Washington (State). Governor (1933-1941 : Martin)

Clarence Martin was the first native son of Washington to become its governor. He wan born in Cheney in 1886 and graduated from Cheney Normal School in 1903. He went on to attend the University of Washington, then went into business with his father in reorganizing the F.M. Martin flour mills. In 1928 he entered politics and was elected mayor of Cheney. He also served as chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee. By the early 1930s it was becoming apparent that Governor Hartley was not prepared to use the resources of the state government to help alleviate the effects of the Depression. Hartley believed that the economy was a private-sector concern, and that any relief that was necessary should be handled by the local communities. Martin, on the other hand, campaigned for many of the same kinds of centralized relief programs being advocated by Franklin D. Roosevelt on the national level. Like Roosevelt, Martin won his election. In his inaugural address to the legislature in 1933, Martin declared that it would be his purpose ". . . to change the spirit that rules Olympia so that the people may know that the state government of Washington no longer is purely political but primarily economic." He meant to do whatever was necessary to help the citizens of Washington through the Depression.

In 1931 there were approximately 100,000 unemployed people in Washington, which led to demonstrations and a "Hunger March" on Olympia in 1932. One of the first acts of the 1933 legislature was the creation of the Washington Emergency Relief Administration (W.E.R.A.) to provide emergency food, clothing and jobs. By the end of the year there were 287,000 people on relief. In 1935 the W.E.R.A. was superseded by the State Department of Public Welfare, marking the change from emergency relief to public assistance. As part of the recovery process great public works were initiated, including the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam ("the mightiest thing ever built by man"), Bonneville Dam, Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Lake Washington Floating Bridge, Diablo Dam, and Ross Dam. In 1938 the Olympic National Park was created, and throughout the 1930s the state's roads; parks and schools were upgraded with W.P.A. and C.C.C. help. By 1937 the economy was beginning to show signs of recovery, but it was not until the war industries started up in 1942 that recovery was complete. In 1933 Prohibition was repealed, which necessitated calling a special session of the legislature to establish the Liquor Control Board to regulate liquor sales. During the same session the State Planning Council was created, with the purpose of coordinating state government activity to achieve the greatest benefit to the economy.

The Council continued on to coordinate the wartime economy and to plan for the post-war period. Other measures were also passed in 1933, including the Agricultural Adjustment Act, laws relating to delinquent taxes, an occupation tax, and an act to help resolve labor disputes. During the election campaign of 1940 there was a major split in the Democratic Party and Martin lost the nomination of his party to former U.S. Senator C.C. Dill. Dill, in turn, lost the election to the Republican candidate, Arthur B. Langlie. Upon leaving office Martin retired from public life and devoted his energies to his business interests until his death in 1955.