H.—34A.

These committees consist of expert and professional officers attached to Government Departments and local authorities, as well as various organizations representing professional, technological, and industrial interests. The committees, after preparing a draft standard, or, alternatively, after considering draft standard specifications formulated by other standards organizations, circulate these to affected interests for comment. In the light of such comment the committees further consider the draft specifications, and in many cases are able to recommend to the Advisory Council that a New Zealand standard specification be issued. The value and effectiveness of the procedure of circulating drafts for comment before recommending their adoption to the Advisory Council can be well illustrated by one example. The draft standard specification for water-closet-flushing cisterns, prepared by the Plumbing Supplies Sub-committee, was circulated to some 330 interests for comment, 256 of which supplied comment which revealed a critical, yet constructive, examination of the provisions. In this way a consensus of competent opinion—including that of engineers and expert artisans employed by public authorities, district branches of the New Zealand Master Plumbers' Federation, and manufacturers —was brought to bear on the provisions. Most of the criticism concentrated on four or five essential points, and as a result of the consideration of these aspects by the committee the final standard specification, when issued, must necessarily incorporate a wider range of expert knowledge and experience than could have obtained had the provisions been prepared and adopted by an individual authority, no matter how eminent. Throughout the year close co-operation has continued with the British Standards Institution, the Standards Association of Australia, the Canadian Engineering Standards Association, and the South African Standards Institution, and these bodies, by forwarding copies of their draft and standard specifications, have contributed in no small way to assist the progress of the work in New Zealand. The American Standards Association, the American Society for Testing Materials, the Bureau of Standards, and the United States Department of Commerce also have been most generous in forwarding valuable publications and documents and generally in rendering much assistance, and to these organizations the thanks of the New Zealand Standards Institute are due. This spirit of co-operation and reciprocity among organizations having similar aims materially assists each standards organization to secure a maximum return with a minimum of effort and expenditure. Specifications and Publications received. During the year 768 draft and standard specifications and general publications were received from the overseas standards bodies, as shown hereunder : —

Specifications from Overseas Bodies. British Standards Institution. Standard Specifications— Number received during the year .. .. .. .. .. 107 Recommended as suitable for adoption as New Zealand standards without amendment .. . . .. .. .. .. 30 Recommended as suitable for adoption as New Zealand standards with amendment .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Recommended as unsuitable for adoption as New Zealand standards .. 7 Still under consideration .. .. .. .. .. 68 Total .. .. .. .. . . .. . . 107 Also, the examination of fifty-nine standards already under consideration at the beginning of the year has resulted in the adoption of one of these as a New Zealand standard.

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Number of Number of Name of Organization. „ „ Standard Total. c Specifications Specifications received. received. British Standards Institution .. . . .. .. 116 107 223 Standards Association of Australia .. .. .. 21 27 48 Canadian Engineering Standards Association .. .. .. 35 35 South African Standards Institution .. .. .. .. 3 3 American Standards Association .. .. .. .. .. 41 41 National Electric Manufacturers' Association .. .. .. 38 38 United States Department of Commerce .. .. .. .. 81 81 United States Department of Agriculture .. .. .. .. 164 164 United States Army and Navy specifications .. .. . . 7 7 American Public Works Association .. .. .. .. 5 5 English translations of German (D.I.N.) specifications .. .. 25 25 Total specifications received .. .. .. .. .. .. 671 Other major publications received .. .. .. .. .. 97 768