishments in the state; (2) the organization of the police as a home defense unit; (3) a survey of available medical service; and (4) an investigation of subversive activities.

State Officers.

Governor, Herbert H. Lehman; Lieutenant Governor, Charles Poletti; Comptroller, Morris S. Tremaine; Attorney General, John J. Bennett, Jr.; Secretary of State, Michael F. Walsh; Commissioner of Education, Dr. Ernest E. Cole.

United States Senators:

Robert F. Wagner, James M. Mead.