1942: Louisiana

Wartime Activities.

With an area of 48,523 sq. mi., and a population of 2,363,880, Louisiana is well adapted through size, location, resources, and other advantages to assume a leading part in the great program of national defense which now holds the attention of every citizen of the United States.

In 1942, Louisiana, with its vast development of industry, was one of the leaders in the making of rubber, aviation gasoline, shells, cargo ships, barges, torpedo boats, and many other products vital to the nation's war effort. In the first eleven months of the year, new industrial construction totalled $265,366.

The port at New Orleans was the center of a vast shipbuilding industry. Here Andrew Jackson Higgins gained national fame, operating three plants building torpedo boats, cargo planes, and marine engines: The Delta, Pendleton, and Louisiana shipyards. A fifteen-million-dollar embarkation depot was built at the port by the Government to facilitate great troop movements, and New Orleans Public Service constructed a $5,000,000 electric generating plant to meet the power needs of war industries.

In New Orleans, a nucleus of oil refineries and chemical plants already there underwent enormous expansion. Standard Oil added four new units to its refinery, and started production of synthetic Buna rubber. The Firestone Rubber Company began production of butadiene rubber at a special plant built during the year. Standard Oil also built an alcohol plant, while the Aluminum Company of America built an aluminum plant.

In the industrial city of Lake Charles, Cities Service began construction of a $50,000,000 refinery to make aviation gasoline, and Mathieson Alkali started work on a magnesium plant costing $40,000,000. Shell-machining plants were located at Houma, Thibodaux and Shreveport, while the Government constructed a $27,000,000 shell-loading plant near Minden. At Sterlington a $10,000,000 ammonia plant was built, as well as a four-million-dollar electric generating plant.

In addition to private investment, the Government built ten new airfields in Louisiana, and spent $164,000,000 in the construction of Camp Polk, Camp Livingston, Camp Claiborne and the enlargement of Camp Beauregard.

Agriculture.

Agricultural production also showed a great increase over the preceding year. Through a 92,000 increase of acreage in cultivation, and with higher prices, the 1942 crops had a valuation of $190,000,000 which was a rise of $68,000,000 over the previous year, according to the Louisiana State University Bureau of Agricultural Economics.

The greatest money crop was cotton, with 598,000 bales ginned as compared to 313,000 the previous year. Rice production totalled 25,817,000 bu.; and sugar cane 420,000 tons. Other leading crops and their estimated value were: Corn $23,924,000; sweet potatoes, $5,518,000; truck crops, $10,000,000; soybeans, $2,296,000; and syrup, $3,456,000.

Education.

Although the war brought many problems to the state school system, a peak enrollment continued, with teachers receiving the highest average pay in the state's history. In Louisiana there were 617,706 children of school age (six to 18 years), and the expenditure for education totalled $24,662,942.64 for the 1941-42 session. The average pay for teachers was $1,267.35 for whites, and $531.08 for Negroes, and for the 1942-43 session increases to $1,397.45 and $631.26 respectively were budgeted.

White children numbering 203,262 attended 1,016 public elementary schools, and 155,952 Negroes attended 1,490 public elementary schools. A total of 33,992 white children and 12,498 Negroes attended private elementary schools. In 471 high schools and 24 junior high schools, 84,268 white children were enrolled; while in 100 high schools and 14 junior high schools there were 17,384 Negro children.

Legislative Matters.

The regular biennial session of the Legislature was held during 1942, plus an extra session called to enact a one per cent sales tax, a measure which had failed in the regular session. Enactment of this tax legislation, the proceeds of which are being used to finance the state's welfare program and hospitals, brought heated debate during the regular session. The levy was only finally voted when a political truce was declared between the state administration and the strong 'Old Regular' delegation from New Orleans, after the governor had vetoed the appropriation for the huge Charity Hospital in that city, and threatened to close the institution.

Marked by much political dissension, the regular legislative session resulted in enactment of numerous emergency measures designed to promote Louisiana's participation in the war. Anti-sabotage laws, blackout laws, and legislation increasing the wartime powers of the governor were among the measures adopted. A Home Guard to replace the Louisiana National Guard was authorized, and the Legislature also made provision for absentee balloting by soldiers.

The Legislature also provided for a $5,000,000 bond issue, secured by royalties from state-owned oil lands, to be used for a huge building program at the state's mental hospitals.

Politics.

The major political event in Louisiana in 1942 was the Congressional election in which the administration forces, elected two years previously on a reform ticket, lost all but one of the seats in the Lower House. Bitter fights marked many of the Congressional elections and only one adherent of the Sam Jones faction was returned to Congress.

Social Welfare.

Enactment of the sales tax provided the state with much needed additional revenue. The proceeds are allocated to welfare, old-age pensions, and maintenance of state hospitals and charitable institutions. The tax is currently bringing in about $700,000 monthly in revenue. Relief expenditures remain at approximately $12,000,000 a year, while the unemployment compensation fund is building up a reserve at the rate of $1,00,000 a month because of improved wartime employment conditions. The fund now has a balance of $28,840,000, with 380,000 workers currently covered, as compared with 290,000 two years ago. During 1942 the total payment on claims was $5,161,814, with 66,000 persons receiving checks.

Finance.

During 1942, Louisiana banks continued in a healthy condition with many of them building up huge reserve funds. Practically all showed an increase in the number of deposits.

State Officers.

Governor, Sam H. Jones; Lieutenant Governor, Marc M. Mouton; Secretary of State, James Gremillion; Treasurer, A. P. Tugwell; Auditor, L. B. Baynard; Attorney General, Eugene M. Stanley; Superintendent of Education, John E. Coxe.

United States Senators:

John Holmes Overton, Allen Joseph Ellender.