WORK OF STANDARDS INSTITUTE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 278, 20 August 1938, Page 8

WORK OF STANDARDS INSTITUTE

Lowering- Production Costs

An outline of what had been done by the New Zealand Standards Institute since it was formed two years ago was given by the secretary, Mr. L. JMcDonald, when addressing members of the Wellington chapter of the New Zealand Institute of Secretaries at the annual meeting on Thursday night. Standardisation, said Mr. McDonald, was of considerable importance to the economic and social welfare of the Dominion, and, in spite of being still in its infancy, the Standards Institute had made good progress. During the past two years about 64 specifications had been adopted for use in New Zealand, mostly of British origin, and the Dominion total had been increased to 164. ~ , Much costly production was avoided when standard specifications were adopted by manufacturing interests, Mr. McDonald added. The New Zealand Standards Institute existed for the developing and promulgating ot standards, and worked in close co-oper-atioi. with similar organisations overseas. There were 24 such organisations in different parts of the world, and definite cohesion existed between them. In this way duplication of work was avoided and each organisation benefited from the experience and knowledge of the other. In each country a number of committees, representing technical, engineering and other interests, worked in collaboration in an endeavour to set the most suitabb and efficient standards. The same course wa? followed in New Zealand, where the Standards Institute co-operated with manufacturing interests and was striving to find the best methods of producing different articles. Because of special circumstances, said Mr. McDonald, standard specifications were of even more importance in New Zealand, where a limited range of commodities was produced. , , , , Before a standard was adopted, however, it was submitted to the interests concerned and a concensus of opinion was obtained. Seven question were asked, and from the answers received the institute had a good indication as to whether it would be an advantage if the specification was adopted for Ne- - Zealand use. In this way it was possible also to determine if a specification was unsuitable, or if it should be amended. The question of adoption was then considered by a committee.