1940: Colorado

Area and Population.

With an area of 103,948 sq. mi., Colorado ranks seventh among the states in size. Federal lands comprise 36.3 per cent of the total; state land, 4.9 per cent; and land in private ownership, 57.2 per cent; the remaining 1.6 per cent being unclassified.

The 1940 census gave the state a population of 1,123,296, an increase of 87,505 or 8.4 per cent over 1930. The census revealed much shifting of population in Colorado between 1930 and 1940. This resulted from a variety of causes, including resettlement of people living in 'dust bowl' counties, increase of mining operations in other counties, and the inauguration of extensive Federal reclamation projects in some districts.

Denver, with a population of 322,412 in 1940, is the state capital and largest city. The increase in Denver's population over 1930 amounted to 10.6 per cent. Because of the numerous Federal agencies in the city it is popularly known as the 'western capital' of the United States. On April 1, 1940, there were 145 offices of Federal bureaus, departments and agencies located there, of which 10 were general (some including the entire United States); 91 regional, with jurisdiction extending over from 2 to 23 states; 26 served Colorado; and 18 were local in character. Pueblo, the second largest city, with a population of 52,162, is an industrial center. Colorado Springs, with a population of 36,789, is third in size. The remainder of the eight cities in the state having a population of 10,000 or more are Boulder, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Greeley and Trinidad.

Education.

During the school year 1938-39 the parochial schools reported 13,487 pupils, and the public schools, 232,170. The public-school system is divided into 2,032 districts with 2,992 schools. The number of inhabitants of school age in April, 1940, was 308,811. The schools included 2,428 elementary or common schools with an enrollment of 165,006, and 455 high and junior high schools with an enrollment of 53,560. Expenditures for the public school system in 1937-1938 amounted to $23,017,216. The average annual salaries of teachers are as follows: kindergarten, $1,923.88; elementary, $1,036,72; junior high, $1,778,35; senior high, $1,513.50; and superintendents, principals and instructors, $2,481.33.

Industry and Agriculture.

Retail business in the Denver trade area ran about 2.1 per cent ahead of the previous year during the first 10 months, and in November the gain was about 5 per cent over November 1939. November also showed an increase of 7 per cent in wholesale business. The wool crop in 1940 was estimated at 13,000,000 pounds, valued at $3,900,000, most of which will go into uniforms and clothing for the Army. Sales, use and service taxes for 11 months were $8,207,868, a gain of 1.3 per cent over the same period last year. State income tax collections for 1940, as estimated in December were to be $3,400,000, an increase of 16.8 per cent over 1939.

Agricultural conditions as a whole also showed improvement in 1940. The winter wheat crop had the best start in years. Sorghum for livestock was placed at 4,422,000 bu. as against 2,150,000 bu. in 1939. Potatoes dropped from 14,400,000 bu. in 1939, to 14,240,000 bu. in 1940. The sugar beet crop increased from 1,543,000 tons in 1939 to 1,927,000 in 1940. Dry beans went up from 1,360,000 bags to 1,659,000. Shipments of fruit in the 1940 season ran approximately 1,000 carload lots ahead of last year.

Mineral Products.

The total value in 1939 of Colorado's leading minerals, gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc, was very slightly in excess of that for 1938, at $22,319,041. The most valuable item was gold, amounting to 366,852 oz., worth $12,839,820. In addition, Colorado produced in 1939 bituminous coal in the amount of 5,890,000 tons; and 360 tons of tungsten concentrates, thus retaining her rank of third among the states for this product.

Finance.

The finances of the state are in excellent condition and satisfactory collections during 1940 appear to insure yields for the general fund which will equal if not exceed the budgetary estimates for the biennium ending June 30, 1941. Expenditures for all purposes by the state Department of Public Welfare in the first six months of 1940 aggregated $10,963,674, compared with $9,323,155 for the same period in 1939. This included funds for old-age pensions, aid to dependent children, aid to the blind, child welfare, etc., and also includes grants from the Federal Government. Disbursements for old-age pensions aggregated $6,584,800 in 1939 and $8,022,192 in 1940. Colorado's average monthly pension payment for the year ending June 30, 1940, was $33,75 per recipient. It was exceeded only by California, and was $13,65 more than the average for the United States.

Political Matters.

The November election resulted in a considerable change in the political complexion of the state government. The present Republican Governor was reelected and his party gained control of the state executive council of five, of which he is one, the Republican majority now being four to one as against a Democratic majority of three to two in the term ending in January, 1941. The next House of Representatives has a Republican majority. The Senate remains Democratic by a majority of one.

Events of the Year.

Colorado is rapidly working into the national defense program. At present the principal activity is in Army development. Denver's Lowry Air Field and the Army's technical school are being enlarged as fast as workmen can provide facilities. The school took over Fort Logan on Jan. 1, 1941, to use it as a training-school for Army clerical help. Fitzsimmons General Hospital is being enlarged, by the construction of a new unit costing $3,750,000. At this post extensive training for the medical service is to be undertaken. Eastern industries have been bidding against local concerns for trained engineers, and more than 1,300 were taken out of this area during the fall of 1940. To meet this situation the engineering schools of the state are inaugurating plans for technical training on a large scale, with the purpose of being able to supply trained men with actual experience as soon as local plants are ready to take over Government contracts.

State Officials.

Governor, Ralph L. Carr; Lieutenant Governor, John C. Vivian; Secretary of State, Walter F. Morrison; State Treasurer, Homer F. Bedford; Auditor of State, Charles M. Armstrong; Attorney General, Gail M. Ireland; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Inez Johnson Lewis.

United States Senators:

Alva B. Adams, Edwin Johnson.