Area and Population.
Admitted to statehood June 1, 1792, Kentucky ranks 36th in size among the states, with an area of 40,395 sq. mi., including 286 sq. mi. of inland water surface, according to remeasurements of the United States undertaken for the 16th census in 1940. In population it ranks 16th, numbering 2,845,627 according to the 1940 census, an increase of 8.8 per cent since 1930.
The state has only large city, Louisville, the population of which in the census of 1940 was 319,077. Since the taking of the census however, the population has been greatly increased by the building, within its borders, and also on the Indiana side of the Ohio, of many defense plants. Today Louisville may have as many as 375,000 to 400,000 people. The next largest cities are Covington, 62,018; Lexington, 49,304; Paducah, 33,765; Newport, 30,631; Owensboro, 30,245; and Ashland, 29,537. Frankfort, the capital, has 11,492.
There are only 15,631 foreign-born residents, or 54 per cent. About 13 per cent of the native-born are Negroes. The majority are pre-Revolutionary white stock. There are no Indians, and only a few Chinese in the cities.
Education.
Over a fourth of Kentucky's inhabitants are of school age, the exact number being 763,379. Of these, 498,599 were in the elementary grade schools, 1940-41. To serve these there are 6,621 elementary schools. The average attendance in each is 75 pupils. There are about 35 pupils to each teacher. Some one-room schools are yet in operation, but they are constantly growing less in number. As better roads are extended into the less accessible areas, the one-room schools are abandoned.
The public high schools in 1940-41 numbered 738, with 100,868 students. This was an average of about 137 students to the school, and about 20 to the teacher. The high schools do not have to contend with mountain topography and other unfavorable conditions, as do the elementary schools, and therefore make an excellent showing.
During the past fiscal year the state put into its schools $9,612,148.76, including general expenses and an average annual salary for each elementary school teacher of $625, and $1,069 for each high school teacher.
Agriculture.
Kentucky crops were bountiful during 1941, despite an unusual deficiency in rainfall. As the state's largest crop, tobacco, has been controlled in amount, it was not as abundant as in some past years, but the prices received in the marketing towards the end of the year were the best for many years past, running over or around 25 cents.
During 1941 Kentucky farmers organized thirteen new cooperative marketing groups; and the marketing division of the Department of Agriculture has assisted in standardizing the packing and labeling of their products. This enables them to sell to the great retailing organizations at prices from ten to fifteen per cent better than otherwise.
Sorghum syrup made in Kentucky has received so much praise and so many repeat orders from tourists and others, that the growers have adopted for their product the name 'Old Kentucky Home,' and a grading system for standardizing the syrups. They promise to be an important cash crop.
Experiments are being conducted in the production of coriander seed and castor-oil beans, the production of which elsewhere has been interfered with by the war. The probabilities are that they will form a new cash crop, to replace the losses caused by the reduction of tobacco acreage.
The past year has brought to the state's stock breeders prices far in excess of any received in recent years. These, with advanced production methods, have given the producers greatly increased purchasing powers, and enhanced modern improvements, comfort, and satisfaction.
Mineral Products.
Bituminous coal, Kentucky's leading mineral, which accounted in 1939 for about two-thirds of the total value of minerals in the state, or $74,481,000 out of $113,243,154, was produced in 1940 in the amount of 48,400,000 tons, an appreciable advance over the previous year. The state also produced 5,193,000 bbl. of petroleum, and an increasing amount of natural gas, although the latest available figures for the latter are for 1939 when the flow equalled 47,771,000 M. cu. ft., with a value of $20,630,000. Production in 1940 of fluorspar, for which the state ranks second, was 103,939 tons worth $2,043,866.
Events of the Year.
As the Legislature was not in session during the past year, there has been no legislation about war matters, but the state administration and the cities have cooperated in every way called on for defense. A Home Guard has been formed to take over the extra police powers formerly performed by the National Guard, and many other organizations have been created to attend to special duties.
The story of the year would be incomplete without mention of new plants and enlargement of old ones in defense business. The National Carbide Corporation; the E. I. Du Pont de Nemours Co., making rubbers; B. F. Goodrich Co., also making rubbers; the Reynolds Metals Co.; and the Naval Ordnance Plant of the Westinghouse interests, have all built new plants near Louisville, and the Louisville Gas & Electric Company has built a new electric power plant to serve them. At Henderson the Ohio Valley Ordnance Works is to make ammonia. The Girdler Corporation, the Standard Sanitary Co., and a number of other Kentucky concerns have added to their plants or increased the use of present equipment. The neighboring cities along the Ohio are all feeling the influx of big business and much of their prosperity is reflected in the adjacent Kentucky areas.
Fort Knox is being increased to 116,000 A., which will greatly increase its capacity and efficiency. It is now headquarters for the mechanized schools and army units. Bowman Airfield, near Louisville, has a growing school for pilots and large airfields are being established elsewhere in the state.
Aside from some confusion in the mine fields of Eastern Kentucky, there have been no serious labor disturbances. In the mine fields the disturbances were of short duration, caused no lawlessness, and the resulting adjustments will probably stabilize conditions for some years.
Labor conditions have been unusual because of the construction of defense work plants. During the peak of construction out-of-state labor poured in, creating congestion in housing and other conditions. This peak wore down by the beginning of winter and labor has been drifting elsewhere. Doubtless much of it has been absorbed by the Army and Navy. Increase in production, however, accounts for a more permanent labor increase in the manufacturing and mining districts.
The great forestry park which the Federal Government is building along the western rim of the mountain section, south to the Tennessee line, contains some of the most picturesque cliffs, caverns, natural bridges, streams, forests and waterfalls in America. It will be accessible at all times of the year, and is well equipped with camping sites.
Finance.
As the Kentucky Legislature meets biennially, in even years, and appropriations are only then made, the budget for 1941 was a part of that for 1940. The General Fund amounts to $26,000,000 and the State Highway Fund to $20,000,000 to which the Federal government contributes $4,000,000. The General Fund comes from the general taxes; while the Highway Fund comes from the gasoline tax, amounting to $15,000,000; license fees on vehicles, $4,000,000; and the balance from bus and truck mileage, and miscellaneous items pertaining to transportation. The total revenue going into the General Fund was about $30,800,000, which produced a $5,400,000 budget surplus at the end of the fiscal year.
The Department of Welfare expended on state charitable and penal institutions $2,310,000 during 1941. About $4,000,000 were paid in old-age pensions, at the rate of nine or ten dollars a person, per month. The other welfare expenditures brought the total up to $6,550,000. The state debt continues to decrease.
Banking.
The year 1941 has seen a 35 per cent increase in bank deposits. The first eleven months showed more bank clearings than any full-time year in Kentucky's banking history. The same can be said of bank credits.
An interesting feature of banking history is the action of the Kentucky Bankers Association in conducting a statewide essay and oratorical contest on the subject, 'Why Defense Bonds?' It is open only to high-school students and the prizes are U. S. defense bonds.
State Officers.
Governor, Keen Johnson; Lieutenant Governor, Rhode K. Myers; Secretary of State, George W. Hatcher; Attorney General, Hubert Meredith; Treasurer, E. E. Shannon; Auditor, D. A. Logan; Superintendent of Public Instruction, John W. Brooks.
United States Senators:
Alben W. Barkley, Albert B. Chandler.
