NEWS Bm[Ers

Across the West, as in the rest o{ the U.S., the consensus from business at all leuels is one of approuol and backing for President Richard Nixon's end-ofsummer economic bombshell

It is ,oo soon lor the statistics to reflect the policy's effect, but ather signs are cropping up d,aily that its probable ouerall resuh. will be considerable stimulation of marketplace activity .

Ilome mortgage and installment loan interest charges haae been cut by a big i\.Y. bank and other selectiae cuts are likely from small banks; it is not expected to become industrywide two mortgage market srel).s by the feds earlier (see related story, p. 29) helped fuel the developments . ,

Many observers see the administration using housing as the prime nloaer behind the economic recovery now boiling along at a record rafe, housing starts in July were 49/o higher in the first 6 mos. of '7I than the sama period last year, 2,218,000 units at a seasorlally-adjusted pace

The commodity exchanges noti. fied their custorners that the presiden,tial wage-freeze order affects the sale of lumber, but does not preclude t'utures trading. . timberland owner groups in Calif. lashed back at Ralph Nader's critical report on forest economics and management, calling it "out of date, erroneous and containing discredited theories" ada to Mexico (see story, p. 10) . Weyerhaeuser signed with the pulp and pa1,er union, ending a strike ol 2,200 ernployees at 4 mills; it follows the wage freeze by postponing all raises for 90 days...

The doch strike t:ontinued aI presstime to hold its stranglehold on Pacific Coast ports from Can.

Cal-Root' W'hoLesale, a major building materials distributor in Portland has acquired Central Hardware of Seattle for an undisclosed amount the {eds have OK'd the savings & loans to wri1e down paymit, o, ln,, as 5/c, plan supplements f'I{A/ VAprograms...

Contractors W hoLesale Lumber, Santa Clara, Calif., is newly incorporated; so is Big' "8" Enterprrises, they plan a lumber yard in Alameda ...Fibrettoard Corp., San Francisco. has elected Melvin S. Levine to succeed George W. Burgess, who becomes chairman and continues as chief exec. ofiicer

The Dodge Business Construc:tion Index, which measures new conffacting for industrial ancl commercial, went up BTc in the second querter; Dodge says that by June totals for the 1st 6 mos. were 22to aheacl of the same period in '70 . . Housin,g stalts in Calif.. the only state in the Vest reporting them, lvere up {z whopping 73/o over the comparable period in '70; of housing units authorized during June, nearly half were for apts. ot' 5 ()r mor" unils

Sen. Henry 'oScoop" lackson (D-Wash) ha-s intro'd. a bill to hypo R&D techniques for improving environment protection and assuring enough timber sup- plies the prototlpe of the American Plywood Assn. Better Homes & Cardens plywood modular home has been built in Tacoma; the magazine will have a major feature on it in nert Feb's.issue,..

The voluntary product stanclard for harduood and decoratiae plywood has been ok'd for publication by the Nt'I. Bureau o{ Stanclards; it became effective August t5 . . a Sacramento remodeling f.rm, Cedar Construction Co., factory-produces componenls permitting occupancy in

just5rlays...

The Unioru Pucif.c RR is absorbing diuersion clrunges which the shipper would normally have to pay in orcler to have {reight reroutecl via UP because of the rail strike - Dauidson Plywoad & Lumlter, a Pacific Wood Products subsidiary, has moved into a new 23,925 sq. ft. bldg. in Compton,Calif....

E. A. Nord, Co., Everett, Wash.o reports employment u1-r 31lc in the last 12 mos.; payroll is up 70% .. . the Secretory ol Commerce has given to Congress the results of a 3 year studr; recommended is a 10 year governmentbacked and coordinated program Lo canlert thc U.S. to the metric system

Oreeort., Washington and Catit'. are among B states in the U.S. that agreed to help the feds enforce the new Sat'ety and Health Act . . of the 7 names in the first Los Angeles telephone directory in 1BB0 (actually a small card) 2 uere lumber firms: J.M. Criffith Lumber and Kerckhoff. CuznerLumber...

Latest lumber produr:tion f,g. ures (June) show a ).0.8/o increase over the rrrevious month and II.3/o over a year ago legally designated wilderness areas ln the West now total more than 9.1 million acres. in the 12 western states, an additional 9 rnillion acres is in nt'I. parks, recreation areas and the like.

Sales of metal build,ing systems will rise IO%-15% this year, forecasts Armco Steel Corp.