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Show Sawmill industry experiencing recession Current unemployment in the Rocky Mountain sawmill industry stands at nearly 34 percent. That is the estimate of the Federal Timber Purchasers Association, a Denver-based trade association representing sawmill owners who purchase Federal timber. It is the result of a recent representative represen-tative sampling of Rocky Mountain sawmills. Nearly one-third of the sawmills sampled are currently not producing, and one-half are operating at reduced levels. James R. Craine, executive vice president of the association, expressed astonishment at the Carter Administration's Ad-ministration's recent announcement that the nation may be headed into a period of mild recession. "In the face of these statistics and the recent layoffs in the auto industry," he said, "one can only assume that the tabulation of economic indicators lags so far behind during periods of severe economic downturn that Washington, D.C., officials, of-ficials, insulated in their daily lives from the effects of such a downturn, are not yet aware of the situation that exists. Our industry is in a deep depression." He said that high interest rates, which have severely impacted the homebuilding industry, are the primary cause of the severe downturn, in the sawmill industry. "The nation cannot hope to meet its commitment to housing goals for the next decade if some relief from this situation is not found quickly," Craine explained. |