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Show California Will Make Play For Big Sister Role At Reclamation Meet California is the West's biggest buyer of farm products from all other reclamation states. A. J. McFadden, chairman of the State Board of Agriculture, announced that a recent survey showed California's 10 ' million customers purchased more than one-third of a billion dollars worth of farm products in 1948 from the 16 other reclamation states. Full results of the survey, which was based on reports of the U. S. Department of Agriculture Agri-culture and affiliated organizations, organiz-ations, will be presented to the convention of the National Reclamation Rec-lamation Association next week in Salt Lake city. Specifically the total amount California paid last year to the 16 states for livestock, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, grains and poultry was $357,-264,000. $357,-264,000. Of this total amount, California Cali-fornia paid: .. $174,575,000 ' for livestock $ 21,827,000 for fruits and vegetables. vege-tables. $ 45,919,000 for dairy products and poultry. $114,943,000 for grains, flour "Since World War II began, the population of California has increased more than four million. mil-lion. The record migration to California in these years was possible because of an assured water supply, especially in the southern part of the state, where 'millions of persons depend on water from the Colorado River," Mr. McFadden said. "Without adequate water, this gigantic market could not have been created. Without adequate ade-quate and dependable water, it cannot continue to exist. The continuance of California as the West's Biggest Buyer of Western West-ern Products depends in a major ma-jor part on the amount of water available from the : Colorado River. If Southern California's Colorado River supply is decreased, de-creased, then logically the great market must reflect a decline. de-cline. "This does not mean that California is asking for more Colorado River water. California wants only to keep the amount of Colorado River water awarded to it years ago in contracts with the United States Government." |