1941: Illinois

Area and Population.

Illinois, a north central state admitted to the Union Dec. 3, 1818, has an area of 56,665 sq. mi. The 1940 census gave the state 7,897,241 inhabitants, an increase of 3 per cent over the 1930 figures. Of these, 5,809,650 are urban and 2,087,591 rural. Chicago, with a population of 3,396,808, is the largest city in the state, and the second largest in the nation. The next ranking cities are: Peoria 105,087, Rockford 84,637, East St. Louis 75,609, and Springfield, the capital, 75,503.

The latest available statistics for racial proportions in Illinois, those of 1930, gave the following figures: 7,266,361 whites, 328,972 Negroes, 28,906 Mexicans, 5,946 Asiatics, and 469 Indians. Of foreign-born whites the leading nationalities are German, Polish, Swedish, Italian, Russian, and Czechoslovakian.

Education.

Education is compulsory for all between the ages of 7 and 16. Schools are supported by taxation, and a state fund, which for 1940-41 was $15,402,777.96. The 1938 school census gave Illinois 1,936,806 inhabitants of school age, of whom 84 per cent were enrolled in schools. By the 1939 statistics there were 11,445 public-school districts with 941,707 pupils, and 973 high schools with 372,461 pupils. They employed a total of 48,919 teachers. The average salary for teachers was $1,682.62. The state Legislature, in 1941, passed a law setting higher requirements for new public-school teachers, and another creating a commission to codify the state's education laws.

Closely related to the educational system is the public-library system, headed by the State Library. According to Statistics of the Libraries of Illinois published by the State Library in 1941 more books were distributed by libraries in 1940 than ever before. The State Library sponsors a bookmobile, which, during the period from December, 1940 to September, 1941, traveled 7,807 miles and distributed 29,288 books.

Agriculture.

Illinois is one of the important agricultural states. Nearly 90 per cent of its area is tillable. Crops and weather conditions vary widely, since the state extends 385 miles from north to south. The aggregate value of the principal crops for 1940 was $354,721,000. Corn led with a valuation of $205,991,000. Hybrid corn was grown extensively. Oats were second with a valuation of $45,749,000. The yields of oats and barley were the highest on record. The crop of soybeans, lower than that of the preceding year, was the largest grown by any state and was 44 per cent of the total production of the country. The apple and peach crops totaled less than in preceding years due to adverse weather conditions, but the pear and grape crops were larger than average. The year's total acreage of truck crops in the state was 16 per cent greater than in 1939 but 12 per cent below the ten year average, 1929-38.

Livestock.

Livestock on Illinois farms was valued, Jan. 1, 1941, at $255,217,000. The number of cattle had increased to 3,061,000 head. This number was exceeded only twice in the past seventy-four years. Dry, cool weather prevailed during 1940 and caused the most severe shortage of stock water in years. In 1940 Illinois ranked fifth among the states in income from milk and dairy products, second in chicken production, and sixth in egg production.

The world's largest grain and livestock markets are in Chicago. With the state's fine highways and many railroads, the marketing of farm products is not difficult, an important factor in the state's agricultural prosperity.

Industry.

Illinois, with her natural resources ranks high among manufacturing states. Meat packing, steel works, rolling mills, the manufacturing of farm products and electrical supplies, printing and publishing are the leading industries. Manufactured goods produced in 1939 were valued at $4,795,201,154.

During 1940-41 many industries expanded, especially those producing explosives, chemicals, airplane engines and guns. Building was also an important industry, largely due to defense. Major defense projects in Illinois were the new $25,000,000 munitions plant at Wilmington, barracks and other buildings at Camp Grant, a $1,400,000 veterans' hospital, a $10,000,000 modernization and expansion program at Chanute Field, a troop housing project at Savanna, expansion of the U. S. Arsenal at Rock Island, and of Scott Field, and improvements at the Naval Reserve Aviation Base in Chicago, Fort Sheridan, and the Great Lakes Naval Training Station.

Mineral Products.

Ranking sixth among the states for the total value of its mineral products, which amounted in 1939 to $210,295,738, Illinois made substantial gains in several items during 1940. This was especially evident in the production of petroleum, which rose to 146,788,000 bbl., compared with 94,302,000 bbl. valued at $101,200,000 in 1939, the Salem pool again being chiefly responsible for the great increase. Open-hearth steel, in which Illinois ranks fourth, totaled 4,963,457 tons, a gain of more than a million tons over 1939; and shipments of pig iron were also greatly expanded, the amount for 1940 being 4,093,623 tons, valued at $73,882,065, compared with 3,203,846 tons in 1939. The state rose to first place in the production of fluorspar, in 1940, the amount being 104,698 tons.

The rebuilding of Chicago's airport was also important. It is now the largest airport in the world, with 10,000,000 sq. ft. of runways.

Legislative and Other Matters.

The 62nd General Assembly convened in January, 1941. Some important bills passed, other than those already mentioned, were: modernization of Illinois aviation laws, poor relief and other relief measures, Federal-state aid to dependent children, extension of the Legislative Council until 1945, greater unemployment compensation and old-age assistance. A new state Department of Public Safety was created, which will handle public safety, penal administration, and the fight on crime.

In July it was announced by the Director of Public Works and Buildings, that Illinois will receive $5,000,000 as its share of a special Federal fund for construction and improvement of highways. The state will add one fourth of that amount.

Louis L. Emmerson, secretary of state from 1916 to 1928, and governor from 1929 to 1933, died on February 4, 1941. (See also MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.)

Finance.

The assessed value of all property in the state in 1939 was $5,293,228,751 of which $4,856,823,406 was real and personal property.

State Officers.

Governor, Dwight H. Green; Lieutenant Governor, Hugh Cross; Auditor, Arthur C. Lueder; Treasurer, Warren Wright; Attorney General, George F. Barrett; Secretary of State, Edward J. Hughes; Superintendent of Public Instruction, John A. Wieland.

United States Senators:

Scott W. Lucas, C. Wayland Brooks.