1938: Massachusetts

Area and Population.

One of the thirteen original states, Massachusetts ranks 44th in size among the states, with an area of 8,266 sq. mi. In population it ranks 8th, numbering 4,249,614 according to the census of 1930; 4,426,000 on July 1, 1937, according to the latest Federal estimate. Boston, the capital, is also the largest city, 781,188 (census of 1930). Massachusetts has the distinction of having more cities with populations of 50,000 or over, than any other state. Included among the largest are Worcester, 195,311; Springfield, 149,900; Fall River, 115,274; Cambridge, 113,643; New Bedford, 112,597; Somerville, 103,908; Lynn, 102,320; Lowell, 100,234.

Almost all of the inhabitants of the state are of the white race, only 52,365 are Negroes, and 4,323 are of other races. The foreign-born white population numbers 1,054,636, approximately one fourth of the total. About one half of the foreigners have become naturalized citizens.

Industry.

During the first half of the year there was no improvement over the business conditions of the preceding year, and in some lines there was a recession. During the second half of the year, conditions were reported as 13 per cent better than during the preceding six months; the general advancement for the year as a whole was 7 per cent over the year 1937, as shown by the State Planning Board Index of industrial activity.

The following gains were recorded: industrial employment, 17 per cent; electric power consumption, 12 per cent; new building construction, 6 per cent; shoe production, 30 per cent; cotton textiles, 60 per cent. The number of industrial workers increased nearly 17 per cent in the six months from June to December. Payrolls increased about 20 per cent. During the year there was a drop of about 3 per cent in the cost of living. The Christmas business was the largest in seven years.

Foreign trade, however, dropped heavily. Exports, excluding shipments to Canada, were 28 per cent less than the year before. Imports of foreign goods, excluding those from Canada, declined 50 per cent. New building construction was also slow during the early months of the year, but later showed an increase.

Banking.

The latest banking report is for the year 1937. Total deposits for that year in state banking institutions, which include Savings Banks, Trust Companies, Cooperative Banks and Credit Unions, but no National Banks, aggregated $3,045,456,043, a net increase of $26,091,776 over 1936.

Finance.

The latest report of the Treasurer of the Commonwealth shows that the net direct debt of the state on November 30, 1937, the end of the fiscal year, was $26,639,085.37, a decrease of $4,481,516.96 from 1936. The net contingent debt on November 30, 1937, was $57,769,238.56, a decrease of $1,051,859.44.

Education.

The only legislation affecting education during 1938 was that intended to extend the benefit of free University Extension courses to blind persons, disabled veterans, and to provide higher educational opportunities for the children of Massachusetts men and women who died in the military and naval service of the United States, during the World War, or as a result of such service.

In the school year 1936-37 there were enrolled in the public schools 744,702 of a total school age population of 804,950. Expenditures on the schools in that period amounted to $76,540,043.

Events of the Year.

In January 1938 Massachusetts paid the state's first unemployment insurance benefits. During the 1938 session the Legislature killed the sales tax bill. In June Governor Hurley signed a bill suspending workers' contributions to unemployment compensation. Boston's tax rate of $41.30 for 1938 is the highest in her history.

The Hurricane.

On the afternoon and early evening of Sept. 21, a hurricane, unparalleled in local history, swept from the southeast, across the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont, bringing the worst devastation in the history of New England. Old newspapers carried the story of a similar storm in exactly the same area just 123 years before, Sept. 23, 1815. Since at that time the area was not densely populated, the losses were not nearly as great.

During the hurricane, which had not been predicted by the Weather Bureau, the wind varied in intensity from 75 to 100 miles an hour and carried a sweep of water along with it. The storm tide was 11 feet higher than normal, and on top of this were waves 30 feet high which inundated the southeastern coastline of Massachusetts from Westport to Cape Cod. The neighboring state of Rhode Island suffered even greater damage than Boston. The eastern limit of the hurricane passed over the city of Boston, but did not affect the south shore from Boston to Plymouth.

For several days preceding the hurricane, heavy rains in the western section of the state, and in New Hampshire and Vermont, brought the rivers of these sections to flood stages. Large areas in the Connecticut valley were inundated. The cities of Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton and Chicopee were saved from destruction only by the erection of temporary levees constructed with bags filled with sand. The flood reached its highest stage on the morning of the hurricane and had not receded by the time the hurricane swept over the flood waters.

Thousands of persons were en route to their homes when the storm came. Travelers by automobile reported narrow escapes from falling trees. Passengers on railroad trains were marooned all night and part of the next day. For days after the hurricane cities and towns were in darkness caused by the loss of power facilities; homes were without electric and telephone service. Communication with the rest of the country was at a standstill, as was transportation. Only the Portland division of the Boston and Maine Railroad operated on schedule. The Shore Line of the New Haven Railroad to New York City was out of commission for three weeks.

The Governor's commission on Emergency Relief reported property and economic loss to Massachusetts in excess of $300,000,000. On October 27 the Legislature voted $14,250,000 for hurricane damage.

In the area covered by the hurricane, 682 persons lost their lives. Of these, 187 were residents of Massachusetts. Within the state, 445 permanent homes and 2,767 summer homes were totally destroyed. In addition, damage was caused to a total of over 30,000 other homes and buildings.

The estimated crop loss was $10,096,000. The destruction of trees was even greater. Every section within the hurricane area suffered the loss of the most beautiful trees. The value of the fallen timber was estimated at $150,000,000, some of which may be salvaged by the subsequent sale of the lumber. The United States Forestry department counted 120,000,000 trees blown down, about 10 per cent of the trees in the hurricane area. The falling of the trees frequently pulled down adjacent telephone, telegraph and electric wires. The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company, in its account of the hurricane, said that one quarter of its 1,223,000 telephones were without service. Radio was the only means of communication between Providence and Boston. Whole sections of Cape Cod could communicate with the rest of the world, including Boston, only by making use of the Naval Radio service.

Election.

On Nov. 8, 1938, in a Republican landslide, Leverett Saltonstall was elected Governor, defeating former Governor James M. Curley, by a plurality of 148,805 votes. He is the first Republican to be elected Governor of the state since Governor Allen's term which began in 1930. Paul A. Dever, re-elected Attorney-General by 140,232 votes, was the only Democrat elected to state-wide office.

State Officers.

As the result of the November election the chief state officers are as follows: Governor, Leverett Saltonstall; Lieutenant Governor, Horace T. Cahill; Secretary of State, Frederic W. Cook; Treasurer, William F. Hurley; Auditor, Russell A. Wood; Attorney General, Paul A. Dever.

United States Senators:

David I. Walsh, Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.