Contractions in British Columbia have been offset by expansions East of the Rockies, primarily in Quebec. Every fall, the pundits try to foresee the coming year's economy. The US has been in an unparalleled economic expansion that most feel must come to an end soon. But predictions for this ending have, as Mark Twain once noted about a false report of his death, so far been premature. Experts agree that US growth will be slower next year.
Recent surveys suggest that business executives are growing more pessimistic.
Increasingly, anecdotal reports tell of cancellations or cutbacks in plant and equipment investments. It would seem prudent for lumber producers and dealers to plan for a somewhat slower 1998, and have contingency plans prepared in case it is worse than that.