1941: Montana

Area and Population.

The third largest of the states, Montana was first settled by whites in considerable numbers during the gold rush which began in 1862, was organized as a territory in 1864, and admitted to the Union in 1889. Its 146,997 sq. mi. are traversed by the Rocky Mountains in a northwest-southeast direction, through Glacier National Park and thence to Yellowstone National Park on the southern border. The mean elevation is 3,400 feet above sea level. The eastern two thirds is drained by the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers.

The population, 559,456 according to the 1940 census, is more than ninety per cent white. Indians number approximately 15,000. Butte, a mining center, has a population of 35,081. Other cities are Great Falls, 29,982; Billings, 23,261; Missoula, 18,449; and Helena, the capital, 15,056.

Education.

The school census records 149,666 inhabitants of school age (6 to 21), of whom 74,058 are enrolled in elementary public schools, and 31,713 in public high schools. The average salary of teachers in rural schools in $797. Those teaching in graded schools average $1,113, and high-school teachers receive $1,410.

Agriculture.

Among the state's important industries is farming, including livestock raising, wool growing, and dairying. Leading farm crops are wheat and other cereals, hay, and in irrigated areas, sugar beets, alfalfa, and beans. Notable increases in dairy products, as compared to 1940, were evidenced in 1941 by the manufacture of 437,319 pounds of butter, a gain of 3.3 per cent; 179,834 pounds of cheese, an increase of 14 per cent; and 457,839 pounds of cottage cheese, 16 per cent more than in 1940.

Mineral Products.

In the production of metals Montana ranks third among the states. This is primarily due to copper, in which the state also ranks third, and of which there were produced in 1940, chiefly by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, 252,782,000 pounds, an increase of 29 per cent over 1939, and with a value of $28,564,366. This was equal to more than half of the greatly increased total value of the state's metals for the year, $55,825,078. Production of gold and silver was also above that of the previous year, the former amounting to 272,602 oz., the greatest since 1887; and the latter to 12,361,050 oz., a 36 per cent gain over 1939. Lead, advancing from 33,110,000 pounds in 1939 to 46,072,000 in 1940, was almost doubled in value at $2,303,600. Zinc production rose from 34,799 tons to 52,587, with a proportionately greater increase in value. The state also produced 25,544,047 M cu. ft. of natural gas, and 6,768,000 bbl. of petroleum.

Legislative and Other Matters.

Legislation enacted by the Assembly, Jan. 6 to March 6, included acts for: (a) Payment of benefits from the public welfare funds of the state to victims of silicosis, a pulmonary disease to which hard-rock miners are susceptible; (b) construction near the Capitol of a Veterans and Pioneers Memorial Building, to which will be moved the state historical library now housed in the Capitol; (c) reemployment of state and county employees inducted into military service; (d) reduction of the membership of the House of Representatives from 102 to 90; and (e) a law referred to as the 'Reorganization Act,' which provided for appointment by the Governor of an advisory committee to make, with the advice and assistance of consulting experts, a study of the state government, and to recommend to the Governor and to the Assembly changes designed to minimize duplication and overlapping of departmental functions, inefficiency and useless expense.

During the first six months of operation of the Silicosis Act, the Public Welfare Commission received benefit applications from 370 miners, 75 per cent of whom resided in Silver Bow County (Butte); of these, 260 were approved for benefits of $30 per month. Thirty of the approved applicants died during the six-months period. Other activities of the Commission included aid to 6,419 dependent and needy children, amounting to $12,28 per month; aid to 291 blind persons, averaging $23.24 per month; and old-age assistance to 12,526 persons, including 442 Indians, amounting to $21.41 monthly. Under the Federal school-lunch program, administered in Montana by the Public Welfare Commission, 105,000 lunches were served in 1941. The Commission also administers the Federal food-stamp program throughout the state. Approximately 8,000 families are eligible for such assistance. Food-stamp purchases aggregated $2,228,700.

The citizens of Montana were the first to reach and over-subscribe a state quota for the National Red Cross war-relief fund, the Montana quota being $130,750. They also promptly contributed the state allotment for the United Service Organizations. From May 1, through December, they purchased national defense bonds aggregating in issue value $6,849,000.

Finance.

The state net income from all sources, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1941, was $34,816,805.83, and expenditures were $33,109,951.85. In the same period the Public Welfare Commission (not including custodial and correctional institutions) expended $4,048,359.99; and the Unemployment Compensation Commission paid out $3,263,611.30. The Industrial Accident Board paid to claimants under the Workmen's Compensation Act, during 1941, $1,240,000.

State Officers.

Governor, Sam C. Ford; Lieutenant Governor, Ernest T. Eaton; Secretary of State, Sam W. Mitchell; Treasurer, Thomas Carey; Auditor, John J. Holmes; Attorney General, John W. Bonner; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Elizabeth Ireland.

United States Senators:

Burton K. Wheeler, James E. Murray.