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Show million dollars in 1947, a percentage increase of 525 percent as compared with 307 percent for the Nation. Income from mining rose from 11.6 mil- lion dollars in 1933 to 88.5 million in 1947, an in- crease of 663 percent, while that of the Nation increased but 348 percent. Per capita income in the 122 Tennessee Valley counties rose 439 percent, from $148 in 1933 to $797 in 1947. The increase for the United States was 260 percent, from $368 to $1,323. Per capita income in the valley counties is still only 60 percent of the national average, but their relative position has improved notably. Nation as a whole. These facts are indicated in the following summary of percentage increases in population, 1860-1950. Number of employees Percent- 1939 1948 age increase United States............ 122 Tennessee Valley counties ................. 10, 078, 000 157,000 1,113, 000 1, 473, 000 15,286,000 260,000 1, 637,000 2,171, 000 52 66 47 47 7 States partly within Tennessee Valley......... Southeast. . ........ Source: Tennessee Valley Authority, 1950. The average population increase of the 122 Ten- nessee Valley counties from 1930 to 1950 has been slightly below that of the Nation-20.8 percent as compared with 22.6 percent. For many years the country's total population has increased much more rapidly tbian that of the Southern States. For ex- ample, in every decade from 1860 to 1930 popula- tion growth in Tennessee, the principal valley State, was substantially slower than for the Nation. In these 70 years the national population increased 290 percent, as against 136 percent in Tennessee. From 193© to 1940, however, Tennessee's growth was 60 peaxent above that for the Nation, while in the following decade it was only slightly below. For the entire 1930 to 1950 period the growth of popu- lation in Tennessee slightly exceeded that of the Decade Percentage increase United States Southeastern States Tennessee 1860-70.................. 22.6 3.5 13.4 1870-80.................. 30. 1 30.6 22.6 1880-90.................. 25.5 17.5 14.6 1890-1900................ 20.7 18.0 14.3 1900-1910................ 21.0 15.0 8.1 1910-20.................. 14.9 10.0 7.0 1920-30.................. 16.1 11.8 11.9 1930-40.................. 7.2 10.6 11.4 1940-50.................. 14.3 11.8 12. 6 Source: Tennessee Valley Authority, 1950. Current Regional Problems In spite of these evidences of progress, current economic problems and potentialities in the basin are still those of the Southeast as a whole. They involve further improvement of the resources base and further increases in manufacturing, to raise total and per capita wealth and income; further shifts from raw material production to processing and distribution; raising the standard of living among all groups of the population; improving the level of health and education; and increasing the still inadequate capital resources of the region. Each of these current problems is broader than the use of water resources. But, because water is such a vital and valuable resource in the South and in the valley, the optimum use and conservation of water in the streams and on the land is an important prerequisite to the adequate solution of basic eco- nomic problems. 710 |
