1938: Idaho

Area and Population.

Although eleven states of the Union are larger than Idaho, which has an area of 83,354 square miles, more land and water are included within its boundaries than make up the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia and Delaware. More than half of the land area is included in national parks, national monuments, national forests, Indian reservations, state parks and forests and other public lands, thus assuring recreational facilities for a long time to come.

Admitted to statehood July 3, 1890, Idaho ranks 42nd in population, numbering 445,032 according to the census of 1930; 493,000 on July 1, 1937, according to the latest Federal estimate. Approximately 65 per cent of the people are engaged in some form of agriculture, or living in rural settlements of less than 1,000 persons. About 75 per cent of the population are native white of native parentage, slightly more than 20 per cent are native white of foreign or mixed parentage, and only slightly more than 1 per cent are Negroes. The largest cities are Boise, the capital, 21,544 (1930 census); Pocatello, 16,471; Idaho Falls, 9,429.

Agriculture.

The increasing importance of irrigation in the regulated agricultural economy of the nation, has turned additional attention to Idaho during the past year. Here nearly 2,500,000 acres of land are irrigated, placing Idaho third in the list of states with irrigated farm lands. The fortuitous combinations of circumstances which gave the state a general slope from the foothills of the Rocky mountains toward the west, where broad, flat areas of sagebrush-covered land awaited only water to bring about intensive cultivation, also provided the drop in altitude necessary to produce hydro-electric power. Only one state has a higher per capita use of electric power, and approximately 50 per cent of all the farms in the state use electrical energy.

Mineral Products.

Idaho's leading mineral products, silver, lead, gold, zinc and copper, increased substantially in value in 1937, from $27,654,472 in 1936, to $37,840,184. The estimated value for 1938 is $28,742,000. Production of silver, in which Idaho leads the Union, advanced from 14,537,530 oz., valued at $11,259,317 in 1936, to 19,587,766 oz. valued at $15,151,137. Lead rose from 182,678,000 pounds to 207,422,000 pounds (value, $12,237,898). Gold was nearly stationary, with 81,861 oz. in 1937 (value, $2,865,135) as against 80,291 oz. in 1936. In the production of zinc, there was a 10 per cent increase over 1936, represented by 108,398,000 pounds, with a value of $7,045,870, the highest in the history of Idaho. The gain in copper production amounted to 51 per cent, or 4,464,000 pounds in 1937 as against 2,954,000 in 1936.

Education.

The educational authorities of the state have sponsored a program of consolidation of small school districts in a dual-purpose campaign to reduce the cost of education and improve the standard of teaching in the rural sections. In 1936-37 the total enrollment of pupils in the public schools was 123,730. The expenditure on public school education for the same period amounted to $10,728,117.

Finance.

According to reports of the National Industrial Conference Board, Idaho, with a total income of $234,000,000 in 1937, made a gain over the preceding year of 15.2 per cent, while eleven western states showed an average of only 5.35 per cent. Of approximately $178,000,000 gross income from mines, forests and farms during 1937, about $37,000,000 came from lead, zinc, silver and gold mines; almost $30,000,000 from the forests; and $111,000,000 from agriculture, grazing, dairying, etc.

Legislative and Other Events.

Although Idaho's biennial legislature did not meet in regular session during 1938, an act creating a state fish and game commission was approved by the voters at the general election in November. At the same time a Republican governor and lieutenant governor were elected for the first time in eight years. The other state officers chosen were Democrats.

Inspired by the results of the national publicity and prominence given to Sun Valley Lodge, both as a winter sports resort and as a base for summer recreational activities, state authorities have paid greater attention during the year to publicizing Idaho's scenic and tourist advantages. Tourist travel is to be one of the important features of Idaho's exhibit at the Golden Gate International Exposition at San Francisco.

State Officers.

The present official family of Idaho consists of the following members: Governor, C. A. Bottolfsen; Lieutenant Governor, D. S. Whitehead; Secretary of State, George H. Curtis; Auditor, Calvin E. Wright; Treasurer, Mrs. Myrtle P. Enking; Attorney General, J. W. Taylor; Supt. of Public Instruction, John W. Condie.

United States Senators.

William E. Borah and D. Worth Clark.