1938: Mississippi

Area and Population.

Admitted to statehood, Dec. 10, 1817, Mississippi ranks 31st in size among the states, with an area of 46,865 sq. mi. In population it ranks 23rd, numbering 2,009,821 according to the census of 1930; 2,023,000 on July 1, 1937, according to the latest Federal estimate. The largest cities are Jackson, the capital, 48,282; Meridian, 31,954; Vicksburg, 22,943. Other important cities are Hattiesburg, 18,601; Laurel, 18,017; Biloxi, 14,850; Greenville, 14,807; Natchez, 13,422.

By the 1930 census, 99.6 per cent of Mississippi's population were native-born, the state ranking third highest in the nation in this respect. Mississippi was the only state in the Union which in 1930 showed a majority of Negroes in the total population. But although 50.3 per cent of the population in that year were Negroes, the state's white population has so increased in proportion since 1890 that the 1940 census should show a larger percentage of white people than Negroes.

Agriculture and Industry.

Strenuous efforts are being made to diversify the predominance of cotton in Mississippi's agriculture, and also to balance agriculture with industry. Industries using farm products enjoyed a successful year during 1938. A tire factory which will use cotton fibre is under construction at Natchez, in the state's 'balance agriculture with industry' plan. Plants which have been buying timber from state farmers for the production of wood pulp and naval stores have prospered. The nation's first and only sweet potato starch plant, at Laurel, completed its biggest season in 1938. The state continued to increase its tung tree acreage, which already totals more than the combined total of all other states.

Mississippi's interest in markets for its farm products led to the formation of a National Cotton Council during the year, with the object of broadening the base for cotton uses, and concerted efforts were also made to secure for Mississippi the Southern Federal Farm Research Laboratory. A State Advertising Commission used the 'farm chemurgic' theme — the alliance of agriculture with chemistry — in a national campaign to secure new industries.

Forced to restrict its acreage in cotton, the state has turned more to forestry as an industry, and to the exploitation of its rich clay deposits. The continued improvement of beef as well as dairy cattle herds keeps Mississippi at the top of the cotton states in the livestock and dairy products business.

Mineral Products.

Natural gas, of which Mississippi produced about 14,248,000 cu. ft. in 1937, compared with 11,821,000 (value, $2,646,000) in 1936, represented the largest share of the total value of the year's mineral products. This total amounted to $3,831,784 in 1936. Additional values came chiefly from clays, sand and gravel.

Education.

In the school year ending in June 1937 the total enrollment of pupils in Mississippi's public schools was 720,200. School expenditures for the same period amounted to $50,666,044.

Finance.

A pioneer among states in the use of a sales tax, which is now its chief revenue producer, Mississippi continued to make interesting reforms in its revenue system during the year, chiefly by exempting homesteads from ad valorem taxation for current revenues, both state and local.

Events of the Year.

The year 1938 was noteworthy in Mississippi for the continuation of a four-year highway construction program which will total $90,000,000. Approximately 3,000 miles of roads in a priority system will be hard-surfaced by the completion of the program. Tourist travel has shown tremendous increases, especially to the Gulf Coast, Natchez and Vicksburg.

State Officers.

The chief state officers are as follows: Governor, Hugh L. White; Lieutenant-Governor, J. B. Snider; Secretary of State, Walker Wood; Attorney General, Greek L. Rice; Treasurer, Newton James; Auditor, Carl N. Craig; Superintendent of Education, J. S. Vandiver.

United States Senators:

Pat (Byron Patton) Harrison, Theodore Gilmore Bilbo.