1940: Kansas

Area and Population.

The 'Sunflower State,' geographical center of the Union, ranks 13th in size, with an area of 82,158 sq. mi., 84 per cent of it farm land. In population Kansas has dropped to 29th place; the 1940 census shows it to be one of the belt of five plains states which have lost population since 1930. Kansas lost 79,971, bringing the present count down to 1,801,028. Whites constitute 93.5 per cent of the population. Germans predominate among foreign-born.

Kansas is often spoken of as a 'New England' state, having been settled chiefly by pioneer immigrants from New England. Three-fifths of the residents live on farms. Its large cities are few: Kansas City, 121,458; Wichita, 114,966; Topeka, the capital, 67,833; Hutchinson, 30,013.

Agriculture.

Kansas is first among the states for wheat, raising considerably more than its closest rival, North Dakota. The 1940 crop had a curious history. In midwinter, 1939-40, it looked almost hopeless. The April forecast estimated only 60,000,000 bu. Ideal spring weather raised the July estimate to 89,000,000 bu. Harvest reports on Oct. 1 finally showed a crop of 101,145,000 bu. of good quality — not large for Kansas, but a 'miracle crop' under the conditions. The 10-year annual average, 1929-38, was 136,000,000 bu.

The growing weather of 1940 was ideal for all crops except corn, which suffered from the midsummer drought. Even so, corn production, 41,580,000 bu., was 4,360,000 bu. above 1939, although 40 per cent below the 10-year average. The State Board of Agriculture reports 1940 as one of the best agricultural years in a decade; and the recovery of feed and grasses as a main factor. Oats, the second largest crop in the state in 1940, with 45,080,000 bu., was more than twice the preceding year's crop. The fourth largest crop of the year, grain sorghum, with 26,530,000 bu., was the largest yield since 1927; it amounted to 238 per cent of 1939's crop, and 217 per cent of the 10-year average. Barley, flax, broomcorn, potatoes, and tame hay were also all much above 1939. In apples, peaches, pears, and grapes, 1939 was far better than the 10-year average, yet 1940 went well beyond 1939. A tragic freeze struck the orchards in the eastern part of the state soon after election in November, however, when the temperature stayed near zero for five days. The fruit trees were still full of sap, and great numbers of them were killed.

The State Board of Agriculture reports that 'the outstanding development' of 1940 'has been the greatly increased acreage of grain sorghum, its demonstrated ability to stand dry weather and produce a crop, . . . and the proved efficiency of the sorghums as compared with corn for feeding purposes.'

The Board also reports that the notorious 'Dust Bowl' of western Kansas has practically disappeared. This priceless reformation, due partly to the fine moisture of the winter of 1939-40, has been mainly achieved by moldboard plowing, listing the soil, providing cover crops, and using special care in soil tillage. Grassland agriculture has been a main factor in this recovery; the 1940 crop of all hay totaled 2,202,000 tons, well above the 10-year average of 2,132,000 tons. The counties have been required to make annual surveys of wind erosion, and they are authorized to take whatever steps may be necessary to control it. These measures appear to have at last defeated the worst enemy Kansas agriculture has ever known.

Industry.

Next to agriculture, the greatest industry of the state is now oil and gas production; nearly 50,000 men being regularly employed. Next comes meat-packing; then grain and flour milling.

The drier western half of the state has specialized during the past three years in livestock, especially beef cattle. Dodge City is an important center of this development. In hog production Kansas ranks 9th in the Union, producing 4.5 per cent of the national output, valued at more than $50,000,000.

Mineral Products.

Petroleum, natural gas, zinc, salt, and lead, in that order, are the main items in the state's mineral wealth. Production of petroleum amounted in 1939 to 60,723,000 bbl. In zinc production, Kansas ranks third in the Union; 68,971 tons were produced in 1939. The value of these five leading products in 1938 amounted to $129,675,438.

A new mineral industry has just been developed — the mining of chalk. Until last fall, all chalk (used principally in the manufacture of whiting) had been imported from England and France. Three quarries have now been opened in the north-central section of Kansas, where the chalk strata are 20 feet thick.

Education.

The Department of Education reports from its latest available data, June 30, 1939, as follows: Inhabitants of school age (5 to 21), 500,846; enrollment, in 7,576 districts, 263,227 pupils in elementary grades, 109,266 in secondary. Superintendents, principals, and teachers numbered 19,454; including kindergarten 181, elementary 12,438, secondary 6,835. In private and parochial schools, teachers included elementary 175, with 14,159 pupils; secondary 46, with 3,779 pupils. Total expenditures allotted for public schools were $30,990,561 (instruction $19,250,051, operation, $4,499,977); balance on hand was $7,914,035. The average salary was $858.

Banking and Finance.

The State Department of Banking reported on Oct. 2, 1939, 490 state and private banks, with loans and discounts of $79,622,773 (an increase over the preceding year); capital assets, $13,901,490 (a decrease); deposits, $164,925,075 (an increase).

The 2 per cent sales tax returns for 1940, amounted to $10,460,818, an increase of $660,803 over 1939.

The total tax levy of 1940 has just been announced as $63,615,675. This is $3,000,000 below the 1939 levy, and far below the state's peak levy of $95,661,710 in 1929. Of this amount the state is to have $4,735,789, the counties $17,557,083, the schools $26,199,960.

The biennial appropriations made by the 1939 Legislature were $16,674,714. The budget just announced for the coming biennium is $17,517,992.

Events of the Year.

Primary defense contracts totaling $97,926,670 have been awarded to twenty Kansas towns since June 1940, besides numerous subcontracts given many other towns over the state. Wichita, the oil capital of Kansas, now has an airplane construction boom. Three companies there have government contracts totaling more than $50,000,000. They have doubled or trebled their plant facilities, and their working forces which now number about 3,000 men.

Ft. Riley is feverishly building for the 2nd Cavalry Division to be stationed there. More than 4,000 workmen are employed; 847 buildings will be provided, to house 25,000 officers and men at a cost of $11,000,000. At Ft. Leavenworth, work is being rushed on buildings to house some 2,000 trainees, who are being received at the reception center at the rate of 300-400 a day. After a 48-hour induction into the Army they are being transferred to training centers.

A $10,000,000 plant for making twin-engine bombers is being built on a 75-acre tract near the Fairfax airport in Kansas City. The six major building units will be one story high. The main building will use 4,000 tons of steel; it will be half a mile long, and cover more than a million square feet. By March 1, 1941, it is expected that 1,000 men will be employed.

The State Department of Vocational Education announces plans for training upwards of 14,000 men in plane construction and other skilled trades, at schools in eight cities. The Federal Government has allocated $300,000 for this training. Sixty-five per cent of the applicants must be farm boys between 17 and 25.

The two political events of the year were the vote for President and the vote for Governor. Kansas gave Wendell Willkie the largest majority he received in any of the 10 states he carried, 57 per cent of the total vote; a plurality of 124,435 out of 860,288. For the first time since 1896, Kansas failed to give its vote to the winning presidential candidate.

The election of the state's new Governor was not certain for some weeks after election day. Although Wendell Willkie's lead over President Roosevelt was 124,435, Governor Ratner's final lead over his Democratic opponent, William H. Burke, was found to be only 430 in a total vote of 860,288.

The Prohibition vote for Roger Babson, 4,056, was exceeded only in California, Illinois, and Indiana.

State Officers.

Governor, Payne H. Ratner; Lieutenant Governor, Carl E. Friend; Secretary of State, Frank J. Ryan; Auditor, George Robb; Treasurer, Walter E. Wilson; Attorney General, Jay S. Parker; Superintendent of Public Instruction, George L. McClenny.

United States Senators:

Arthur Capper, Clyde M. Reed.