H.—44a

heels for women's footwear. Draft standard specifications for toilet and laundry soaps, soap-powder, and sand-soap have been completed. Emergency Standards are also in course of preparation for grades and definitions of meat for the retail market; bread ; toilet, industrial, and household brushware ; textiles ; clothing and garment sizes. The work on commodity standards is being carried out under the direction of a Commodity Divisional Council, representative of the appropriate Government authorities, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailer and consumer interests, including women's organizations. Advantages which result from this activity may be summarized as follows (a) To relate the factors of quality and utility to the factors of price and quantity, as a means of interpreting value : (b) To render price-control effective : (c) To discourage the sale of deleterious commodities and goods which are below marginal utility : (d) To eliminate the waste of materials and resources arising from the production and distribution of needlessly diversified types of goods. The active co-operation of other Government authorities and those engaged in industry and commerce, and in the professions, in this work, renders an invaluable service to the country and to the war effort. Emergency Divisional Council. The development of Emergency Standards is carried out under the authority and supervision of an Emergency Divisional Council appointed by the Standards Council to direct and expedite this work. Appropriate Departments of State, the Manufacturers' Federation, the Emergency Precautions Services, and local authorities are represented on the Emergency Divisional Council. Specifications adopted as New Zealand Standards. Nine original Standard Specifications and three British Standard Specifications were adopted during the year, which increases the total number of New Zealand Standard Specifications to 357. New Zealand Emergency Standard Specifications. Seventy (70) Emergency Standards have been adopted, as follows : — Original New Zealand War Emergency Standards . . .. .. .. 49 British War Emergency Standard Specifications .. .. .. 3 British Standard A.R.P. Specifications .. .. .. .. .. 18 Total 70

Specifications received from Other Countries.

Other publications received, including reports and data relating to standardization, number 385, which, together with 844 Standard Specifications, total 1,279 documents received. Circulation and Exchange of Specifications and Related Documents. The regular machinery for the exchange of specifications and related information makes the results of the investigations and work of each country available to the others. This avoids much wasteful

3

Standard Draft War Emergency ar j^£^ enC^ Specifications. Specifications. Specifications. Specifications British Standards Institution .... 60 38 85 9 Standards Association of Australia .. 10 4 14'9 Canadian Engineering Standards Assooia- 10 Nil tion South African Standards Institution .. Nil Nil American Standards Association .. 2 1 American Society for Testing Materials.. 376 U.S. Treasury Department (Federal 43 . . .. Standards) U.S. Department of Commerce (National 7 Bureau of Standards) National Electrical Manufacturers' Associ- 3 ation (U.S.A.) Society of Automotive Engineers (U.S.A.) 47 Totals .. .. .. 558 43 234 9 V ) Grand total .. .. 844