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Moreover, owing to the community of interest between the two countries, the draft or standard specifications issued by the Standards Association of Australia are very carefully scrutinized before any decision is made as to whether or not they should be adopted, having due regard to corresponding British standard specifications and the effect on supplies imported from the United Kingdom. In a few cases examination of Australian standards has resulted in the adoption of British standard specifications with suitable amendments, or the development of New Zealand standards, which give due attention to the provisions of the publications from the United Kingdom and Australia in relation to local requirements imported from both countries. The standards issued by the South African Standards Institution and the Canadian Engineering Standards Association are also circulated for comment, but up to the present none of these publications has been adopted as a New Zealand standard. The standards received from the American Standards Association, the American Society for Testing Materials, and the Bureau of Standards, United States of America, and the simplified practice publications received from the Department of Commerce, United States of America, are not circulated for comment, but are retained in the library for reference and consultative purposes when related or corresponding projects are under consideration. Standard Specifications originating in New Zealand. In addition to the attention and consideration that has been given to the examination of draft and standard specifications received from overseas organizations, the following New Zealand standard specifications have been published : — N.Z.S.S. 143 : Galvanized (Zinc-coated) Steel Fencing-wire. N.Z.S.S. 161 : Treatment, Grading, and Classification of Hides, Yearlings and Calf-skins. Adherence to these specifications as the basis for the purchase and supply of material and commodities which they cover will establish confidence, satisfaction, and good will between the supplier and purchaser, as well as an equitable basis for trade. Manufacturers and distributors of wire, for instance, will know the type of wire required to suit the New Zealand market, while users will be afforded protection against being supplied with wire possibly so inferior in quality as to necessitate such early replacement. Altogether the year's work has resulted in the development of thirty-three New Zealand standard specifications : — New Zealand standards as at 31st March, 1937 .. . . .. .. 128 Withdrawn 126 New standards issued . . . . .. . . ■ • ■ ■ 33 Total as at 31st March, 1938 .. . . .. .. . . 159 Two hundred and fifty copies of an index of New Zealand standard specifications, complete to the 31st March, 1938, have been issued and are in course of circulation to the most substantially interested parties and organizations. In addition, a news-letter service has been instituted, drawing the attention of the interests concerned to the various specifications that have been issued, and which will be of assistance to their particular trade or professional activity. Standard Projects in Course of Development. The following original projects are in course of development: — Acid and alkali solutions. Mesh wire, f Apples, standard grades for. Methylene blue. Asbestos-cement products. t New South Wales desapped poles for use by Barbed wire. Government Departments and ElectricBricks, power Boards. Bridge loads and stresses. *Paints, materials for ; and ready mixed. Building by-laws revision. Paper sizes for drawing-office use. Butter-boxes. fPears, grades for. Concrete. Phenolphthalein solution. *Cisterns, flushing. tPl u g s an( i sockets. Code for structural welding. Plumbing by-laws. Concrete pipes (reinforced). jPollard. "'Conditions of contract for civil engineering *Portable fire-extinguishers, works. Rapid-hardening cement. Footwear. Rennet. Galvanized iron (including roofing-iron). Sacks (produce), fGrading rules for building-timber. Simplification of Government statistical and Grading rules for white-pine. financial return forms. Heating and ventilation. Steel sections, tlllumination values. Test sieves. Iron fencing standards. ""Timber-building code. Local-body by-laws. *Woolpacks. *Meat-meal and meat and bone meals. | Note. —* = Well advanced (eight). f = Draft standard specification issued for comment. Thus seven draft standard specifications have been issued.

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