1938: Nevada

Area and Population.

First settled in 1849. Nevada was made a territory in 1861, and was admitted into the Union on October 31, 1864. The state has three popular names, the 'Sagebrush,' the 'Silver' and 'One Sound State.' It ranks 6th in size among the states, with an area of 110,690 sq. mi. In population it ranks 48th, numbering 91,058 according to the Census of 1930; 102,000 according to a Federal estimate of July 1, 1938. The largest cities are Reno, 18,529; and Las Vegas, 5,165. The capital is Carson City, 1,596, the smallest capital in the United States.

Of the population 37.8 per cent is urban, 17.9 per cent rural farm, and 44.3 per cent rural non-farm; 89.4 per cent are whites, and 10 per cent are foreign-born, divided as follows: Indians 6.6 per cent, Mexicans and Orientals 3.4 per cent. The total area of Indian Reservations and Colonies on January 1, 1939, was 795.576 acres, and a United States census taken in 1938 stated that the Indian population of Nevada numbered 5,381.

Agriculture.

According to the farm census of 1935, Nevada had then 3,696 farms with a farm area of 3,621,769 acres, of which 379,658 acres were crop land.

On January 1, 1937, there were in the state 37,000 horses, 21,000 dairy cows, 342,213 all cattle, 834,091 sheep and 20,000 swine. United States reports show that in 1936 the wool clip yielded 6,318,000 pounds of wool from 810,000 sheep.

Minerals.

The 1938 Minerals Yearbook gives the Nevada production of gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc as $34,617,056 in 1937, compared with $29,289,903 in 1936. The leading product, copper, in which Nevada ranks fourth in the Union, rose to a new high, at 149,206,000 pounds compared with 141.392,000 in 1936. The corresponding values were $18,053,026 (1937), as against $13,008,064 the preceding year. This amounted to about 52 per cent of the total value of the five chief metals. Production of gold, in which Nevada ranks third among the states, amounted to 281,332 oz., (value 29 per cent of total), a slight decrease from the previous year. Silver also showed a drop in production, from 5,068,786 oz. in 1936 to 4,864,750. Production of these metals during 1938, encouraged by cheaper power rates in the south-eastern sections of the state, will be maintained at a high level. Nevada retained its position as the principal tungsten producer of the United States during 1937, shipments of concentrates totaling 2,153 short tons, about two thirds of the nation's output. Increased activity in the production of mercury was also noted during 1937 and 1938, 20 mines producing 198 flasks in 1937. Production of manganese was 533 long tons.

Education.

The University of Nevada has an average enrollment of 1,000 students. The Mackay School of Mines established there is outstanding in equipment, endowment and personnel. During 1938 plans were made by the University for the following new structures: a new Engineering Laboratory, a new Arts and Science Building, and a new Gymnasium.

The 1938 report of the Department of Education of Nevada lists 273 elementary schools, 9 kindergartens and 52 high schools; with 643 elementary teachers, 15 kindergarten teachers and 254 high school teachers. The total enrollment of school children for the year was 20,352. The amount expended for elementary schools, including capital outlay and debt service, was $1,829,969.71; for high schools, $913,888.41.

Events of the Year.

The most important factor in the development of the state during the past year has been the completion of a $1,000,000 power line, which now serves the extensive and valuable mineral areas in the south-eastern part of the state. This line was made possible by the completion of the great Boulder Dam and appurtenant structures in southern Nevada, built at a cost of about $100,000,000. Cheap power from this project will materially aid the development of the state, and a substantial revenue from the Boulder Dam project itself appears probable in the near future. Other large impounding dams for the conservation of water have also been built on the Truckee and Humboldt rivers in northern Nevada, resulting in industrial benefit to a wide area.

The 38th Legislature was chiefly remarkable for the large number of bills passed to improve conditions for Nevada's workers, including the unemployment insurance act, which permitted the state's workers to share the benefits from the Federal payroll tax; the Whalen bill giving women workers a minimum wage of $18.00 for a 48-hour week; and an act guaranteeing labor's right to self-organization and collective bargaining. Pensions were granted to Nevada's judges when they reach the age of seventy years and have served an aggregate of twenty years. No attempts were made to enact a sales tax, income tax, inheritance tax or similar legislation.

Nevada, like its western sister states, is rich in scenic and recreational facilities. Its mountains and lakes, streams and forests, parks and natural phenomena mark the state as one of the foremost scenic areas in the nation. On January 1, 1939, the Nevada Highway System, now in its twenty-second year, had 2,662.25 miles of improved standard highways.

State Finances.

The cash balance of state funds as of January 3, 1939, was $1,528,863.12. The outstanding bonded indebtedness was $656,000, all of which was held by trust fund accounts of the state. Bonds owned by the various state trust funds had a book value of $3,146,657.16 on June 30, 1938.

Banking.

On January 1, 1939, there were four State Banks in Nevada with deposits of $2,397,000, and five National Banks with deposits of approximately $32,000,000.

State Officers.

As the result of the November election, state officials who took office on January 3, 1939, are as follows: Governor, Edward P. Carville; Lieutenant Governor, Maurice J. Sullivan; Secretary of State, Malcolm McEachin; Attorney General, Gray Mashburn; State Treasurer, Dan W. Franks; State Controller, Henry C. Schmidt; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mildred Bray.

Judiciary.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, E. J. L. Taber; Associate Justices, Ben W. Coleman and Edward A. Ducker.

United States Senators.

Key Pittman and Patrick McCarran.