H.—44.

Although the exhibition may not be termed " international " owing to the fact that other exhibitions will be held in different parts of the world about the time set down for the holding of the New Zealand Centennial, it is nevertheless intended to secure the active participation of other Governments, both Empire and foreign, in the New Zealand project. Concurrently with this, every endeavour is being made to induce individual New Zealand firms to feature their products. NEW ZEALAND STANDARDS INSTITUTE. During the year some reorganization and reconstitution took place in the New Zealand Standards Organization, which is now known as the New Zealand Standards Institute. Close co-ordination has been maintained between this body, the Bureau of Industry, and the Department. At present officers of the Bureau and the Department are represented on the Advisory Council and on various sub-committees which have been formed. Already the Standards Institute has performed much valuable work in relation to the introduction of standards in the Dominion according to the needs of the New Zealand conditions and requirements. The need for a greater and a more intense' application of standards in New Zealand cannot be overemphasized. There are two aspects to standardization —simplification of sizes, types, and designs, and the development of standard specifications. " Simplification " means the reduction in the number of designs, types, grades, and varieties, &c., of products from the prevailing multitude of such things to a more limited number, thus simplifying their production and reducing their cost. As any system of standards has for its object the elimination of waste and expense and in general the reduction of costs, the importance of a more intense application of the system will be readily appreciated. It is not out of place to mention that all the great producing countries of the world to-day, together with many minor countries, are supporting Standards Institutions and providing money for the purpose. PUBLICATIONS. The Department has continued to issue during the past year information relative to industrial and commercial subjects. The quarterly bulletins on the finance, trade, and industry of New Zealand have been improved by the addition of further information relating to the economic position of the Dominion and by the inclusion of graphs dealing with the value of production and trade and banking. The issue of a News Bulletin has been resumed, and three numbers have already been published. By means of this bulletin the Department hopes to disseminate to business men of the Dominion items of economic and commercial interest and relating particularly to general development in overseas countries. To this end the New Zealand Trade and Tourist Commissioners supply articles on trade and other matters which are regularly published. These bulletins are widely distributed throughout New Zealand to the press, chambers of commerce, and individual business executives, while the quarterly bulletin on finance, trade, and industries has in addition a considerable overseas circulation. The numerous expressions of appreciation and requests for the bulletins received by the Department indicate that the information contained therein is of value to the business community. MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES. Owing to the diversified nature of the functions of the Department it is not possible to outline in detail the many and varied subjects with which the Department has constantly to deal. The major activities of the Department have been covered fairly extensively in the foregoing pages. It should be mentioned, however, that it is not possible to make reference in this report to certain phases of the work carried out, as many of the investigations are of a confidential nature. Suffice to say that the Department has been called upon to an ever-increasing degree to undertake special and general inquiries relating to the Dominion's industries, commerce, and economic and social conditions. The scope of the work has increased considerably in extent, and this has been noticeable not only within the Dominion, but staffs in the Department's overseas offices have equally felt the pressure of the additional duties imposed upon them. With returning prosperity increasing use has been made of the facilities offered by the Department in furnishing information relating to trade expansion, both in New Zealand and with the outside world. Necessarily much of the information is of a confidential nature, but, as indicative of the wide variety of inquiries received from overseas in respect of trade development, the following may be mentioned. Markets for hides and skins, scrap metal, speciality food products, milk-powder, condensed milk, beeswax, pumice-stone powder, canned tomatoes, waste materials for paper-making, fish, chamois-scrap, paua-shell, wool-grease, potatoes, peas, agricultural produce, deer tails and hides, casein, tallow, fresh fruits, onions, bones, horns, &c., leather belting, toheroas and oysters, travelling-rugs, kauri-gum, crayfish, sugar of milk, fungus, sausage-casings, lamb-skins, rabbitmeat, frozen pork, &c. This somewhat impressive list represents only a sample of the inquiries received and which emanate from many countries. As a result of the efforts of the Department, many New Zealand firms have been enabled to take advantage of new markets for our exportable products. As an indication of the variety and extent of certain industrial inquiries which have been carried out, mention is made of inquiries relating to the following subjects : Cosmetics, shale-oil works, clothes-pegs, wooden heels, upholstery leather, surgical boots, monumental work, cement, agricultural implements, printing trade, non-ferrous scrap metals, fish-oflal, reversible trailers, flamethrowers, insecticides, mineral waters, wallhide, ginger, citrus industry, casein for plastic use, glass skewers, textiles from flax, &c. V

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