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should be standardized and the order in which these should be dealt with. The panel has recommended that standard specifications should be prepared for the following items : Cultivators.—Points. Attachments bolts and bolt-holes. Drills.—Axles and wheels, including pitch of wheel, length of journal, and position of flange and bolt holes. Bevelled gearing. Coulter tips and tubes. Harrows.—Number of tires in relation to width of tripod harrows. Horse-hoes. —Head (shoe of the toe). Rollers. Ploughs.—Shears and heads. Mould-boards. Wheels. Tail-plates. Disc Ploughs.—Bearing-wheels. Steering-stems. Shafts for discs. Shafting for all ]axles and drives. Depth of fishing of discs. Whipple Trees. —Quality and species of wood. Breaking-load of tree. Width of tree. Method of attachment of hooks. Yokes.—Length and strength of compensating chain. General.—Seats of all horse-drawn vehicles. Bolt holes in seat supports. The committee realized that such a programme of standardization could not be fully effective unless facilities existed for the carrying-out of performance tests on implements to determine their suitability and their compliance with the standard specifications adopted. The committee has accordingly recommended that representations should be made urging the establishment of testing stations for farm implements and machinery. Harvesting Machinery.—At the first meeting of the Harvesting Machinery it was decided that any programme of standardization carried out in New Zealand should be developed in close collaboration with the machinery manufacturers in Great Britain and the United States of America. The committee has accordingly drawn up a list of harvesting machinery parts which it considers should be standardized and these have been referred to the British Standards Institution and the American Standards Association for consideration. The list of items includes the following : Ledger-plates. Wearing-plates. Knife clips. Fingers. Knife sections. Seats, including brackets and bracket-holds. Threads for screws and oil-cups. Bale size of hay-pressers. Teeth and other wearable parts of hay-sweeps. Strength of wire rope and diameter of pulleys for stackers. Garden Tools. —Standard specifications for shovels, rakes, spades, and hoes were completed during the year and will be issued as soon as they have been finally edited. These specifications establish minimum requirements in respect of the factors which determine the quality of the material from which the tools are made and the suitability and utility of the finished tools. They will thus provide a basis for the use of the Standard Mark as a certification that tools conform to these provisions, thereby safeguarding the interests of reputable manufacturers and enabling consumers to ensure that the tools they purchase will give satisfactory service. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDIZATION Prior to World War II several international standardization organizations were in existence. The most important of these was the International Federation of National Standardizing Bodies, frequently referred to as the International Standards Association (ISA). At the outbreak of the war the national standardizing bodies of continental Europe were more active in this organization than were the English-speaking countries and those of Latin America. Since it did not reflect in any large measure the industrial and trade attitudes of the leading trading nations, which now form part of the United Nations, this international organization did not play a very important role in international trade.

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