1938: Utah

Area and Population.

Known from its history as 'the Mormon state,' Utah was admitted to statehood Jan. 4, 1896. With an area of 84,990 sq. mi., it ranks 10th in size among the states. In population it ranks 40th, numbering 507,847 according to the census of 1930; 519,000 on July 1, 1937, according to a Federal estimate. The majority of the people are of the Teutonic and Nordic races with about 1,900 Negroes and somewhat larger numbers of Indians, Mexicans, Chinese and Japanese. The largest cities (1930 census) are Salt Lake City, the capital, 140,267 (metropolitan area, 195,200); Ogden, 40,272; Provo, 14,766.

Mineral Products.

There was an astonishing increase, in 1937, in both the amount and value of Utah's leading minerals: copper, gold, lead, silver and zinc. The first, in which Utah ranks next to Arizona, the leading state, rose to a record production of 411,988,000 pounds, with a value of $49,850,548, as against 252,434,000 pounds in 1936, with a value of $23,223,928. The output of gold, 69 per cent of it from copper ore, was also the highest in the history of the state, 322,759 oz. (value, $11,296,565) compared with 223,444 oz. in 1936. Lead showed an increase of 28 per cent with 178,916,000 pounds (value, $10,556,044); and zinc production increased by 33 per cent, to 96,002,000 pounds. Silver, in which Utah ranks third in the Union, amounted to 12,869,117 oz. (value, $9,954,262).

Manufacturing.

The leading manufacturing industries in the state, in order of importance, are: smelting, grain milling, meat packing, oil refining, canning and preserving, sugar refining, car building and repairing, printing and publishing. Statistics furnished by the Utah Manufacturers Association show that in 1937 the manufacturers of the state paid $122,000,000 for materials, and added by manufacture a value of $41,000,000, giving their products a total value of $103,000,000 with an income to the manufacturers of $15,000,000.

Education.

Utah has a relatively high percentage, 95.6, of children of school age enrolled in the public schools, due to the compulsory attendance of all children from 6 to 18 years of age (unless graduation from high school occurs earlier). During 1937-38 there were 138,699 full-time pupils enrolled in the public elementary and high schools. The per capita cost of education in these schools was $80.32 for 1935-1936, and $97.09 for 1937-1938. The average salary of the 4,618 teachers, principals and supervisors in 1937-38 was $1,313.34, compared with $1,187.69 in 1935-1936.

Instead of the usual 8-year elementary, and 4-year high school plan, or the 6-year elementary and 3-year junior high and 3-year senior high plan, the Salt Lake City schools have adopted a plan calling for 6 years in elementary schools, followed by 3 years in junior high and only 2 years in senior high school. The public school system includes 5 accredited junior colleges. In 1937-38 the four junior colleges then operating had a total full-time enrollment of 841.

Legislation.

The Legislature comprises a Senate of 23 members, half of whom are elected each two years for a four-year term, and a House of Representatives of 60 members, elected each two years for a two-year term, the Legislature usually meeting once each two years. For the two years beginning January 1, 1939, the Senate will be composed of 21 Democrats and 2 Republicans; the House of Representatives of 45 Democrats and 15 Republicans.

In 1937 the Legislature passed a law encouraging the organization of agricultural cooperatives as a means of bettering the economic condition of farmers, and another act providing for the establishment of milk production and market areas with minimum prices and control of surplus milk. It also passed a Trade Commerce Act and Fair Trade Act, prohibiting unfair competitive practices in trade but permitting the fixing of prices of resale of trademarked goods or goods in trademarked containers. It established a system of direct primaries for elections, used for the first time in 1938. The Industrial Commission was made the Labor Relations Board of the state, and collective bargaining in labor disputes was enjoined upon industry. A system of taxation of utilities was provided whereby the valuation for rate purposes determined by the Public Service Commission must be accepted for tax purposes by the Tax Commission.

A decision of the Utah Supreme Court declared invalid the legislative plan adopting the same basis for tax purposes as the Public Service Commission has evolved for rate purposes. The Court in another decision upheld a minimum wage and maximum hours law. During the year there were contests between the Utah Power and Light Company and opposition interests in Ogden and Provo over the construction of municipal power plants. Each was initiated by petition and put to referendum and the plants approved. The State Supreme Court refused to overturn the results of the referenda and a writ of certiorari by the United States Supreme Court was denied. A subsequent referendum in Ogden defeated the municipal plant proposal and a new referendum has been petitioned for in Provo.

Events of Interest.

The Bonneville Salt Flats in western Utah furnish an ideal track for land speed racing. During 1938 the world's land speed record was raised three times by two Englishmen, Capt. George Eyston and John Cobb. Eyston's 1937 record was 319 miles per hour. His 1938 record is 357.5 miles per hour, made averaging two trips through a measured mile on an 11-mile course, curving at one end. Endurance speed records were established by Ab Jenkins in 1937 on a 10-mile circular track.

Utah has become snow-conscious during the last three or four years, many of its mountain slopes being ideal for winter sports. A 2600-foot ski lift and a winter lodge were constructed during 1938 with WPA funds, at Alta, 20 miles from Salt Lake City.

For Capital Reef National Monument and Zion National Monument, see NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS.

Banking and Finance.

There has not been a bank failure in Utah since 1933. The 59 banks operating in the state had deposits of $142,439,504, as of September 28, 1938, compared to $144,440,111 the year previous.

The state indebtedness was the lowest in 20 years, with outstanding bonds of $7,955,000, available sinking funds of $5,312,500 and a net bonded debt of $2,642,500 as of June 30, 1938. The assessed valuation of the state as estimated by the state auditor was $540,000,000 for 1938 and $530,000,000 in 1937. Total taxes levied for all purposes in the state were $15,758,382.03 in 1936 and $16,765,438.44 in 1937.

Federal Expenditures.

From March 1933 to June 30, 1938, the Federal Government allotted to the state of Utah, through its emergency organizations, $201,522,153. Of the total, $71,953,818 was loaned through such organizations as the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Federal Reserve System, Rural Electrification Administration, Home Owners' Loan Corporation, and Commodity Credit Corporation. An additional $12,816,602 comprised loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration. The balance, $116,751,733, represents outright expenditures and includes $7,278,029 by the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, $26,240,787 by the CCC, $13,881,667 by the Bureau of Public Roads, $20,846,606 by the Works Progress Administration, $7,317,769 by the Public Works Administration, $4,410,841 by the Civil Works Administration, $20,707,850 by the Federal Emergency Reemployment Administration, $4,187,080 by the Social Security Board, and $7,121,856 by the Bureau of Reclamation.

As of November 1937, there were 29,919 unemployed in the state, including emergency workers, 24,289 being males and 5,630 females. In addition there were 13,606 partially unemployed, including 12,248 males and 1,359 females.

State Officers.

The chief officers of the state in 1938 were: Governor, Henry H. Blood; Secretary of State, E. E. Monson; Attorney General, Joseph Chez; State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Charles H. Skidmore; State Auditor, John W. Guy.

United States Senators:

William H. King; Elbert D. Thomas.