1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/West Virginia

WEST VIRGINIA (see ).&mdash;In 1920 the pop. was 1,463,701, as against 1,221,119 in 1910 an increase of 242,582 or 19.9%. The urban pop. (for places of 2,500 or more) increased from 18.7% in 1910 to 25.2% in 1920. The density of pop. was 60.9 in 1920; 50.8 in 1910. The following table shows the growth of the ten largest cities for the decade 1910-20:&mdash;

History.&mdash;Apart from the economic and educational movements above described, the outstanding event of the decade ending 1920 was the adjustment of the long-standing &ldquo;Virginia debt question.&rdquo; It arose from the formation of West Virginia as a separate state in 1863 and at various times had been a prominent issue in state politics. A U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1911 tentatively fixed West Virginia's share of the old debt at $7,182,507.48 (leaving the question of interest for later adjustment), and by a later judgment of 1915 against West Virginia fixed the total obligations at $12,393,929.50 ($4,215,622.28 and accrued interest from Jan. 1 1861), with a decree that this total amount should draw interest at 5% until paid. In Feb. 1917 Virginia filed application for a writ of mandamus against the Legislature of West Virginia to compel the levy of a tax to pay the judgment; but the court deferred action in order to give West Virginia a reasonable opportunity to act without compulsion. The total amount of principal and interest on Jan. 1 1919 was $14,562,867.16. Of this amount West Virginia, by Act of March 31 1919, arranged to pay $1,062,867.16 in cash and the balance by an issue of &ldquo;listable&rdquo; 35% bonds in favour of Virginia, payable in 1939 (or earlier). Bonds amounting to $12,366,500 were delivered to the Virginia debt commission at Richmond, Va., on July 3 1919. The remaining bonds ($1,133,500) were held in escrow pending the filing of remaining outstanding Virginia debt certificates.

The state continued Republican in politics, but party division resulted in the election of a Democrat to the governor's office in 1916. The governors since 1909 have been: William E. Glasscock, 1909-13; Henry D. Hatfield, 1913-7; John J. Cornwell, 1917-21; Ephraim F. Morgan, 1921-.

(J. M. C.*)