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Show gree of industrialization is indicated by the fact that the 10 S tates, which have all or a part of their area in the watershed, had 45 manufacturing workers per 1,000 population in 1947 as against 83 for the Nation as a whole. For the basin proper, the per- centage is even lower. Only Missouri approaches the United States average, with 69 workers per 1,000 population. Industrialization is lower in the upper basin States; North Dakota has the smallest figure- 7 per l,O00. The economy of the basin has been unstable, largely because of its heavy emphasis on agricul- ture. Per capita incomes long remained below the national average. In 1929, for example, only one of the basin States exceeded the national average per capita income (Wyoming, by $7). However, in recent years, there has been a marked change. In 1948, per capita income in 7 of the 10 basin States exceeded the national average. Only Mis- souri, Kansas, and Minnesota were below the na- tional average of $1,410. Because of the relatively greater rise in farm prices in relation to other prices over recent years, the basin area has received the full favorable im- pact. The more rural parts have especially bene- fited-compare North Dakota's $389 per capita income in 1929 with its $1,473 in 1948 (an increase of 279 percent, almost exactly duplicated by South Dakota). However, prices alone have not ac- counted for the favorable incomes of recent years. Increased mechanization and larger farm sizes, as well as more favorable weather conditions, have had their effect. Recent years have brought abun- dant rainfall, but because of the threat of drought years, incomes in the greater portion of the basin cannot be expected to parallel the course of Nation- wide agricultural prices. The most industrialized and drought-resistant State in the basin-Missouri-has had the stablest economic history. Its per capita income has been only slightly below the national average since 1929 (1948, $1,356). During the lowest year of the depression, Missouri's per capita income was 55 per- cent of the 1929 figure (almost exactly the national experience) whereas South Dakota's lowest per cap- ita income figure was only 41 percent of its 1929 level. There are other evidences of the economic in- stability of a major part of the basin. These are evident in the population trends. Over the last two decades, of the 10 States in the basin only Wyoming has been able to retain the natural increase in its population. In fact, outward migration from the basin has been so great that since 1920 the popula- tion of those parts of three States, Montana, North Dakota, and Iowa has declined, and since 1930 has similarly declined in those parts of three other States, South Dakota, Kansas, and Minne- sota. These trends have generally persisted during the last decade. (Table 15.) See also figure 1, chapter 1. The widespread nature of this decline can be re- alized from the fact that of the 480 counties in the basin, 357 lost population and only 123 gained in 1950. Only 56 counties out of the total number have shown a consistent population gain throughout the 30-year period, while 183 counties have shown a consistent loss. Most of the losses are in the rural areas, while the urban areas are increasing. It is TABLE 15.-Population changes, 1920-1950 Missouri Basin States 1920 1930 1940 1950 Net change by States, 1920-50 Colorado.... Iowa....... Kansas...... Minnesota. . . Missouri Montana.... Nebraska.... North Dakota South Dakota Wyoming. . . Total. . 571,967 804, 343 1,138,969 81,786 1, 766,949 451, 619 1, 296, 372 646,872 636, 547 161,049 647, 956 808, 647 1,186, 594 82, 886 1, 943, 906 436, 801 1, 377, 963 680, 845 698, 831 185, 787 707, 037 800, 304 1,139, 399 88, 604 2, 008, 324 439, 513 1, 325, 834 641, 975 642, 961 208, 089 889, 317 765, 272 1,170, 569 88, 924 2, 066, 563 450, 807 1, 320, 805 616,185 650, 025 245,195 317, 350 -39, 071 31,600 7,138 299, 614 -812 24, 433 30, 687 -13,478 84,146 7, 556,473 8, 050, 226 8, 002, 040 8, 263, 662 707,189 263 |