1941: Arizona

Area and Population.

Admitted to statehood Feb. 14, 1912, Arizona ranks fifth in size among the states, with an area of 113,909 sq. mi., including 329 sq. mi. of inland water surface, according to remeasurements of the United States undertaken for the 16th census in 1940. In population it ranks 43rd, numbering 499,261 according to that census. The largest cities are Phoenix, the capital, 65,414, and Tucson, 36,818. Prescott now has 6,018; and Bisbee, 5,853.

Agriculture.

The total area in 1940 of Arizona's irrigated lands, watered by means of reservoirs in the Colorado, Salt, and Gila rivers, was 757,703 A.

Despite the low rainfall, range conditions were generally good in 1940. On January 1, 1941, ranges were occupied by 898,000 head of cattle, and 798,000 sheep. Arizona's livestock industry now counts in round numbers 1,000,000 head of cattle and 1,000,000 head of sheep on its far-flung ranges. Wool has become increasingly important.

Lumbering.

Arizona boasts the largest forest of Ponderosa pine on the American continent. The lumbering industry, now vitally important in the defense effort, is geared at top speed.

Mineral Products.

Although Arizona yielded first place in total production of metals to Utah in 1940, the state easily ranked first again in the production of copper, with a slight advance over 1939, the amount being 562,338,000 pounds worth $63,544,194. This represented about three-fourths of the total value of the state's metal production in 1940, which was $82,167,759. Included in this total were 7,075,215 oz. of silver, worth $5,031,264; 294,807 oz. of gold, valued at $10,318,245; 13,266 tons of lead, worth $1,326,600; and 15,456 tons of zinc, worth $1,947,456, the largest amount ever, and more than double that produced in 1939.

Aside from the major metals produced in this state, Arizona mines are also producing these 'strategic and critical' minerals: Antimony, asbestos, fluorspar, manganese, mercury, mica, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium and zinc concentrates.

Arizona advanced notably, in 1940, in the production of tungsten concentrates, which rose to 302 tons, compared with 88 in the previous year.

Power Development.

The tremendous potentialities for power production of the Colorado River, wholly within Arizona, are arousing renewed interest by reason of the returns realized from the great power development at Boulder Dam. These are estimated at $4,500,000 for the fiscal year 1940-41, although only nine of seventeen generators have been installed.

Education.

Enrollment figures for 1939-40 showed that Arizona had 87,960 pupils in grade schools, 22,245 in high schools, and 1,066 in junior colleges. Total expenditures for the maintenance of elementary schools, during the school year 1939-40, amounted to $5,883,360.76, and for secondary schools $2,818,693.45. On the secondary level much emphasis was placed on vocational education. In the elementary schools, 2,418 teachers were employed at salaries ranging from $900 to $2,852, and in secondary schools 795 at salaries from $780 to $3,072.

Defense.

With the national defense program rushing forward in seven-league boots, Fort Huachuca, near the Mexican boundary, already has witnessed the construction of cantonments costing in the neighborhood of $6,000,000, and a project is under way which will result in further construction costing $23,000,000. Into the most recent developments at the fort has gone the work of thousands of Arizona laborers who have put up more than 220 buildings, including mess halls, barracks, recreation centers, chapels and theatres. The next expansion program should bring at least 20,000 troops to Huachuca. A huge military reserve, covering parts of three counties, is being established in the Fort Huachuca area for tank practice, artillery target practice, and maneuvers.

Establishment or enlargement of 58 airports, operation of an aerial gunnery range covering 1,800 square miles, development of plans for a bombing practice range, at Tucson, designation of eight Arizona airports for specially notable expansion, and construction near Phoenix of the first unit of a $2,000,000 Goodyear Aircraft Corporation plant — these are some of the facets of Arizona's contributions to defense in the aviation column.

Most spectacular, perhaps, is Arizona's place in production of pilots and bombardiers for the United States Army air forces. Mushroomed into being in a year are half a dozen airfields, all but one of them in the Phoenix area, which eventually will be training 3,000 to 5,000 pilots. The Arizona climate is so ideal for aviation instruction that British and Chinese pilots now are being trained there as well as American pilots, and a contingent from South America is also expected.

The Phoenix area has become, indeed, 'the most complete pilot-training establishment in the nation.' As an index to the magnitude of this program one training field for bomber pilots and bombardiers has a mess hall with a capacity of 1,000 cadets, and this mess hall is only one of 143 buildings in the main cantonment. This field, once known as Mesa Airport, is now called Williams Field. It is two miles east of Higley (30 mi. southeast of Phoenix), and covers 4 sq. mi. The cost was estimated at $5,000,000, when it was taken over by the Army on Dec. 1, 1941.

The construction program includes administration and housing facilities, an infirmary and a 118-bed hospital; and technical construction including operations buildings, link trainer buildings, shop hangars, control tower, warehouses, ordnance and signal corps warehouses, three runways, six taxiways and a parking apron.

The three runways are constructed of concrete designed to withstand the weight of the heaviest bombers yet constructed, and are each 150 feet in width and 6,000 feet long. Ten 25,000-gallon tanks form the underground storage system for fueling the planes.

State Officials.

Governor, Sidney P. Osborn; Secretary of State, Harry M. Moore; Auditor, Ana Frohmiller; Superintendent of Public Instruction, E. D. Ring; Mine Inspector, Tom C. Foster.

United States Senators:

Carl Hayden, Ernest W. McFarland.