1942: Iowa

Area and Population.

Admitted to the Union as the twenty-ninth state, on Dec. 28, 1846, Iowa has an area of 56,147 sq. mi., ranking it twenty-fourth in size. The population in 1940 was 2,538,268, of which 1,084,231 was urban and 1,454,037 was rural population. Native whites numbered 2,403,446, foreign-born whites, 117,245, Negroes, 16,694, and those belonging to other races, 883. The capital city is Des Moines (159,819), a banking, trade, and insurance center. Other important cities are: Sioux City (82,364), Davenport (66,039), Cedar Rapids (62,120), Waterloo (51,743), Dubuque (43,892), and Council Bluffs (41,439).

Education.

During the school year 1940-41, a total of 4,865 school districts expended $46,620,948 for public education. The total number of children of school age (5 to 21 years) was 676,232, of whom 358,527 were enrolled in elementary schools, 137,737 in high schools, and 2,489 in public junior colleges. The total enrollment in the state's twenty-two colleges and universities in 1941-42 was 22,277.

There were in the state in 1941 272 public libraries supported wholly or in large part by public taxation, and 85 association or membership libraries.

Agriculture.

Iowa farms number 210,903 with a total acreage of 34,671,972; the average size of the farms being 164.4 acres. Iowa farm income amounts to approximately 8 per cent of the national farm income. The cash farm income from marketings by Iowa farmers in 1941 was estimated at $919,515,000 as compared with the 1940 income of $718,991,000.

Iowa produces more corn than any other state or any foreign nation. Much of the crop is used to feed hogs and cattle, the state producing more of these for market than any other state. In 1941 approximately 50,000,000 bu. of shelled corn were stored near railroad stations in all parts of the state. In 1940 Iowa sold over 10,000,000 lb. of wool, and 1,500,000 sheep, the income from this source being $13,000,000.

Industry.

Although Iowa is primarily an agricultural state, one-fifth of its population is supported by the manufacturing industry, the principal industry, however, being the processing of farm products. Aside from these, the chief manufactured products are gypsum, cement, washing machines, farm implements, fountain pens, and cosmetics. Publishing is also a major industry. The normal output of Iowa's factories, not including war industries, is estimated at $710,000,000. Up to June 30, 1942, war contracts totalling $407,000,000 had been awarded to Iowa companies.

Eleven great dams from which electric power is wired have been built from Iowa across the Mississippi River. The use of electric power in the state is twice the United States average, and its cost less than half the average. Iowa coal miners numbering 7,500 in 1940, mined over 3,000,000 tons of bituminous coal.

Defense.

Iowans enrolled in the nation's fighting forces, Dec. 31, 1942, numbered 140,000. The first training center of the Women's Army Auxiliary Camp was opened July 20, 1942, at Fort Des Moines, five miles south of the capital.

Governmental Affairs.

The state Legislature meets biennially in January of the odd-numbered years. The Senate consists of fifty senators representing districts composed of one to five counties. The House of Representatives consists of one representative from each of the state's ninety-nine counties, with nine additional members representing counties in which the state's larger cities are located.

In the election of Nov. 3, 1942, the state went preponderantly Republican. Governor George A. Wilson, who was elected U. S. Senator to succeed Clyde L. Herring (Democrat), was succeeded as governor by Bourke B. Hickenlooper. Republican candidates for Congress were elected in all eight districts. The entire Republican ticket for state offices was elected.

Finances.

Iowa now has no state bonded indebtedness. State income in 1941-42 from all sources totalled $270,535,413. Total disbursements for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1942, were $198,058,219. The major sources of state revenue, in addition to taxation of real and personal property, are the state individual and corporation income taxes, a 2 per cent sales and use tax, and the profits of the State Liquor Commission from retail sales.

State Officers.

Governor, Bourke B. Hickenlooper; Lieutenant Governor, Robert D. Blue; Secretary of State, Wayne M. Ropes; Auditor, Chet B. Akers; Treasurer, W. G. C. Bagley; Attorney General, John M. Rankin; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jessie M. Parker.

United States Senators:

Guy M. Gillette, George A. Wilson.

1941: Iowa

Area and Population.

Admitted to statehood Dec. 12, 1846, Iowa, 'The Hawkeye State', ranks 24th in size among the states, with an area of 56,280 sq. mi., including 294 sq. mi. of inland water surface, according to remeasurements of the United States undertaken for the 16th census in 1940. Nearly 90 per cent of this area is cultivated, a larger proportion than in any other state. In population the state ranks 20th, numbering 2,538,268 according to the 1940 census. The largest cities are Des Moines, the capital, 159,819; Sioux City, 82,364; Davenport, 66,039; Cedar Rapids, 62,120; Dubuque, 43,892; and Council Bluffs, 41,439.

Education.

The report of the Superintendent of Education for the school year 1939-40, showed that Iowa had 681,297 inhabitants of school age (5 to 21). Of these, 369,304 were in 10,154 elementary schools, and 138,041 in 517 high schools. The average salary of all teachers was $834. The total operating cost of the public schools for that school year was $42,709,661.

Agriculture.

Iowa is not only famous as the corn state, but in the variety and the value of its other farm products it is one of the richest agricultural states in the entire Midwest area. Corn is harvested from half the farmland of the state. The value of the corn crop is almost three times that of all other crops combined; and the Iowa corn crop alone is worth more than the combined crops in each of the other Midwestern states but one.

Pasture land comprises about a quarter of the total area; livestock furnishes therefore an important part of the farm income. Iowa is a leading center for pure-bred horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs. The Iowa Department of Agriculture reports as of January 1, 1941, 5,063,000 head of cattle, including 1,487,000 milk cows; 729,000 horses; 51,000 mules; 1,997,000 sheep; hogs raised in 1940, 14,089,000; hogs marketed, 13,623,311 (up 28 per cent).

During 1940 the state raised 39,921,000 chickens, valued at $23,154,000; and turkeys, 1,828,000, valued at $4,681,000. Livestock products in 1940 included 6,740,000,000 lbs. of milk, which grossed an income, from butter, cream, and milk, of $79,785,000. In the markets of Chicago, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, 18 per cent of the dressed poultry received in 1940 was from Iowa; and almost a quarter of the butter.

Industry.

The leading industry in Iowa has naturally to do with agriculture: it is the processing of meat and poultry products. Second in value is railroading, with 13 railway lines operating 9,217 miles of track, and producing an annual revenue of approximately $100,000,000, with 60 per cent of this from freight business. Other important industries are printing and publishing; the manufacture of various foodstuffs, and of machinery, tools, and lumber and wood products. The Des Moines Chamber of Commerce estimated Iowa's industrial production for 1941 at $700,000,000.

Mineral Products.

Production of Iowa's leading minerals, coal, cement and gypsum, remained fairly stable in 1940. The amount of bituminous coal produced was 2,908,000 tons, compared with 3,050,000 in 1939. Cement totaled 4,597,781 bbl. valued at $7,641,163; and gypsum, for which Iowa ranks third in the Union, showed a slight advance over 1939, at 487,379 tons with a value of $587,223.

Finance.

The Comptroller's Budget Report for the biennium ending June 30, 1940, showed total general revenue receipts of $24,886,751, and total general revenue expenditures of $22,057,293; a net cash balance June 30, 1940, of $10,648,166. The major collection items were: State tax, $4,955,786; cigarette tax, $2,176,762; liquor profits, $3,397,940; use tax, $2,783,508. The chief items of expenditure were: Board of Control (penal and charitable institutions), $5,018,633; educational institutions, $6,802,284.

Trust-fund receipts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1940, were $61,922,595, including liquor-control commission, $12,789,454; primary road draws, $11,050,000; unemployment compensation commission clearing account, $7,925,334. Trust-fund expenditures were $61,348,272, including primary road funds, $19,364,597; liquor-control commission, $12,542.111; state tax commission homestead credit, $12,536,440; and unemployment clearing, $7,961,146.

Federal grants received for old-age assistance were $6,806,162; expended, $6,776,524.

Banking.

The Superintendent of Banking reported as of June 30, 1941, that Iowa had 542 incorporated banks (297 savings banks and 245 state banks), with loans and discounts of $302,018,527; U. S. securities, $50,257,080; capital stock, $23,750,500; and surplus funds of $14,370,355. The average cash reserve was 33 per cent.

The Superintendent reports as of the same date 200 credit unions, with loans to members of $3,603,468; and shares listed at $3,551,809; also 160 licensed chattel loan companies, as of Dec. 31, 1940, with loans receivable of $11,404,899.

National Defense.

The Iowa Industrial and Defense Commission, organized in February, 1941, estimated private sub-contracts as of Dec. 1, 1941, at $50,000,000. Since Dec. 8, Army and Navy awards have not been published, but the totals of defense contracts awarded are reliably estimated to have reached $200,000,000 by the end of the year. This estimate includes more than $80,000,000 allotted to build and equip ordnance plants at Burlington and Des Moines. Millions more have been spent in large private sales, without public award, of perishable foods for the armed services, and for lend-lease purposes. Iowa, as a leading food producer, has naturally had a large amount of this business.

State Officers.

Governor, George A. Wilson; Lieutenant Governor, B. B. Hickenlooper; Secretary of State, Earl G. Miller; Auditor, C. B. Akers; Treasurer, W. G. C. Bagley; Attorney General, John M. Rankin; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jessie M. Parker.

United States Senators:

Guy M. Gillette, Clyde L. Herring.

1940: Iowa

Area and Population.

The area of the 'Hawkeye State,' 56,147 sq. mi., gives it 24th place for size in the Union. Almost nine-tenths of its land is cultivated — the largest proportion in the forty-eight states — and farm land is thrice the national average. Two-thirds of this is crop land.

The 1940 census gives Iowa 2,538,268 — an increase of 67,329 over 1930 and ranking it 20th in population among the states. One-fourth are of foreign or mixed parentage; nine per cent are foreign-born, chiefly Germans, Canadians, Italians, Mexicans. Less than one per cent are Negroes. Non-English-speaking persons are 43 per 1,000 — less than half the national average of 110 per 1,000. The largest cities are Des Moines, the capital, 159,819; Sioux City, 82,364; Davenport, 66,039; Cedar Rapids, 62,120; Council Bluffs, 41,439; and Dubuque, 43,892.

Agriculture.

Iowa is one of the richest agricultural states of the Midwest block, pre-eminently the corn state. Half its farm area is planted in Indian corn, a crop worth almost three times all other crops combined. Oats rank second, occupying about a quarter of the farm land. Hay is third. All other crops trail far behind these three.

Livestock production is important, and pasture land occupies nearly a quarter of the state area. Pure-bred horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs are produced in large quantity; Iowa is a leader in the breeding of high-grade horses and hogs.

Industry.

Thirteen railway lines are in themselves an important industry; their 9,217 miles within the state rank Iowa next to Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania in that regard. The annual revenue reaches nearly $100,000,000; annual freight tonnage nearly $60,000,000. By far the leading industry of the state, however, is the processing of meat and poultry products; other leaders are the manufacture of foodstuffs, machinery, tools, lumber and wood products; and printing and publishing.

Mineral Products.

Three minerals are important in Iowa: coal, cement, and gypsum. The coal production averages nearly 4,000,000 tons, with a value of some $10,000,000. The manufacture of cement averages 4,750,000 bbl., valued above $7,000,000. Gypsum is produced to the extent of close to half a million tons — exceeded only by New York and Michigan. The total yearly mineral production of the state is valued at about $25,000,000.

Education.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction reported 681,297 persons of school age (5 to 21) in the school year 1939-40; 369,304 in 10,154 elementary schools; 138,041 in 517 high schools. The average teaching salary is $834. The total state expenditure for the public schools in 1930 was $4,500,000; the current operating cost of the public schools (including the disbursements of school districts) is listed as $42,709,661.

Banking.

The 1,076 banks and trust companies were reported by the State Superintendent of Banking, for the quarter ending June 30, 1939, as having loans and discounts of $271,518,596 (a decrease from the previous quarter); credits subject to sight draft, $88,134,783 (a decrease); capital stocks, $23,556,500 (an increase); surplus fund, $11,263,276 (an increase); undivided profits, $10,292,068 (an increase); deposits, $401,323,567 (a decrease).

Political and Other Events.

On Nov. 5, 1940, a native son of Iowa, Henry A. Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture for two terms in President Roosevelt's Cabinet, was elected Vice-President of the United States.

In that election Iowa was one of the 10 states (8 of them in the Middle West) to return majorities for Wendell Willkie. He received 51 per cent of the total state vote of 1,205,569. Iowa's plurality for him over President Roosevelt was 43,570.

The 17th national cornhusking championship was won at Davenport, Oct. 30, by Irving Bauman of Illinois, winner in 1935 and 1938; his score was 46 3/4 bu. in 80 min. Marion Link of Iowa was a close second, with 1/3 of a bushel less.

An interesting event of March 1939, was the return, by the State Government of Iowa to that of Alabama, of the Civil War flag of the 'Republic of Alabama' — as that state had declared itself on Jan. 11, 1861, before it joined the Confederacy. The flag had found its way to the Iowa State Historical Department; and by legislative action a special committee of veterans and legislators was appointed to return the historic emblem to its home in Montgomery.

State Officers.

Governor, George A. Wilson; Lieutenant Governor, B. B. Hickenlooper; Secretary of State, Earl G. Miller; Auditor, C. B. Akers; Treasurer, W. G. C. Bagley; Attorney General, John M. Rankin; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jessie M. Parker.

United States Senators:

Guy M. Gillette, Clyde L. Herring.

1939: Iowa

Area and Population.

The 'Hawkeye State' was admitted to statehood on Dec. 28, 1846. Its area of 56,147 sq. mi. ranks it 24th in size. In railway mileage it is exceeded only by Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

Iowa's population of 2,552,000 (Federal estimate, July 1, 1937) gives it 9th place among the states. A quarter of the total are of foreign or mixed parentage; 9 per cent are foreign-born, chiefly Germans, Canadians, Italians, and Mexicans. Negroes number 19,000. The proportion of non-English-speaking persons is less than half the national average, or 43 per 1,000 as against 110 per 1,000. Two-fifths of the population live in cities. The largest are Des Moines (the capital), 142,599; Sioux City, 79,183; Davenport, 60,751; Cedar Rapids, 56,097; Council Bluffs, 42,048; and Dubuque, 41,679.

Agriculture.

Nearly nine-tenths of the state is cultivated land — the largest proportion in any state. Its farm land is three times the national average, and is two-thirds crop land. Half the farm area is devoted to Indian corn, and the corn crop is worth almost three times as much as all other crops combined. More than a quarter of the farm land is planted in oats. Hay is the third leading crop.

Since nearly a quarter of the state is pasture land, livestock production is a major activity. The breeding of high grade horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs is extensively carried on. Iowa is a leader among the states in horses and hogs.

Industry.

Iowa's chief industrial enterprise is the processing and manufacture of various types of food. Meatpacking leads in importance, its products equalling in value those of all other industries combined. The manufacture of dairy products comes second.

Mineral Products.

Production of the three most important minerals of Iowa, coal, cement, and gypsum, was maintained during 1938 at about the same level as in 1937, when the total mineral wealth of the state was $26,941,350. The mining of coal amounted to an estimated 3,250,000 tons; shipments of cement were 4,759,390 bbl. valued at $7,327,048, and production of gypsum, in which the state ranks third in the Union, totaled 364,920 tons with a value of $495,856.

Education.

The latest figures released by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (1937-38) showed 681,169 persons of school age (5 to 21), of whom 519,150 were enrolled in 11,895 schools, including 347,267 in 10,776 elementary schools, 171,883 in 1,119 secondary schools. In vocational courses 26,166 were enrolled. In private and parochial schools there were 48,119, including 38,637 in elementary grades, 9,482 in secondary. Expenditures for public schools in 1937-38 totalled $41,296,626.

Ten superintendents and one high-school principal received over $5,000; one rural-school teacher, under $400.

Banking.

The State Superintendent of Banking reported on June 30, 1939, as follows: Incorporated banks 538, including savings banks 296, state banks 239, trust companies 3; loans and discounts, $271,518,596 (a decrease in three months of $4,116,874); credits subject to sight draft, $88,134,783 (a decrease of $9,391,321); capital stock, $23,556,500 (an increase of $25,000); surplus fund, $11,263,276 (an increase of $180,200); undivided profits, $10,292,068 (an increase of $222,738); deposits, $401,323,567 (a decrease in three months of $12,530,839, but an increase in twelve months of $25,447,464). Banking and finance conditions improved steadily during 1939.

Economic Progress.

A general pick-up was felt in practically all state activities during 1939. A 10 per cent gain was made over 1938 in the all-important matter of farm cash income — from $546,000,000 to $600,000,000. There was also a reduction in cooperative land holdings. Banking and finance improved by from 5 to 10 per cent; the Production Credit Association reported a 20 per cent increase. Manufacturing showed general improvement, with a corresponding pick-up in industrial employment. Retail sales and the building trades made large gains. Relief and WPA work both eased off during the year.

The 14 special taxes — sales, cigarettes, gasoline, use (on new cars), motor carriers, motor vehicles, insurance, beer, inheritance, liquor profits, income, oleomargarine, equipment cars and chain stores — yielded a record amount in 1939 of $57,994,693. Nine of the fourteen categories showed gains over 1938, the largest producer being the sales tax, with almost $15,000,000.

Legislative and Other Matters.

In legislation, radical economies in state expenses were enacted. A carefully-planned system of farm-to-market secondary roads was got under way.

A Fine Arts Festival at Iowa City in the fall drew 25,000 visitors. There was increased activity of the Progressive Education Association in Des Moines and elsewhere, and continued growth of the public forum movement throughout the state. Provision for such forums in Des Moines was made in the public school budget of that city.

State Officers.

The chief officers are as follows: Governor, Geo. A. Wilson; Lieutenant Governor, B. B. Hickenlooper; Secretary of State, Earl G. Miller: Auditor, C. B. Akers: Treasurer. W. G. C. Bagley: Attorney General, Fred Everett: Secretary of Public Instruction, Jessie M. Parker. The Executive Council consists of the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor and Treasurer.

United States Senators.

Guy M. Gillette, Clyde L. Herring.

1938: Iowa

Area and Population. The 'Hawkeye' state, Iowa, was admitted to statehood Dec. 28, 1846. It ranks 24th in size among the states, with an area of 56,147 sq. mi. In railway mileage Iowa is exceeded only by Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. In population, Iowa ranks 19th, numbering 2,470,939 according to the Census of 1930; 2,552,000 on July 1, 1937, according to the latest Federal estimate. The largest cities are Des Moines, the capital 142,559 (1930 census); Sioux City, 79,183; Davenport, 60,751; Cedar Rapids, 56,097; Council Bluffs, 42,048; Dubuque, 41,679. Of the 2,543,000 people in the state, about 1,500,000 are native whites; 630,000 are of foreign or mixed parentage; 230,000 are foreign-born, Germans predominating, and Canadians, Italians, and Mexicans following in that order. There are 19,000 Negroes. The proportion of non-English-speaking persons is 43 per 1,000 — the national average is 110 per 1,000. The urban population is 39.6 per cent of the whole. Agriculture. The state has the largest proportion of cultivated land in the Union — from 85 to 90 per cent; its farm land is three times the national average proportion, and is two-thirds crop land. Half the farm area is devoted to Indian corn; more than a quarter is planted in oats; and Iowa is a leading state in the production of tame hay. Almost a quarter of the area of Iowa is pasture land; hence the raising of livestock is a major activity. Horses, cattle, sheep, and swine of high quality are bred in large quantities, the state being a national leader in horses and swine. Meat-packing is the first industry in the state, with dairy products and food preparations almost equally important. Mineral Products. The largest items among Iowa's mineral products for 1937 were as usual coal and cement. Production of the former totaled 3,690,000 tons; shipments of the latter amounted to 4,598,453 bbl., valued at $7,046,021, a slight increase over 1936. The production of gypsum, in which Iowa ranks third among the states, totaled 387,255 tons as against 344,221 in 1936. Education. The state has 681,169 inhabitants of school age (5 to 21). Enrollment is as follows: in the 10,776 elementary public schools there are 347,267 pupils; in the 1,119 secondary schools, 171,883. There are 38,637 pupils in private and parochial elementary schools, and 9,482 in secondary schools of those types. In vocational courses there are 26,166 pupils. Iowa spent in 1938 on her public schools $41,296,626. Ten superintendents and one high school principal receive over $5,000; one rural-school teacher, under $400. The chief educational development of the year was the marked increase throughout the state of the public forum movement — influenced by the fact that while the proportion of illiterates in the nation is 60 per 1,000, in Iowa the proportion is but 11 per 1,000. Events of the Year. Conditions throughout the state generally improved in 1938 over 1937, in banking and finance, in agriculture, and in manufacturing. Relief and unemployment remained about the same. The political event of the year was the return of the Republican party to power. Previously, all state executive officers but one were Democrats; now all are Republicans. Both United States Senators, however, are still Democratic, and the two Democratic United States Congressmen were reelected. Banking. The state Banking Department reported as of September 28, 1938, the number of incorporated banks at 543; savings banks, 299; state banks, 241; trust companies, 3. Capital stock amounted to $23,498,500, loans and discounts to $239,423,198 and deposits to $378,189,516. State Officers. As the result of the 1938 election, the chief officers are as follows: Governor, Geo. A. Wilson; Lieutenant Governor, B. B. Hickenlooper; Secretary of State, Earl G. Miller; Auditor, C. B. Akers; Treasurer, W. G. C. Bagley; Attorney General, Fred Everett; Secretary of Public Instruction, Jessie M. Parker. The Executive Council consists of the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor and Treasurer. Judiciary. The State Supreme Court consists of Chief Justice W. H. Hamilton, and Associate Justices Richard F. Mitchell, John W. Anderson, John W. Kintzinger, Carl B. Stiger, Maurice F. Donegan, James M. Parsons, and Edward A. Sager. United States Senators. Guy M. Gillette, Clyde L. Herring.