1938: New Hampshire

Area and Population.

One of the thirteen original states. New Hampshire is popularly known as the 'Granite State.' With an area of 9,341 square miles, it ranks 43rd in size among the states. In population it ranks 41st, numbering 465,293 according to the Census of 1930; 510,000 on July 1, 1937, according to a Federal estimate. The largest cities are Manchester, 76,834; Nashua, 31,463; Concord, the capital, 25,228; Berlin, 20,018; Portsmouth, 14,495. In 1930 the population was 58.7 per cent urban; 464,350 were whites, and 790 were Negroes. Of the white population, 381,690 were American born, while 82,660 were of foreign birth. Among the foreign-born population were 11,539 from the United Kingdom and Ireland, 37,682 French Canadians, and 13,277 other Canadians.

Education.

There are in New Hampshire 103 approved public high schools, 18 public academies approved as high schools; 4 accredited private academies; and 2 normal schools. The institutions for higher education are the University of New Hampshire, at Durham; Dartmouth College, Hanover; St. Anselm's College, Manchester; and Colby Junior College for Women, New London. Total expenditures for public education (including elementary, secondary, and normal schools) in the year ending June 30, 1936, amounted to $7,549,552. Pupils numbered 90,956. In the same year there were 21,287 pupils enrolled in elementary parochial schools. This is said to represent a larger proportion of the school population than in any other state in the Union.

Events of the Year.

The state Legislature did not meet in 1938, but a convention for the revision of the state Constitution was in session from May 11 to June 1. The convention offered four amendments which were submitted to the electorate on Nov. 8. The proposed amendments were (1) to authorize graduated income and inheritance taxes and a sales tax; (2) to permit absentee voting in state elections; (3) to give the Legislature power to define 'paupers' as related to prohibition against voting; and (4) to prevent the diversion of the gasoline tax to other than highway use. A two-thirds majority is necessary to amend the Constitution, and only the last of the four proposals was adopted.

The hurricane of September 21, 1938, felled a large amount of standing timber; efforts are being made to salvage as much as possible of the lumber.

Recreational activities, including summer camps and resorts, winter sports, etc., are of growing importance. In 1930 they produced an estimated income of $76,256,500.

For aerial tramway on Cannon Mountain see ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.

Banking and Finance.

Savings banks and savings departments of trust companies reported deposits of $201,200,547 as of June 30, 1938, being $391,538 less than for June 30, 1937. The 28 building and loan associations had assets of $11,576,891, representing an increase of $519,380 over the preceding year. Cash receipts of the State Treasury Department, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1937, were $26,293,820; cash disbursements, $29,107,576. Net bond and note indebtedness, June 30, 1937, $11,331,282. The average tax rate in 1936 was $34.30 on each $1,000 of valuation, or double the average rate in 1916.

State Officers.

As the result of the 1938 election, the chief state officers are: Governor, Francis P. Murphy; Secretary of State, Enoch D. Fuller; State Treasurer, F. Gordon Kimball; Commissary General, Charles W. Howard.

United States Senators.

Charles W. Tobey, H. Styles Bridges.