1942: Wisconsin

Area and Population.

Wisconsin, a north central state, has an area of 56,154 sq. mi. The population in 1940 (U. S. census) was 3,137,587, an increase of 198,581, or 6.8 per cent over 1930. Of this total, 3,112,752 were white persons, 12,265 Indians, 12,158 Negroes, and 412 Chinese, Japanese and others. The foreign-born white population was 289,018. Total urban population was reported as 1,679,144, or 53.5 per cent of the total; and rural population as 1,458,443, or 46.5 per cent. The chief cities and their population (1940 census) were Milwaukee, 587,472; Madison, the capital, 67,447; Racine, 67,195; Kenosha, 48,765; Green Bay, 46,235; La Crosse, 42,707; Sheboygan, 40,638; and Oshkosh, 39,089.

Education.

Education is free for all persons in the state between the ages of 4 and 20 years (831,123 in 1939-1940) and compulsory from 7 to 14 or until graduation. During the year ending June 30, 1942, the state's children were served by 5,408 one-room rural schools, 687 state graded schools, 463 high schools, and 48 separate junior high schools. The state's educational system also includes a large number of schools for handicapped children and 45 vocational schools. During the year ending June 30, 1942, there were 519,642 pupils enrolled in the public schools. Of these, the high schools enrolled 158,043 students. The state had 20,773 teachers in service, 13,771 in the elementary schools, and 7,002 in the high schools. The median monthly salary for teachers in the elementary schools was $107.08, and in high schools, $174.48. Total expenditures for elementary and secondary schools for the year were $51,616,700.

Agriculture.

The total output of Wisconsin's dairy plants in 1941 was the largest on record. The state produced 476,682,000 lb. of cheese in 1941, an increase of 18 per cent over 1940. Butter produced in Wisconsin creameries was reported at 163,887,000 lb., which was about 10 per cent less than the 1940 output. Condensatory products reached a total of 1,394,957,000 lb., an increase of about 31 per cent over 1940. Wisconsin continued to lead all other states in the production of cheese and condensatory products, and ranked third in the production of butter. In 1941 the state produced 50 per cent of the national output of cheese, about 28 per cent of the condensatory products, and about 9 per cent of the butter.

As was the case in the first World War, agricultural income has risen during the present war. In 1941 the farmers of the state had an estimated gross farm income of $468,000,000, which was about 40 per cent above 1940, and was the highest for any year since 1920. Of the gross farm income in 1941, 88 per cent came from livestock and livestock products, leaving only 12 per cent from crops. The index of prices received by Wisconsin farmers rose in October, 1942, to 176 per cent of the level of farm prices during the period 1910-1914, as compared with 155 per cent in 1940. The index of prices the farmers paid in October, 1942, was 156 per cent of the level of prices during the period 1910-1914, which was eighteen points above that of 1941. The purchasing power of the Wisconsin farm dollar rose to 113 per cent of the level of purchasing power during the period 1910-1914, as compared with 112 per cent in October, 1941.

Industry.

In 1939, Wisconsin's 6,717 establishments employed 233,691 salary and wage earners and produced goods with a value of $1,604,507,356. The principal manufactures were lumber, dairy products, boots and shoes, agricultural implements, paper and pulp, electrical machines, meat packing, malt liquors, automobiles, etc. The index of employment in October, 1942 was 140.2 per cent of the 1925-1927 level, as compared with 126.7 per cent a year ago. The index of pay rolls advanced sharply from 173.2 per cent in October, 1941, to 229.3 per cent in October, 1942.

Unemployment Compensation.

Wisconsin's unemployment compensation act became law on January 29, 1932. The law now covers employers who have six or more employes during each of at least eighteen weeks of the calendar year. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1942, benefits totalling $4,679,159 were paid to approximately 46,000 workers. At the close of December, 1941, the net balance of the unemployment fund was approximately $68,000,000. During the calendar year 1941 contributions to the fund totaled $13,512,896.

Finance.

The state budget for the biennium 1941-1943 was $73,868,278, an increase of $2,656,302 over the 1939-1941 budget. The principal increases were for pensions, teachers' colleges, and the University of Wisconsin.

Taxation.

Wisconsin residents paid $214,900,000 in state and local taxes in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1941, as compared with $204,700,000 in 1940, an increase of about 5 per cent. The Federal government collected $121,813,000 in 1941, an increase of about 41 per cent over the $86,388,000 collected in the 1940 fiscal year.

Banking.

On June 30, 1942, Wisconsin had 467 state banks (including six trust companies and four mutual savings banks). Their total deposits were $542,097,000, an increase of $73,866,000 over the $468,231,000 in 470 institutions reported on June 30, 1941. There were 98 national banks operating in the state. Their deposits were $584,173,000 on June 30, 1942, as compared with $529,496,000 in 99 banks in 1941.

Government and Political Events.

The Legislature, composed of a Senate of 33 members and an Assembly of 100 members, meets biennially in odd-numbered years, on the second Wednesday in January. Since there was no session of the Legislature in 1942, there are few important events of a political character to be chronicled. In the November elections the Republicans maintained their majority in both branches. The Legislature which meets in January, 1943, will have 24 Republicans, 6 Progressives and 3 Democrats in the Senate, and 61 Republicans, 24 Progressives, and 15 Democrats in the Assembly.

In November, 1942, Governor Julius P. Heil was defeated by Orland S. Loomis, Progressive, candidate for the governorship by a majority of 105,719 votes. Loomis, the only Progressive elected to a major state office, died Dec. 8, a few weeks before his inauguration. Since he was the first governor-elect of Wisconsin to die before inauguration, his death brought days of uncertainty as to who would become governor. On Dec. 29, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Lieutenant Governor Walter S. Goodland, 80-year old veteran of Wisconsin politics and a Republican, should become acting governor for the two-year term beginning January 4, 1943.

State Officers.

Governor, Walter S. Goodland; Secretary of State, Fred R. Zimmermann; State Treasurer, John M. Smith; Attorney General, John E. Martin; Superintendent of Public Instruction, John Callahan.

United States Senators:

Robert M. La Follette, Jr., Alexander Wiley.