COMMON STANDARDS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17185, 8 November 1926, Page 7

COMMON STANDARDS

IN IMPERIAL TRADE VALUE OF STATISTICS COMMITTEE'S SUGGESTIONS •Eloc. Tel. Copjrigh'.—Cu'ted Press Assn (Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association. 1 (Received! November 8, 10 a.m.) LONDON.. November 7. The subcommittee's report to the Imperial Conference points nut that no cold; storage statistics are at present published ia Britain. Northern Ireland and Canada collected figures monthly. Australia made no periodic publication. The New Zealand meat and dairy boards were fully informed, but only statistics of butter, eggs, and cheese were published. South Africa issued full returns monthly. The committee's conclusion was thai international returns of foodstuffs in cold stores would be valuable and it adopted a resolution in favor of seeking foreign countries' co-operation in the prompt publication thereof. The sub-committee also approved of the Board of Trade's offer to modify and expand' the general trade statistical abstract for the Dominions and protectorates. The board had no difficulty in carrying out the suggestions alreadyreceived and invited l others. STATI STICtANS' CONFERENCE. The committee suggested a meeting of the Empire's statisticians within a year or two. Discussing the progress already made with industrial standardisation, the committee expressed the opinion that much more might be done with advantage to both inter-Imperial and' foreign trade. It .suggested that the. most, suitable Government department in Britain. Northern Ireland, and the Dominions should 1 be charged with the d" f " of watching and stimulatin? the standardisation movement with in-ter-communication of information in this connection throughout the Empire. Nevertheless it should be emphasised that there is no desire to have governmental determination of standards, except for its own purchases. The committee adopted a resolution recognising the advantage of standardisation in its widest sense, both to producers and consumers, and appreciated the fact that, when it is practicable to adopt standards common to the Empire these advantages would be augmented, resulting in great benefit to interim riprial trade andl trade generally. The Conference recommends the Empire Governments to promote standardisation and exchange of information with the rest of the Empire, and that, when common standards are mutually advantageous, thev should co-operate with other parts of the Empire with regard thereto.