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I' I Of i .'. ., 4~~8 FOREWORD THE fiscal year 1946-47 saw a continuance of the growth of population and industr;' in the entire south coastal area of California which can be supplied with Colorado River water. The shrinkage in population and demand for water and power, forecast as World War II approached its end, did not occur. On the contrary population has increased; general industry, apart from aircraft and shipbuilding, has grown apace; the power de- mand has gone up; and the water demand has steadily expanded. Faced with the threat of deficient local rainfall, the wisdom of the builders of the Colorado River aqueduct is apparent and their vision is being justified today. HIIS1" ei. co",I;.l.1on. ;rI Sout/wrn Colifor"1rt The index of business activity in Southern California, compiled by the Security-Fi"t National Bank of Los Angeles, shows a re- markably high level of commerce and industry during the fiscal year. The index (1930=100) was 246.9 for July 1945, dropped slightly to 241.3 in July 1946, then rose steadily to an all time peak of 261.3 in February 1947 and was 249.1 in June 1947. New businesses were established in this area at a rate never before equalled based on the number of licensed .outlets reported hy the State Board of EqualizatiOJo. Sales in 1946 of merchandise subject to California retail sales and use tax in the six counties of Southern California, interested in water from the Colorado River, amounted to $4,682,476,440, or 53 per cent of the State total from its 58 counties. Building permits issued during 1946 in the constituent areas of the Metropolitan Water District exceeded $365,000,000 compared with $147,000,000 in 1945. ]n Los Ange]es County alone building permits wel-e issued for about 67,000 dwelling units and some 35,000 were finished. According to information released by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce the year 1946 broke all records for the Los Angeles district in number of new industries established-263-and in number of expansions of existing indus- tries-389--exceeding even any of the war years. This industrial growth provided employment for approximately 30,000 new people [I]