H.—44a.

Sales of Standard Specifications. Copies of specifications to a value of £1,426 Os. Id. were sold during the year, as detailed in the following table:— Original New Zealand Standard Specifications (including special Copies. £ a. d. reprints of the Standard Code of Building By-laws) .. .. 13,478 1,054 8 0 New Zealand Standard Specifications being British Standards adopted (with or without amendment) .. .. .. 1,310 181 3 9 Total sales, New Zealand Standard Specifications .. 14,788 1,235 11 9 British Standard Specifications (not adopted as New Zealand Standards) .. .. .. .. . ■ .. 1,005 148 12 6 British Standard Aircraft Specifications .. .. . ■ 510 31 16 9 British Emergency Standard Specifications .. .. .. 40 015 10 Australian Standard Specifications .. .. .. • • 162 9 3 3 Total sales .. .. .. .. .. 16,505 1,426 0 I New Zealand Standard Code of Building By-laws. The value which the local authorities attach to the standardization of building by-laws is soundly evidenced by the readiness with which they have adopted Parts I-VI of the New Zealand Standard Code of Building By-laws which have been issued. Cities and boroughs which, according to advice, have adopted Parts I-YI of the Building By-laws, or are in process of so doing, are : Auckland, Balclutha, Blufl, Christchurch, Dannevirke, Dargaville, Devonport, Dunedin, Ellerslie, Feilding, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hawera, Inglewood, Invercargill, Lower Hutt, Masterton, Matamata, Mosgiel, Mount Albert, Napier, Nelson, New Lynn, Newmarket, New Plymouth, Northcote, Onehunga, Ohakune, Otaki, Palmerston North, Papakura, Picton, Raetihi, Rangiora, Riccarton, Stratford, Takapuna, Taumarunui, Tauranga, Te Kuiti, Thames, Timaru, Waipukurau, Wanganui, Wellington, and Whangarei. The forty-seven local authorities listed above represent more than live hundred thousand inhabitants, or more than two-thirds of the urban population of New Zealand ; in tact, it is believed that these standard provisions are being adopted by all the municipal authorities in the Dominion with a population of 5,000 or over (as at Ist April, 1934) with ten exceptions. Forty-five local authorities have placed orders, in the aggregate, for 12,200 special reprints, which, by arrangement with the Government Printer, are being supplied with the addition of the introductory, enactment, and attestation clauses of each local authority. Value of Standardization. The growing use of standard specifications and codes, as indicated by the volume of sales and the requests for their development, clearly indicates that their value is increasingly appreciated. This is in accord with the fast-developing trend in other countries which serves to establish that a better utilization of economic resources, on a basis of better commercial and trading relationships, is secured in degree to which the principle of standardization is soundly related to the activities and needs of the people of the Dominion. Economic Stabilization Conference. The findings of the Economic Stabilization Conference, which sat last year, offers further support for the conclusions stated above. This representative conference found that considerable savings could be effected by the adoption of standards, and that the present machinery for standardization should be improved and extended. By direction of the Hon. the Minister of Industries and Commerce, some steps have been taken, and other are in process of being taken in order to give effect to these findings. War Emergency Standards. The Standards Council, at its last meeting of the period under review, decided to institute an Emergency Standards Divisional Committee to direct the action to be taken in connection with War Emergency Standards coming to hand from overseas standards organizations. One hundred and fifty such standards had been received. While it is possible that some of these may not be of advantage to New Zealand, a considerable number will be very valuable. The provision that has been made by the institution of this Committee for the proper consideration, adoption, and use of such standards as will assist the war emergency will avoid the necessity of undertaking work here that has already been completed overseas. Moreover, it will aid the general efforts to secure a greater degree of co-ordination of the war activities of the English-speaking countries, relating to the type of equipment and the nature of supplies to be produced for given purposes. The Committee will also give attention to the development of any original emergency specifications which may be required in this country, in addition to those received from overseas. The confusion and waste that must arise from the use of different specifications by different interests and in different locations within New Zealand for one and the same purpose will thereby be avoided. The

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