1942: Missouri

Area and Population.

Admitted to the Union Aug. 10, 1821, Missouri is known as the 'Ozark State' and the 'Show Me State.' It ranks 18th in size among the states, with an area of 69,674 sq. mi., including 404 sq. mi. of inland water surface, according to remeasurements taken for the 16th census in 1940. By the same census the state ranked 10th in population, with a total of 3,784,644. The largest cities ranked as follows: St. Louis, 816,048; Kansas City, 399,178; St. Joseph, 75,711; and Springfield, 61,228. Jefferson City, the capital since 1826, had 24,268. Of the entire population in 1940, 93.5 per cent were whites and 6.5 per cent were Negroes. The percentage of foreign-born whites was 3.2 per cent. The U. S. Department of Commerce estimated the total civilian population on May 1, 1942, at 3,750,257.

The Ozark region in the southwest is widely popular as a resort area, with two artificial lakes (Lake of the Ozarks, and Taneycomo), twelve state parks, two national forest reserves and additional wild life refuges, made accessible through extensive highway developments. Elevation of the Ozark highlands in Missouri runs from 1,200 to 1,800 ft.

Education.

According to the latest published report of the State Superintendent of Public Schools, for the year ending June 30, 1942, the total number of persons of school age in Missouri was then 919,217, of whom 8 per cent were Negroes. The total enrollment, in both public and private elementary and high schools was 775,451. A total of 26,195 teachers was employed in the public schools, with an additional 2,591 in private schools. Including eleven public junior colleges, there were 9,981 public schools in Missouri, and expenditures by the state for educational purposes during the 1941-42 fiscal year totaled $57,249,172.

Agriculture.

The chief agricultural products of 1942 were as follows: Corn, 146,899,000 bu., worth $127,802,000; cotton, 425,000 bales, worth $41,862,000. plus cottonseed meal valued at $8,924,000; tame hay, 4,349,000 tons, worth $40,011,000; oats, 59,427,000 bu., worth $27,336,000; soy beans, 7,500,000 bu., worth $12,000,000; and wheat, 9,035,000 bu., worth $10,517,000.

Industry.

The values of leading items in the manufacturing industries of the state, for 1941, were as follows: food products, $504,810,060; iron and steel, $225,850,282; chemicals, $149,813,674; leather goods, $119,555,964; clothing, $109,997,354.

Mineral Products.

The most recent published report on mining in Missouri, for the year 1941, showed increased production over the preceding year. These products ranked as follows: lead, 231,501 tons, $14,841,920; shale, 334,668 tons, $6,543,833; limestone, 5,022,719 tons, $4,226,754; zinc, 40,611 tons, $1,763,826; clay, 1,286,561 tons, $1,744,880; barite, 168,012 tons, $1,051,258; silica sand, 419,707 tons, $514,165. Production of coal amounted to 3,085,551 tons.

Banking.

Missouri is the only state in the Union having two Federal Reserve Banks. One is in St. Louis, and the other in Kansas City. Their districts embrace the states to the south, southwest, and west.

Finance.

The State Treasurer reported receipts totaling $80,510,484 during 1942, the principal item of which was the sales tax amounting to $31,168,361. Other tax receipts were: gasoline tax, $13,497,176; motor vehicles and drivers' licenses, $10,659,461; income tax, $9,940,740; beer and liquor taxes, $6,611,268; county foreign insurance, $2,821,641; county collectors' tax revenue, $2,028,086; inheritance taxes, $1,799,730; corporation franchises, $1,616,834; and beer permits, $367,183.

Total expenditures for the biennium ending Dec. 31, 1942, from governmental and all other sources and funds, amounted to $214,597,809. The total bonded indebtedness of the state is reported at $83,008,000, consisting principally of road bonds.

Political Events.

Politically the year 1942 saw considerable activity. As an aftermath of the 1940 gubernatorial election of Forrest Donnell, unsuccessfully contested during 1941, the Republicans at the election of November 1942 gained five seats in Congress, eleven in the State Senate, control of the House of Representatives, and the office of the State Superintendent of Schools.

A movement to put on the ballot a provision for a unicameral legislature was unsuccessful, and an amendment to the Constitution which would have repealed the existing method of non-partisan selection of judges was defeated.

A special session of the General Assembly was called by Governor Donnell, to vote funds for operation of the state government during the last two months of the year, and it responded by practically doubling the amounts requested, appropriating over $5,000,000 for this period.

Defense.

The principal defense centers are Fort Leonard Wood and Camp Crowder, both of which are new, and Jefferson Barracks. Defense industry includes the U. S. Cartridge plant at St. Louis, the Ordnance Works near Weldon Springs, and the Lake City Ordnance Plant, near Kansas City. Tank landing-barges, aeroplanes, ammonia, dried foods, and numerous other war materials are produced throughout the state, making Missouri's contribution to the war effort both notable and important. The universities and colleges do their share as training centers for army and navy personnel.

State Officers.

Governor, Forrest C. Donnell; Lieutenant-Governor, Frank G. Harris: Secretary of State, Dwight H. Brown; Auditor, Forrest Smith; Treasurer, Wilson Bell; Attorney General, Roy McKittrick; Superintendent of Schools, Lloyd King.

United States Senators:

Bennett Champ Clark, Harry S. Truman.