H.—44A

to reduce production, increase production costs, increase demands upon exchange funds, and handicap local manufacturers in meeting competition from overseas. The total effect would be to hamper and restrict the full realization of reconstruction and rehabilitation objectives. The change-over to peacetime production and activity will be facilitated to the extent that we have determined in advance the classes and types of materials, apparatus, and general commodities upon which production should be concentrated during the reconstruction period. This can be effected only by the formulation of standard specifications, approved by all the interests concerned, which will ensure the most economic utilization of materials and productive capacity, consistent with proper regard for utility, durability, efficiency, and the general suitability of the commodities for the purposes for which they are required. International Standardization The same degree of co-operation and collaboration among the English-speaking countries with which standardization activity has been carried out during the war period will be necessary to enable all the countries concerned to derive its full value and advantage in the post-war period. To meet this position the British Standards Institution and the American Standards Association have initiated the establishment of a United Nations Standards Co-ordinating Committee, which, it is intended, should later become an international standards organization. Australia, Canada, China, Great Britain, New Zealand, South Africa, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America have been invited to become members of this body. At the time of writing it appears that all the countries, including New Zealand, have agreed to become members, although official confirmation has not yet been received in respect of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The functions of the United Nations Standards Co-ordinating Committee will be to maintain the co-operation and reciprocity among the standards organizations of the respective countries in order that each may derive the fullest assistance and value from the work carried out by the others. It will also give attention to the co-ordination of the specifications of the various countries concerned, with the object of simplifying and facilitating trade and commerce. The foregoing statement appears to justify completely the conclusion that the wartime standardization activity of this Dominion, as the counterpart of the similar work carried out in the other English-speaking countries, is of vital importance in relation to the needs of the post-war period. EXCHANGE OF SPECIFICATIONS AND RELATED DOCUMENTS A regular exchange of Draft and Standard Specifications has been continued during the year. As a result of this exchange each country concerned has benefited from investigation and research carried out in the several other countries. Thus each individual country avoids the necessity of finding its own solutions to problems that have already been disposed of by the corresponding authorities overseas. In other words, the work associated with the war-production effort of each country not only makes its contribution within the country concerned, but contributes to a more effective war effort on the part of all the associated nations. This result is achieved because each national Standards organization is an integral part of a world-wide organization which has established procedure and machinery necessary to afford such reciprocal advantage and assistance. The generous co-operation and assistance which has at all times been received from overseas organizations, together with valuable information obtained from their various publications and documents, deserves the fullest appreciation.

Specifications received from other Countries

3—H. 44A

11

I , Standard Draft War Emergency War E D ™f Specifications. Specifications. specifications. Specifications British Standards Institution .. .. 68 24 62 20 Standards Association of Australia 40 7 36 Canadian Engineering Standards Associa- 6 .. 2 tion South African Standards Institution .. 3 American Standards Association .. 120 .. 38 U.S. Department of Commerce (National 9 Bureau of Standards) U.S. Treasury Department (Federal 269 .. 119 Standards) Totals 515 31 257 20 V y ' Grand total .. .. 823