H.—44a

Chemical Lead. —In view of the importance of chemical lead to the fertilizer industry in New Zealand the committee lias considered the question of developing a standard specification for this metal with a view to devising a satisfactory method of testing its acid-resisting qualities. As a preliminary step in this direction samples have been collected and are now ready for testing. During the year four draft and ten standard specifications received from overseas have been referred to the committee for attention. The following British Standard Specifications have been recommended to the Standards Council as being suitable for adoption as New Zealand Standards B.S.S. 515-1938 Carbolic Acid 60's. 517-1938 Cresylic Acid of High Ortbocresol Content. 521-1938 Cresylic Acid. 524-1938 Refined Cresylic Acid.jj 522-1938 Orthocresol, Metacresol, and Paracresol. 523-1938 Phenol. 756-1939 Apparatus for the Determination of Water by Distillation with an Immiscible Liquid. 823-1938 Density Composition Tables for Aqueous Solutions of Sodium Chloride and Calcium Chloride for Use in conjunction with British/New Zealand Standard Density Hydrometers. 824—1938 Density Composition Tables for Aqueous Solutions of Caustic Soda for use in conjunction with British/New Zealand Standard Density Hydrometers. 783-1938 Japanese and/or Korean Sardine Oil (Pale). 875-1939 Silica Basins, Crucibles, and Capsules. 850-1939 Definition of Cinematograph " Safety " Film. 878-1939 Code for Comparative Commercial Tests on Coal or Coke and Appliances in Small Steam-raising Plants. 813-1939 Chemical Symbols and Abbreviations. 658-1936 Distillation Apparatus. 210-1939 Classification of Lubricating Oils. Dairy Products and Requisites Committee. (One meeting.) Reductase Test Sub-committee .. .. ■ ■ • • .. 1 meeting. Although the prevailing emergency conditions have seriously curtailed the activity of this committee it continues to meet once a year at the same time as the New Zealand Dairy Science Association holds its annual conference. In addition, substantial progress has been made by postal communication, both with the interested parties in New Zealand and with the corresponding committees in Australia and Great Britain. . Babcock and Gerber Methods of Test.—After a lengthy period of investigation in New Zealand and collaboration with the British Standards Institution, the committee is now in a position to forward to Great Britain recommendations for the amendment of the existing British Standards for the apparatus and methods used in the Babcock test, so that the British Standards Institution may issue revised British Standards which will be suitable for use in both Great Britain and New Zealand. In this way a worthwhile contribution will be made towards Empire standardization of the methods and equipment used for routine testing in the dairy manufacturing industry. Protected Type Dairy Thermometers. —At the request of the committee the British Standards Institution has 'issued for comment a draft British Standard Specification for Protected Type Dairy Thermometers based upon information forwarded to Great Britain from this country, and as soon as the period set aside for the receipt of comment has closed the appropriate committees in both countries will collaborate in finalizing the provisions of a British Standard Specification which can lie adopted as a New Zealand Standard. This procedure has been preferred to the development of an original New Zealand Standard in order that the manufacturers in Great Britain might be fully consulted concerning the tolerance, &c., to which they will be required to work. The value of this proposed standard lies in the fact that this type of dairy thermometer is designed to prevent the risk of o-lass fragments from broken thermometers finding their way into the dairy products in which the thermometers are used. It is of paramount importance to prevent the possibility of any such accident occurring, as this would irreparably damage the high repute of our produce on the overseas market. Solutions and Methods for the Estimation of Acidity in Cream, Milk, and Whey. —Although the New Zealand Standard Solutions and Methods for the Estimation of Acidity in Cream, Milk, and Whey, prepared by the committee, were adopted by the Standards Council over a year ago, the promulgation of this standard has been deferred until conditions become more normal, as it calls for a stronger solution of phenolphthalein than at present in use, and it is doubtful whether sufficient supplies for the use of the stronger solution will be available during the war period. The Determination of Visible Dirt in Milk.—After examining the British Standard Specification for Centrifuge Tubes and Sedimentation Vessels for the Determination of Visible Dirt m Milk the committee came to the conclusion that, although this apparatus would be useful for certain specialized laboratory work, it was not suitable for the routine examination of milk m New Zealand Consequently it was recommended that the British Standard should not be adopted as a New Zealand Standard.

2—H. 44a.

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