N.Z. STANDARDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 6 December 1940, Page 2

N.Z. STANDARDS

ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCIL PROVISION IN BILL [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, This Day. Of particular interest to manufacturers. the Standard Bill, which aims at establishing standard specifications and standard marks, was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday and read a first time. It is not the intention of the Government to proceed with the Bill immediately, the idea behind its introduction being to have it circulated and examined by those interested. The measure provides for the setting up of a Standards Council which is to act in an advisory capacity to the Minister of Industries and Commerce, to whom it will make recommendations on the registration and use of standard marks. Another of its functions will be [ to assist State Departments, local autho--1 rities and other public bodies to secure 1 the adoption of standards. 1 The Minister is empowered to def clare any specification to be a standard 1 specification on the recommendation of > the council, and standard marks may - be registered as certification trade . marks under the Patent, Designs and > Trade Marks Amendment Act, 1939. Any i such trade mark may consist of the ; words or initials “New Zealand Stand ) arc!,” “N.Z. Standards.” or “N.Z.S.” The l Bill does not affect the validity of any trade mark registered £*t the "time the : legislation was passed nor does it affect the rights of the proprietor of any such trade mark. Licenses to use a standard ; trade mark Will be granted for a period of one year and may be renewable ani nually. Any commodity for which a » license has been granted may be re- ? quired at any time to undergo a test. r Except for the consent of the Govi ernor-General in Council, no association . of persons, whether a body corporate 1 or not, may use a name which cor,- . tains the word “standard” or the words [ “New Zealand Standard.” The restriction does not apply to the use by an as--1 sociation or individual of any name ber ing used at the time the Bill is passed. The Minister (Mr Sullivan) said that t the reason foi introducing the Bill was [ to enable manufacturers and others in- : terested to examine the measure properly. The Bill proposed to establish t a standards council as a statutory body, the functions of which would be to : carry out research in regard to stand- - ards, to formulate standards, and to t make recommendations to him in re- > gard to the declaration of standards. Mr W. J. Poison (National, Stratford): l There is a standards council to-day, is i there not? Mr Sullivan: Yes, there is a Standards : Council corresponding to those in the ) United Kingdom and Australia. : The Minister went on to say that i standards had made very great progress > in every industrial country in recent ■ years, and the Dominion had a Standl ards Council operating without any s statutory powers. The measure gave the Standards Council authority to issue t standard marks, which would indicate that the goods so marked complied with New Zealand standards and that therefore they were trustworthy and worth- > while. The only controversial point in > the Bill was contained in clause 11 • which gave authority to make the > standards compulsory and to stop the - selling of other lines in that particular group. The Minister added that there ■ would be no justification for the indis- . criminate use of that clause, but it was desirable to have in some cases com- ■ pulsory powers. The Minister mentioned that the pro- ■ vision was desirable in the interests of j eliminating waste. 1 : Mr PolsonJ Supposing the public want • j cheaper articles, what then? . | The Minister: The object is to give • j them the best possible value.