OTHER NEWS - Jan. 27, 1992

Orders for American Tools Hit 4-Year Low: Orders for American-made machine tools tumbled to a four-year low in 1991 as depressed auto sales battered the industry, a trade group said. But the Assn. for Manufacturing Technology said machine-tool orders surged in December, and analysts predicted that the important manufacturing sector will rebound in 1992. In a report to be released today, the McLean, Va.-based trade group said machine-tool orders for 1991 totaled $2.64 billion, down 11% from 1990 and the lowest total since $2.12 billion in 1987.