1940: Maine

Area and Population.

The tenth state admitted to the Union (1820), Maine was formerly a part of Massachusetts. It has a total area of 31,857 sq. mi., about equal to the aggregate of the other five New England states. The population of Maine according to the 1940 census is 847,226, an increase of 6.2 per cent over the census report of 1930 (797,423).

The largest city in the state is Portland, which is given a population of 73,643 by the 1940 census. Lewiston is the second city, with 38,598 people; Bangor, third, with 29,822; the other more populous cities being Auburn, 19,817; Biddeford, 19,790; Augusta, the state capital, 19,360; Waterville, 16,688; South Portland, 15,781. Ranking tenth is Bath, which has a rapidly increasing population of 10,235, due to contracts for naval construction awarded the Bath Iron Works under the national defense program. Presque Isle (5,456), which became a city in 1940, is a center for Aroostook County's great potato industry.

Because of its location as the northeastern outpost of the United States, and because its ports are nearer to Europe than those of any other state, Maine is being given considerable importance in national defense plans; several large airports and armories are now under construction or enlargement.

Education.

Educational advantages for Maine boys and girls have been materially increased in the last three years by legislative appropriations, used by the state Department of Education to give equal opportunity for the scholars in the smaller towns of the state as compared with those of the larger centers.

The number of inhabitants of school age is 259,998; there are 4,627 common schools; with an enrollment of 134,607 pupils in the elementary schools, and 36,734 in the high schools. The state expenditure for public schools in 1939 was $10,587,449. The average for teachers' salaries is $1,338.18 in the high schools, and $792.97 in the elementary schools.

An advanced step taken by the state in 1940 was the appointment of Dana Cotton, of Gorham, to the new office of State Director of Vocational Education.

Agriculture.

Production of potatoes, Maine's greatest single crop, reached 45,135,000 bu. in 1940, an increase of nearly 7,000,000 bu. over the 1939 crop of 38,250,000 bu. Aroostook County, which in some years leads all counties of the country in potato production, had a 1940 crop of 38,364,000 bu., six million more than in 1939 and well above the ten-year average.

Lower prices for growers in the months following harvesting made it doubtful however, whether the receipts of the farmers would be larger than for the lesser crop of 1939. Maine potato farmers will receive a gross revenue of approximately a million and a half dollars for cooperation in the Federal crop-control plan.

Industry.

In the fall of 1940 Maine's industrial establishments were on the whole busier than during the same period in 1939. Estimates indicated that long logs, pulp wood, and dimension stock were about five per cent greater than for the corresponding period in 1939, with a good market and excellent prospects.

Increased activity was apparent in the manufacture of news print, specialty papers, fine writing and book papers, sulphite and ground wood pulp, spools, bobbins, dowels, and novelties.

Although the cotton and rayon textile mills reported no marked advance, the woolen industry was more active. Shipbuilding and heavy metal industries showed an increase; boot and shoe production a slight decrease.

Incomplete figures reported the sardine pack to be of excellent quality in 1940, but about half the size of the previous year.

Tourist Trade.

Persons who vacation in Maine spent approximately $98,000,000 in the state in 1940, according to an estimate made by the Maine Development Commission, a state department that advertises and promotes Maine's recreational advantages.

Maine is particularly proud of the large number of young people who spend the summer at boys' and girls' camps in the state. Over two hundred camps of this character are patronized by approximately 12,000 youngsters from all parts of the country each year.

Legislative Matters.

The Maine Legislature, which meets regularly biennially, was called in special session in May, because of shortages in the state funds. The special session adjourned in May to July, and again to October, appointing committees of investigation of state departments and for improvement of methods of transacting business of the state. Several changes in the Maine Code are expected at the next legislative session.

An independent audit of state finances disclosed a large shortage, and William A. Runnells, State Controller since the establishment of the State Code in 1932, was placed on trial in October, pleaded guilty to charges of larceny by embezzlement, and was sentenced to prison for a term of five to ten years. No indictments were brought against any other persons, although the resignations of three other officials were requested and received by the Governor.

Finance.

In public finance, Maine has continued the practice of keeping its expenditures within its receipts. Maine's net revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1940, was $38,172,563.49, as compared with net expenditure of $36,969,745.23. The actual increase of revenue above the fiscal year ending June 30, 1939, was $412,279.38.

The increased tax revenue was largely from the greater amount received from gasoline, railroad and malt beverage taxes. The larger appropriation credits of the state were: highways, $28,222,376; liquor commission, $6,844,554; social security, $4,609,619; unemployment compensation, $3,541,280.

Banking.

Maine banks are in excellent condition. According to figures of the American Bankers Association, the commercial banks, as of December 1, 1939, made more than 25,538 new loans, totaling $22,926,726 to firms and individuals, renewed 45,048 outstanding loans totaling more than $34,325,428, and made 735 new mortgage loans to individuals, totaling $1,581,627.

These records are based upon reports from 66 per cent of the commercial banks of the state. Savings banks increased their deposits $1,102,000, and the savings deposits in trust companies were increased $1,300,000 from September 1939 to September 1940.

Political Events.

Maine, which has but once since the Civil War given its electoral vote to the Democratic Party, remained true to its Republican allegiance in the November election, the official vote being: Willkie, 163,951; Roosevelt, 156,478; a plurality of 7,473. The size of the plurality was unexpectedly small, however, as in the September gubernatorial election, Sumner Sewall of Bath, Republican nominee, received 162,719 votes to 92,003 for Fulton J. Redman of Portland, Democratic aspirant; a Republican majority of 70,716. Sewall carried every county in the state.

Another result of the September election was the victory of Ralph O. Brewster, of Dexter, as United States Senator over Ex-Governor Louis J. Brann of Lewiston. In the Republican primary in June, 1940, Brewster, a former Governor and member of the House of Representatives, won the primary nomination for Senator over Governor Lewis O. Barrows of Newport.

State Officers.

Governor, Sumner Sewall; Secretary of State, Frederick Robie; Treasurer, Belmont A. Smith; Controller, Harold E. Rodgers; Auditor, William D. Hayes; Attorney General, Frank I. Cowan; Commissioner of Finance, Frederick Payne; Commissioner of Education, Bertram E. Packard.

United States Senators:

Wallace Humphrey White, Jr., Ralph O. Brewster.