1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/New Hampshire

NEW HAMPSHIRE (see ).—The pop. in 1920 was 443,083; in 1910 430,572; a gain of 12,511, or 2.9% as against 4.6% in the preceding decade. The urban pop. was in 1920 279,761 or 63.1% of the whole as against 59.2%, in 1910. The pop. of the eight cities having more than 10,000 inhabitants was:&mdash;

History.&mdash;The Ninth Constitutional Convention, held in 1912, submitted to the voters 12 amendments, of which four received the necessary two-thirds vote, namely disfranchisement for treason, bribery and deliberate violation of the election laws; the substitution of plurality for majority vote in the election of governor, councillors and senators; extension of the jurisdiction of police courts; the substitution of a basis of population for that of property in the election of councillors. The Tenth Constitutional Convention was convened in the summer of 1918,

until the close of the World War, and reconvened in Jan. 1920. It submitted to the voters seven propositions, all of which were rejected. In 1915 the office of assistant attorney-general was created, and the number of bank commissioners was reduced to three, and their term of office was made six years. The Railroad Commission became the Public Service Commission in 1911, its powers were enlarged, and the term of office of the three members was made six years. In 1913 the Fish and Game Commission was reorganized and the number of commissioners reduced from three to one. The Department of Public Instruction was reorganized in 1913 so that the superintendent holds office indefinitely; it was again reorganized in 1919. In 1913 the Department of Agriculture was reorganized with a commissioner instead of a board, and in 1915 it was further reorganized. In 1911 the name Board of Equalization was changed to Tax Commission, the members were reduced from five to three, and the tenure of office was extended from two to five years. The Bureau of Labor was reorganized in 1911, and in 1913 a Board of Arbitration and Conciliation was organized to work with it. In 1913 the License Commission was reorganized; in 1915 it was again reorganized and its name was changed to Excise Commission. The Highway Department was reorganized in 1915 with a highway commissioner at its head appointed by the governor for five years. A Department of Institutions was created in 1913 and reorganized in 1919. The state institutions were managed by seven trustees consisting of the governor and one member of the council, ex officio, and five appointed trustees. The institutions governed by the Department were the prison, the hospital, the sanitarium, the industrial school, and the school for feeble-minded children. During the World War the state sent into the service of the Government 22,000 persons, of whom 7,971 were called under the Selective Service Act. The remainder, more than 60% of the total, volunteered. Liberty Loans were subscribed as follows:—First, $9,894,900; Second, $15,484,400; Third, $17,282,300; Fourth, $29,346,640; total, $72,008,240, about $164 for each person in the state.

The governors after 1910 were:—Robert P. Bass (Rep.), 1911-3; Samuel D. Felker (Dem.), 1913-5; Rolland H. Spaulding (Rep.), 1915-7; Henry W. Keyes (Rep.), 1917-9; John H. Bartlett (Rep.), 1919-21; Albert O. Brown (Rep.), 1921-.


 * (E. J. B.)