1942: New York

Area and Population.

New York State has a total land and water area of 49,576 sq. mi. The population in 1940 was 13,479,142, of whom 2,853,530 were foreign born, including 584,075 Italians, 436,028 Russians, and 316,844 Germans. Racial groups of importance were 571,221 Negroes, 13,731 Chinese, 8,651 American Indians, and 2,538 Japanese.

The capital of the state is Albany, with a population of 130,577. The largest cities are New York, with a population of 7,454,995; Buffalo, 575,901; Rochester, 324,975; Syracuse, 205,967; Yonkers, 142,598 and Utica, 100,518. New York City and Albany are ports for ocean-going vessels.

Education.

The number of inhabitants of school age (5 to 18 years) in 1940-1941 was 3,463,794. The enrollment in the elementary grades was 1,461,383; in the secondary grades, 749,318. Four types of public schools prevail in New York State: elementary, of which there are 7,169; four-year high schools, 851; junior high schools (grades 7-9) 121; and central schools, grades 1-12, 269. The central schools are usually in rural districts, and had in 1940-41 an enrollment of approximately 158,275, of whom 87,000 were transported by bus. The average salary of teachers in cities is $3,000, in villages, $1,500, and in supervisory districts, $1,400.

State aid for the support of common schools in 1940-41 was $119,602,953.92, including the 2 per cent reduction enacted by the 1941 Legislature, which was restored in 1942. The amount expended for the support of state educational institutions was $6,633,960.

The Education Department has made a definite effort to coordinate the school curriculum with the war effort, aided in one instance by the passage of a legislative act, providing for pre-flight training courses in junior aviation in the secondary schools of the state.

Agriculture.

About 17,170,337 acres, or 56 per cent of the land area of New York, are included in the 153,238 farms of the state. Classified according to the major source of production, 40.8 per cent of these are dairy farms.

In order to keep milk prices within the OPA ceiling and give the farmers a fair price for milk, a subsidy plan was operated in New York City during November and December 1942, by the United States Agricultural Marketing Administration, whereby it buys the milk for $3.50 a hundred pounds and sells it back to dealers for $3.10. This, in effect, is a subsidy to consumers, the taxpayers' money making up the difference. The subsidy amounts to about $15,000 a day.

An attempt to alleviate the labor shortage caused by the draft and a movement of farm labor to defense factories, was made in a new law which permits boys 14 years old and over to be excused from school for farm work, on not more than 30 days during the year without loss of public money to the district. The Board of Regents implemented this law by a ruling to the effect that boys may be released from school for not more than 15 days during any 3-months period.

Industry.

The index of factory employment of the State Department of Labor showed an approximate doubling of employment in 1942 in the areas including Buffalo and Schenectady, an increase of one half for the state as a whole, but only one third for New York City, based on the average employment of 1935-39. The southern part of the state, around Binghamton, had the lowest increase.

The State Division of Commerce, created in 1941 to promote industry and commerce in the state, has found that, because of the war program, most of its activities have been directed to the promotion of war production. For this purpose an office of the Division has been set up in Washington.

Legislation.

The 1942 legislative session began January 7 and ended April 24. Most of the important laws of this session dealt with adjustment to the war program. Notable laws on other subjects were those which authorized the establishment of rural electric cooperative corporations; fixed the date of Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November; dispensed with the 24-hour waiting period between the application for marriage license and the marriage ceremony, for members of the United States armed forces; authorized the issue of only one license plate for motor vehicles, to be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. No change was made in the nine-year old mortgage moratorium law which now provides that 1 per cent amortization must begin July 1, 1942, with the moratorium ending in 1943.

Election.

For twenty consecutive years New York State has had a Democratic Governor and a Republican Legislature. In November 1942 the Republican candidate for Governor, Thomas E. Dewey, was elected. Even with the Labor Party's 404,368 vote (cast this year for the Party candidate, Dean Alfange), which was instrumental in reelecting the Democratic candidate four years ago, the Democrats could not have won, since Dewey received 2,145,831 votes to 1,492,011 for John J. Bennett, Democrat, and Attorney General under Governor Lehman.

War Activities.

The New York State Merchant Marine Academy, at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx, has rapidly expanded its program of training cadets to man our nation's ships. To replace the National Guard, a New York Guard has been enlisted, outfitted and trained. The state's housing program, including the Fort Greene houses near the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and two projects (one for Negroes) in Schenectady, is playing an important part in housing defense workers. At the Academy of Aeronautics at La Guardia Field, New York City, the training of aviation mechanics has been intensified.

New York's War Emergency Act (1942) gave the state and local war councils vast powers for the protection of civilians. Directors were appointed for offices of Civilian Protection and Civilian Mobilization, subordinate to the State War Council.

Local war councils also cooperate with the State War Council on problems involving war production, transportation facilities, agriculture, vocational training for war industries, housing, health and sanitation, salvage and any other necessary activities. Absentee voting by persons in the armed forces was provided for in the laws of 1942.

Public Finance.

The total revenue received by New York State, for the fiscal year 1941-42, was $421,265,940.07. The accumulated surplus as of June 30, 1942, was $54,127,419. During 1942 the emergency state income tax of 1 per cent was repealed, and a general deduction of 25 per cent was allowed on the regular income tax.

The cost of servicing the public debt of approximately $530,000,000 was $46,778,650. Principal payments on serial bonds amounted to $31,243,450, leaving a net public debt of $508,311,995.90 as of June 30, 1942.

The appropriation for the support of the state government for 1942-43 was $332,354,970.15.

Social Welfare.

New York State aided the localities in caring for their home relief cases, in the 1940-41 fiscal year, to the extent of $41,343,202, and for assistance to the aged, dependent children, and blind, $15,718,851.

The number of persons receiving some type of public assistance fell from 1,080,096 in July 1941, to 740,865 in July 1942. In July 1942 there were still 53,709 persons on WPA projects.

Banking.

New York State banks and trust companies as at the close of business Sept. 24, 1941, reported deposits at another all-time high of $13,168,000,000. Cash was no longer the principal asset, being replaced by investments, which represented 43 per cent of the total assets, or $6,292,000,000. Of these investments 82 per cent were in United States government obligations.

The Banking Board has cooperated with the Federal Government by passing resolutions allowing banks to participate in financing war plants; in the production, acquisition, and carrying of strategic and critical materials by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and its subsidiaries; and in defense housing projects.

In the case of savings banks, for the first time since 1934, withdrawals exceeded the aggregate of funds deposited and the amount of dividends credited. The excess of cash withdrawals over deposits during the first ten months of the year was approximately $205,000,000, occurring mostly in New York City. The trend toward lower dividend rates continued, 22 banks reducing rates from 2 per cent to 1½ per cent, while 4 others made such reductions applicable to that part of a deposit balance in excess of $1,000.

The growth of savings-bank life insurance in New York State exceeded all expectations. The amount increased 60 per cent from that issued in 1940, totalling $17,822,268. The number of banks authorized to sell life-insurance policies is now 43, of which 25 issue policies. The limit to the amount of insurance which one person may obtain was raised in 1942 to $3,000.

State Officers.

Governor, Thomas E. Dewey; Lieutenant-Governor, Thomas Wallace; Attorney-General, Nathaniel L. Goldstein; Comptroller, Frank C. Moore; Secretary of State, Thomas J. Curran; Commissioner of Education, Dr. George D. Stoddard.

United States Senators:

Robert F. Wagner, James M. Mead.