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of the traffic in narcotics in Japan and Germany. One question of outstanding importance at its second session was the control of synthetic drugs capable of inducing addiction. It was clear that the production of these synthetic drugs constituted a threat to the whole system of international action built up over a number of years, and a protocol to bring these new drugs under international control is at present under consideration. The Statistical Commission has taken action to ensure the maintenance of the activities of the League of Nations in the statistical field. To avoid duplication of statistical questionnaires to Governments it has proposed a procedure for prior consultation between the United Nations and the specialized agencies before such questionnaires are despatched. A committee of the Commission is formulating proposals on standard international classifications. It has also given detailed consideration to the statistical activities of the United Nations and the specialized agencies to ensure their proper co-ordination, and has advised on the United Nations statistical publications. The Population Commission has tackled problems of basic data and standard methods, endeavouring to achieve a greater degree of international comparability in population statistics. Looking ahead to the national censuses to be taken in or around 1950, the Commission has provided for a mutual exchange of census plans and has drawn up a standard minimum list of subjects which it is recommended should be covered by each census and on which it hopes to achieve a maximum of comparability. It has launched projects designed to provide factual information on the world's population and special analyses of the populations of trust territories, and has planned a demographic year book, publication of which will begin in 1948. It has taken the first steps towards securing comprehensive analyses of the inter-relations of demographic, social, and economic change as a basis for its subsequent consideration of international problems of population policy, aiming to provide plans by which member States can study, first, the inter-play of economic, social, and demographic factors hindering the attainment of an adequate standard of living and cultural development, and, secondly, the rate of population change which is economically and socially most favourable. (b) Social Commission The second session of the Social Commission (28 August to 13 September, 1947), at which New Zealand was represented, had to deal with many problems associated with the work of the United Nations and the specialized agencies in the social field. The