Pages

1941: Maryland

Area and Population.

Maryland, one of the thirteen original states, and the seventh to join the Union, ranks 41st in size among the states, with an area of 10,577 sq. mi., including 690 sq. mi. of inland water surface, according to remeasurements of the United States undertaken for the 16th census in 1940. In population it ranks 28th, numbering 1,821,244, according to the 1940 census, an increase of 11.6 per cent over the 1930 census. In the 1930 census, whites numbered 1,354,170, Negroes 276,379, and other races 977.

Baltimore, the chief commercial city and financial center of Maryland, and also the largest city, ranked 7th in size among the cities of the United States, according to the 1940 census, with a population of 859,100. Other large cities in the state are Cumberland, 39,493; Hagerstown, 32,491. The capital is Annapolis, with 13,069.

Agriculture.

Maryland has a diversified agricultural industry. Substantial improvement in the industry marked the year 1940, owing to increased prices for various agricultural products. Dairying is the largest industry, while poultry ranks second in net return to producers. The greatest change recently has been in the definite increase in the production of broilers on the Eastern Shore. This was a comparatively new industry a few years ago, but increasing demands have led to large expansion. It is estimated that more than 60,000,000 broilers were produced on the lower Eastern Shore (and Delaware County) in 1941. An expected increase of thirty per cent in production is anticipated for 1942.

Maryland is planning to meet defense demands for increase in milk production, eggs, poultry and livestock. In fact, during the past few years there has already been a marked increase in the production of beef cattle. Canning crops remain somewhat normal, although to meet Government requests for increases this past year, difficulty was experienced in securing the necessary labor for harvesting and canning. However, despite this fact, Maryland still packs more tomatoes than any other state in the Union, and is one of the leading states for strawberries, spinach and sweet potatoes. In addition to farming, the oyster and crab and fishing industry amounts to over $3,500,000 annually.

Industry and Defense.

Thirteen months of national defense have brought to industrial Maryland more than a billion dollars in direct army, navy, and Maritime Commission contracts, the greatest increase in business that has ever come into the state in any similar period in its history. By inclusion of the authorizations for all defense plant constructions, certificates of necessity for defense plant expansions to be privately financed, funds for training defense workers, and for all defense housing outlay, the aggregate exceeds $1,100,000,000. Employment in Maryland defense plants and defense construction alone has expanded by from 45,000 to 50,000 workers. The total employment of all non-agricultural workers in the state rose in 1941 to a total of 602,000 persons, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, a gain of more than 100,000 workers in a year. Payrolls in manufacturing plants mounted from $4,000,000 a week to $6,000,000 a week, and average wages rose from $28,7 a week to $31,32 a week. Two industries — shipbuilding and aircraft — account for the larger part of the new workers. The backlog of orders unfilled on the books of the Glenn L. Martin Co. on Aug. 15, 1941, amounted to $743,000,000. Total Maritime Commission orders granted to Maryland shipbuilding concerns exceed $136,000,000.

Finance.

When the fiscal year ended on September 30, 1941, the state's cash balance stood at $22,677,865.94, an increase of more than $3,000,000 over the 1940 balance. This gave the state a surplus of $9,119,270.57, the highest on record. The bonded indebtedness was further reduced by nearly $4,000,000, bringing the total state indebtedness to $40,197,000. The state's income from all sources during the year amounted to $67,251,209.88. Disbursements for the same period were $63,571,845.07. The amount spent for relief totaled $4,024,522.19; in addition to this amount, however, the Federal relief funds disbursed amounted to $3,450,767.89. Because of Maryland's excellent financial condition at the close of the fiscal year, Governor O'Conor announced a reduction in the state tax levy, setting the rate for 1942 at 14 cents and for 1943 at 12,75 cents, the lowest in eighty years.

Banking.

On June 30, 1941, Maryland had 63 National Banks with deposits of $342,513,000, loans of $76,350,000 and investments of $163,004,000. The 112 State Banks had deposits of $402,965,000, loans of $127,818,000 and investment of $145,800,000. The 12 Mutual Savings Institutions had deposits of $229,037,000, loans of $36,211,000 and investments of $175,209,000.

Education.

The total enrollment, in 1940-41, in the state's 1,321 public schools was 298,487. Current expenditures for public education amounted to $21,176,342. The high schools continued to attract an increasing number of pupils; the total enrollment, including vocational and high schools reached 86,665 in 1941. Inhabitants of school age (5-18), including those in private and parochial schools, numbered 398,459. The average salary paid the 8,837 teachers was $1,690.

Probably the most important event for Maryland's country schools during 1940-41 was the publication in February of 'The 1941 Survey of the Maryland Public Schools and Teachers Colleges' — a cooperative undertaking of the school authorities of the state with the survey staff. The major recommendations relate to the proposed long-term study of the curriculum, with the purpose of fitting it to the demands of the times, and the lengthening of the school course from 11 to 12 years in the 20 counties now operating on the 7-4 or 6-5 plan for elementary grades and high-school years. The 1941 Legislature passed a law to take effect as of January 1, 1942, eliminating the word 'white' from the law fixing minimum salaries for teachers, and repealing the separate salary schedules which have applied to county Negro teachers.

Maryland's National Defense Training Program financed by Federal funds completed the first year of its operation on July 8, 1941. It gave elementary or preemployment training to 8,103 inexperienced people, supplementary or advanced training to 15,563 individuals engaged in defense industries, and training to 2,429 rural and non-rural school youth. All except four counties participated in the adult education program financed through Federal, state and county funds. An enrollment of 4,617 white and 375 Negroes participated in vocational, elementary, secondary, and general cultural courses during 1940-41. Through consolidation of schools and transportation of pupils, there were 25 fewer white and 16 fewer Negro one-teacher elementary schools than were in existence the preceding year, thus reducing the number of white one-teacher schools to 184 and of Negro one-teacher schools to 182.

Legislative and Other Matters.

Interest in the opening of the 1941 Session of the General Assembly was centered on what effect the Legislative Council might have on the session, and whether it would prevent the last-minute jam of business during the closing days of the ninety-day term. The Council introduced 110 Bills at the opening of the session; as a matter of fact, these were prepared and sent to members of the Legislature two or three days before the convening of the session. The idea was that the members and committees would have material to work on immediately, and it was hoped that this would keep them in session almost constantly. Although the prompt introduction of the bills had the desired effect of keeping the Legislature in session more continuously than during any previous session, it did not prevent the usual last-minute jam. Of the total of 118 Bills introduced by the Council, over 100 were passed. Some of the more important of these related to road condemnation, retail instalment selling, the use of fireworks, the State Guard, and billboards. There were several amendments to the Workmen's Compensation Laws, insurance laws, and others. It may be said that as a whole the work of the Council was successful. The Council meets regularly at least once a month, and is now preparing proposals, Bills, and recommendations for the 1943 General Assembly.

In October 1941, Baltimoreans welcomed to her native city the former Wallis Warfield, and her husband, the Duke of Windsor, former King of England. The Duke and Duchess shared equally in the cordial reception extended them during their visit from October 11 to 17. Persons from all walks of life turned out to cheer the royal couple on their arrival. The Duke and Duchess were received by Mayor Jackson, and later greeted about 1,200 friends at an open-air reception at the club house.

State Officers.

Governor, Herbert R. O'Conor; Secretary of State, Thomas Elmo Jones; Attorney General, William C. Walsh; State Treasurer, Hooper S. Miles; State Comptroller, J. Millard Tawes; State Superintendent of Schools, Albert S. Cook; Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Milton A. Record.

United States Senators:

Millard E. Tydings, George L. Radcliffe.

No comments:

Post a Comment