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During the period the following eleven new designs of weighing and measuring instruments were submitted under clause 4, Part 11, of the regulations for approval for use for trade in the Dominion, viz. :— Weighing — Self-indicating (counter and platform) scales .. .. .. . . 4 Automatic weighing-instruments .. . . .. .. 1 Measuring— Petrol-pumps and equipment . . . . . . . . . . 5 Flow-meters (petrol) . . . . . • . . • • 1 11 Of these, 8 have been approved (after alterations to 3 patterns) and 3 are still under consideration. Inspections were again made during the year to ensure that the provisions of the Sale of Pood and Drugs Act relating to the weight of bread and the provisions of the Weights and Measures Regulations relating to the sale of coal, coke, and firewood were being complied with, resulting in 11 prosecutions (1 in respect of short-weight bread and 10 for breaches in connection with the sale of coal, coke, and firewood). These prosecutions are included in the figures given in the second paragraph above. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES AMENDMENT ACT, 1933. This legislation was promoted primarily to give effect to certain resolutions regarding standards and standardization adopted by the Imperial Conference held in London in 1930, but the opportunity was also taken of amending section 19 of the principal Act. The following is a summary of the provisions of the Amendment Act: — Section 2 : This section substitutes for the various standard weights and measures mentioned in the Second Schedule to the Act of 1925 two standards only, viz. : (1) standard pound, and (2) standard yard, which are to be copies of the corresponding Imperial standards, verified by comparison with such standards or with the parliamentary copies thereof. The substitution is to become effective on a date to be fixed by the Minister in the Gazette. Subsections (3) and (4) provide for the replacement of the standards in the event of their loss, destruction, or injury, and for periodical comparison of the standards with the corresponding Imperial standards or parliamentary copies thereof at intervals not exceeding ten years. Section 3 : The present standard weights and measures referred to in the Second Schedule to the principal Act are to become secondary standards which are to be compared with the standard weight and standard measure at intervals not exceeding five years. Provision is made for such additional secondary standards as may be required and for renewing any secondary standard. The Minister is given custody of the standard weight and standard measure and of the secondary standards. Section 4 provides (a) for departmental standards (which are the same as the present departmental standards), (b) for their deposit in the office of the Chief Inspector, (c) for their renewal, and (d) for their comparison with the secondary standards instead of with the primary standards as at present. Section 5 provides for the consequential repeal of sections 6 and 10 of the principal Act. Section 6 : As the table of metric equivalents set out in the Third Schedule to the principal Act is not in exact conformity with the latest tables of metric equivalents prescribed in England, the Governor-General is empowered to revise it from time to time by Order in Council in order that uniformity may be maintained. Section 7 "which substitutes a new subsection (1) of section 19 relating to goods in packages that are incorrectly labelled as to the net weight or measure of their contents, remedies certain defects in the drafting of the original subsection, and makes it applicable not only to package goods sold or offered or exposed for sale, but also to such goods in the possession of any person for sale. LEAD PROCESS REGULATIONS. These regulations were issued in 1925 to protect workers from the danger of lead poisoning in factories where lead paints are manufactured or prepared, and also in places where painting operations are carried on. No cases of suspected lead poisoning were reported during the year. Mention might be made here that one of the oil companies has recently completed arrangements for placing on the New Zealand market a motor-fuel known as ethyl petrol, which consists of a mixture of motor-spirit and ethyl fluid, the latter containing " tetraethyl lead." The ethyl fluid is imported in highly concentrated form in 10 gallon drums and is broken down in New Zealand by mixing with petrol to the standard required for commercial purposes. A special Department of Health Committee reported to the British Government in 1929 on the handling and distribution of ethyl products, and recommended the adoption of certain precautionary measures, and inquiries are at present being made by the Health Department of New Zealand as to whether any regulations dealing with the matter have been laid down by the British authorities. The corporation supplying ethyl fluid insists on its agents adopting rules and regulations issued by its medical department for the protection of the health of the workers handling the product, and periodical inspections made by this department's officers show that these rules and regulations are adequate and are being strictly adhered to.

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