1941: Iowa

Area and Population.

Admitted to statehood Dec. 12, 1846, Iowa, 'The Hawkeye State', ranks 24th in size among the states, with an area of 56,280 sq. mi., including 294 sq. mi. of inland water surface, according to remeasurements of the United States undertaken for the 16th census in 1940. Nearly 90 per cent of this area is cultivated, a larger proportion than in any other state. In population the state ranks 20th, numbering 2,538,268 according to the 1940 census. The largest cities are Des Moines, the capital, 159,819; Sioux City, 82,364; Davenport, 66,039; Cedar Rapids, 62,120; Dubuque, 43,892; and Council Bluffs, 41,439.

Education.

The report of the Superintendent of Education for the school year 1939-40, showed that Iowa had 681,297 inhabitants of school age (5 to 21). Of these, 369,304 were in 10,154 elementary schools, and 138,041 in 517 high schools. The average salary of all teachers was $834. The total operating cost of the public schools for that school year was $42,709,661.

Agriculture.

Iowa is not only famous as the corn state, but in the variety and the value of its other farm products it is one of the richest agricultural states in the entire Midwest area. Corn is harvested from half the farmland of the state. The value of the corn crop is almost three times that of all other crops combined; and the Iowa corn crop alone is worth more than the combined crops in each of the other Midwestern states but one.

Pasture land comprises about a quarter of the total area; livestock furnishes therefore an important part of the farm income. Iowa is a leading center for pure-bred horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs. The Iowa Department of Agriculture reports as of January 1, 1941, 5,063,000 head of cattle, including 1,487,000 milk cows; 729,000 horses; 51,000 mules; 1,997,000 sheep; hogs raised in 1940, 14,089,000; hogs marketed, 13,623,311 (up 28 per cent).

During 1940 the state raised 39,921,000 chickens, valued at $23,154,000; and turkeys, 1,828,000, valued at $4,681,000. Livestock products in 1940 included 6,740,000,000 lbs. of milk, which grossed an income, from butter, cream, and milk, of $79,785,000. In the markets of Chicago, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, 18 per cent of the dressed poultry received in 1940 was from Iowa; and almost a quarter of the butter.

Industry.

The leading industry in Iowa has naturally to do with agriculture: it is the processing of meat and poultry products. Second in value is railroading, with 13 railway lines operating 9,217 miles of track, and producing an annual revenue of approximately $100,000,000, with 60 per cent of this from freight business. Other important industries are printing and publishing; the manufacture of various foodstuffs, and of machinery, tools, and lumber and wood products. The Des Moines Chamber of Commerce estimated Iowa's industrial production for 1941 at $700,000,000.

Mineral Products.

Production of Iowa's leading minerals, coal, cement and gypsum, remained fairly stable in 1940. The amount of bituminous coal produced was 2,908,000 tons, compared with 3,050,000 in 1939. Cement totaled 4,597,781 bbl. valued at $7,641,163; and gypsum, for which Iowa ranks third in the Union, showed a slight advance over 1939, at 487,379 tons with a value of $587,223.

Finance.

The Comptroller's Budget Report for the biennium ending June 30, 1940, showed total general revenue receipts of $24,886,751, and total general revenue expenditures of $22,057,293; a net cash balance June 30, 1940, of $10,648,166. The major collection items were: State tax, $4,955,786; cigarette tax, $2,176,762; liquor profits, $3,397,940; use tax, $2,783,508. The chief items of expenditure were: Board of Control (penal and charitable institutions), $5,018,633; educational institutions, $6,802,284.

Trust-fund receipts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1940, were $61,922,595, including liquor-control commission, $12,789,454; primary road draws, $11,050,000; unemployment compensation commission clearing account, $7,925,334. Trust-fund expenditures were $61,348,272, including primary road funds, $19,364,597; liquor-control commission, $12,542.111; state tax commission homestead credit, $12,536,440; and unemployment clearing, $7,961,146.

Federal grants received for old-age assistance were $6,806,162; expended, $6,776,524.

Banking.

The Superintendent of Banking reported as of June 30, 1941, that Iowa had 542 incorporated banks (297 savings banks and 245 state banks), with loans and discounts of $302,018,527; U. S. securities, $50,257,080; capital stock, $23,750,500; and surplus funds of $14,370,355. The average cash reserve was 33 per cent.

The Superintendent reports as of the same date 200 credit unions, with loans to members of $3,603,468; and shares listed at $3,551,809; also 160 licensed chattel loan companies, as of Dec. 31, 1940, with loans receivable of $11,404,899.

National Defense.

The Iowa Industrial and Defense Commission, organized in February, 1941, estimated private sub-contracts as of Dec. 1, 1941, at $50,000,000. Since Dec. 8, Army and Navy awards have not been published, but the totals of defense contracts awarded are reliably estimated to have reached $200,000,000 by the end of the year. This estimate includes more than $80,000,000 allotted to build and equip ordnance plants at Burlington and Des Moines. Millions more have been spent in large private sales, without public award, of perishable foods for the armed services, and for lend-lease purposes. Iowa, as a leading food producer, has naturally had a large amount of this business.

State Officers.

Governor, George A. Wilson; Lieutenant Governor, B. B. Hickenlooper; Secretary of State, Earl G. Miller; Auditor, C. B. Akers; Treasurer, W. G. C. Bagley; Attorney General, John M. Rankin; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jessie M. Parker.

United States Senators:

Guy M. Gillette, Clyde L. Herring.