Page:EB1922 - Volume 31.djvu/1016

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964
MISSOURI

are forbidden by law (1912) in all schools supported in whole or in part by the state. An industrial training school for delinquent and abandoned children is at Columbia (1916), and a tuberculosis sana- torium at Magee (1916).

Administration and Legislation. In the decade 1910-20 Missis- sippi enacted much constructive legislation, covering a wide range. The constitution of 1890, enacted to ensure white supremacy, and still in force, has been amended with the view of putting the Gov- ernment more in the direct control of the people. The initiative and referendum were embodied in the constitution by amendment (1916). An initiative petition must be supported by 7, 500 qualified electors, and to refer a law to the people requires 6,000. Any " law, bill, resolution, constitutional amendment, or any other legislative measure " is a proper subject for such petitions. The state also has the recall, but does not apply it to all executive offices. The judiciary is entirely elective circuit and chancery judges since 1912, Supreme Court judges since 1916. By a constitutional amendment (1916) the Supreme Court consists of six judges and is permitted to sit in two divisions for the consideration of cases. The term of Supreme Court judges is eight years; that of circuit and chancery judges fouryears. Nine or more jurors may return a verdict in all civil cases in the circuit and chancery courts (1916). The Legislature is elected for four years and meets in regular session biennially (1910). Extra sessions may be called by the governor. All appropriations are made for two years. The fee system for the pay of county officials was abandoned in 1920 and salaries paid according to the assessed valuation of the property of the counties. For this purpose the counties of the state are divided into five classes. The Torrens system for perfecting land titles has been in effect since 1915 and a uniform negotiable- instruments law was enacted in 1916. The state collects a tax of five mills on the dollar on all incomes over $2,500 (1912). A state department of banking was created in 1914 and a board of bank examiners of three is elected for four years. Bank deposits are guaranteed by state law (1916). A bureau of vital statistics was established in 1912, and the Board of Health has done much to reduce malaria, hook-worm and tuberculosis.

The state has a comprehensive child labour law, passed in 1912. No child under 12 may be employed in any mill or factory; and no child under 16 may be employed for more than eight hours per day. No employee is permitted to work in any mill or factory more than 10 hours per day. The county health officer, working under the state factory inspector, is responsible for the enforcement of the law. A pardon board of five members, appointed by the governor for four years, passes on all petitions for pardons (1916). Petitions must be published for 30 days in the county where the crime was committed. The board acts only in an advisory capacity to the governor. A state highway commission was created in 1916.

Mississippi during the World War supplied to the U.S. army 43.362 drafted men (of whom 19,296 were whites and 24,066 negroes), as well as 9,044 volunteers. To the navy 4,069 men were supplied, and to the marine corps 265.

In 1921 the state was represented in the U.S. Senate by John Sharpe Williams and Pat Harrison. The latter defeated James K. Vardaman^in 1918 in a hotly contested election, turning largely on Vardaman's opposition to President Wilson's war policies. The follow- ing have been governors since 1910: Edmund F. Noel (Dem.), 1908-12; Earl Leroy Brewer (Dem.), 1912-6; Theodore G Bilbo (Dem.), 1916-20; Lee M. Russell (Dem.), 1920- . (W. C. M.*)

MISSOURI (see 18.607). During the decade 1910-20 Missouri continued her transition from the period of frontier influences, of rapid growth of population and development of natural resources to the stage of industrial development and growth of urban population. The transition was, however, hardly more than well begun, and the state was still primarily agricultural. The total pop. in 1020 was 3,404,055, as compared with 3,293,- 335 in 1910, an increase of 110,720, or 3-4 per cent. The percentage of urban pop. (in centres of 2,500 or more) increased from 42-5% in 1910 tO 46-6%in 1920. Of this urban pop. 34-5% in 1920 was in the three cities of St. Louis, Kansas City and St. Joseph. The rural pop. showed an absolute decrease in both 1910 and 1920; in the latter year only 19 counties showed an increase. The pop. of the 10 chief cities was as follows:

1920

1910

Increase per cent

St. Louis Kansas City St. Joseph Springfield

772,897 324,410 77,939 39,631

687,029 248,381 77403 35.201

12-5 30-6

'7

12-6

Joplin Sedalia Hannibal Jefferson City

29,902

21,144 19,306 14,490

32,073 17,822

18,341 11,850

-6-8 18-6 5-2

21-6

Moberly Independence

12,808 11,686

10,923 9,859

17-3 18-5

The Roman Catholic Church remained the largest in the state, having in 1916 445,352 members or 32-5% of the total of i,37o,55i for all denominations. There were 252,107 Baptists, 228,135 Methodists, 145,403 Disciples of Christ, 67,628 Presby- terians, 45,313 Lutherans, and 37,374 members of the German Evangelical Synod of N. America.

Agriculture. In 1920, 34,774,679 ac., or 79 % of the total area of the state, was in farm lands; of this 24,832,966 ac., or 71-4%, was improved. The average size of a farm was 132-2 acres. The per- centage of farms operated by owners increased during 1910-20 from 69-4% to 70-4%. In 1920, 51 % of the farms operated by owners were mortgaged. The increase in values of farm property in the decade, 74-9 %, to $3,591,068,085, reflected primarily the general rise in price level. This rise in price level makes acreage the only intel- ligible basis for crop comparisons. In 1919 cereal, and hay and forage crops continued to lead. Tobacco remained a relatively unim- portant crop, though widely grown, with 4,490 ac. in 1919. Cotton gained from 96,527 ac. in 1909 to 110,927 ac. in 1919. Fruit, pri- marily apples, continued an important crop. After 1909, the acreage in Indian corn decreased 21-7% to 5,567,079 ac. in 1919, while wheat increased 126-3% to 4,564,990 acres. The greater part of these changes occurred after 1914, resulting from the World War. The total value of all farm crops in 1919 was $559,947,856, of which the cereals contributed $394,195,226, hay and forage $95,897,050. Indian corn was valued at $219,513,084, wheat at $140,202,501, and oats at $32,394,961. Increasing progress is ensured by the exten- sive drainage operations in the local drainage districts of the S.E., and by the increased interests in improved farming methods .and in cooperative organizations. The Agricultural College of the state university in cooperation with the Federal Government has been very active in agricultural extension work; in May 1921 65 counties had farm bureaus, 62 of which employed county farm advisers. On Jan. I 1920 there were on the farms 906,220 horses, 389,945 mules, 1,714,894 beef cattle, 1,966,750 dairy cattle, 1,271,616 sheep and 3,888,677 swine. The total value of these animals was estimated at $361,841,529. There were 24,883,985 chickens, an increase of 25% over April 15 1910. In 1919 Missouri produced 7,705,993 Ib. of wool; dairy products were valued at $34,752,845, and eggs at $42,193,285.

Mines and Quarries. Lead and zinc continued to be by far the most important mineral products, with a total value of $51,747,580 in 1917, about two-thirds of it for lead, and $27,462,050 in 1918, four-fifths for lead. Under the stimulus of the World War the amount mined as well as the values showed a marked increase; in 1910 Mis- souri ore produced 161,659 short tons of lead; in 1916 347,869 tons; in 1917 218,253 short tons; and in 1918 287,983 tons. Zinc ore increased from 256,667 short tons in 1910 to 304,070 in 1916, more than one-fourth of the national total, but fell to 113,371 in 1918. Iron, copper, nickel and cobalt, though relatively less important, showed marked increases in 1916, 1917 and 1918, and Missouri retained first place in the production of barytes. The value of coal mined in 1918 was $17,126,498; building stone (chiefly limestone) was valued at $1,652,389. The total value of mining and quarry products was $67,674,146 in 1918; the value of clay products was $9,198,184 and of cement $7,132,470.

Manufactures. From 1909 to 1914 the total value of manufac- tured goods increased 11-1% to $637,952,128, while the added value increased 13-4 % to $249,237,269. The total of capital invested was $522,548,083. Twelve industries in 1914 had a product valued at more than $10,000,000 each and as a group produced 60-5 % of the total value and employed 55-1% of the total wage-earners. Slaughtering and meat-packing continued to furnish the largest single item $92,060,499 or 14-4% of the total; the boot and shoe industry was second with $52,522,006 (8-2 %) ; flour and grist mills third with $38,686,309 (6-1%); and tobacco fourth with a product valued at $33,380,843 (5-2 %). Other industries were malt liquors ($31,801,404); lumber and timber ($18,396,838); men's clothing ($17,300,109), and cars and general shop construction and repairs by steam railways ($12,847,319). The two cities of over 100,000, St. Louis and Kansas City, gave employment to about two-thirds of the wage-earners and produced two-thirds of the total values, St. Louis contributing over half the total in both items.

Government.[1]—Fifty-five constitutional amendments were submitted to popular vote between 1910 and 1920. From 1910 to 1918 out of 42 only one, permitting the pensioning of the blind, was adopted. The bitter opposition to State prohibition (defeated in 1910, 1916 and 1918) and to the single tax (rejected in 1912 and 1918) contributed to the popular distrust of all amendments. In 1920, however, 9 out of the 13 proposed were adopted. Nearly half of all the amendments proposed to relax the limitations on taxing or borrowing power. Seven (all rejected) were to provide more revenue Tor education, eight (two adopted in 1920) for good roads, and six [two adopted in 1920) relaxed the deist limits for the local units. Other rejected amendments of general interest were those proposing woman suffrage by State action (1914); a State tax commission

  1. The legislation of 1921 is subject to rejection through the referendum.