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preservative pretreatment of timber (3), plywoods (3), inks (3), milking-machine rubberware (3), flushing-cisterns (2), creosote for the preservation of timber (2), salt-glazed-ware pipes (2), paua-shell jewellery and ornaments (2), soaps (2), flock (2), nylon toothbrushes (2), precast concrete drainage pipes (1), precast concrete pressure pipes (1), earthenware roofing-tiles (1), lubricating-cup greases (1), fencing-wire (1), electric plugs and sockets and ceiling roses (1), fire-extinguishers (1), ratings and methods of test for electric heating elements (1), asbestos-cement products (1), joiners' glue (1), hearing-aid equipment (1), terrazzo work (1), and garden tools (1). Registration of Additional Standard Marks. —In accordance with the provisions of section 9 of the Standards Act, 1941, the terms " New Zealand Standard," " N.Z. Standard," and " N.Z.S." have been registered as Standard Marks in all thirty-four classes of marketable commodities specified in the Trade-mark Regulations 1941, under the Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1921-22, so that these terms may not now be used except under licence granted by the Minister of Industries and Commerce. Inspection.—A procedure has been established for proper inspection and examination of commodities bearing the Standard Mark. In order to ensure that it will preserve its full validity as a warranty of quality and service, it is intended that this aspect of the administration should be carried out on a positive and constructive rather than on a negative and coercive basis. The objective will be to assist manufacturers and others concerned to work to standards of quality by drawing attention to features of commodities which show a trend towards departing from the requirements of the relevant standard specifications and to offer advice and guidance as to how such trends can be corrected, the approach being on the basis of the advantage to the individual business interests as well as to the country generally. TECHNOLOGICAL STANDARDIZATION Civil Engineering Sectional Committee (One meeting) Cement and Concrete Committee .. .. .. . # One meeting. Concrete Fencing-posts Committee . . .. .. .. One meeting. Wire Nails Sub-committee .. . . .. .. .. One meeting. Parent Committee. —The parent committee reviewed the work being carried out under its control, and examined and directed the circulation and action relating to 4 regular, 7 war emergency, and 2 draft British standards. It recommended 5 British standards for adoption as New Zealand standard specifications. Conditions of Tender and General Conditions of Contract for Civil Engineering Works. — During the year the Committee recommended this standard code for adoption as a New Zealand standard specification. The standard code contains some seventy comprehensive clauses, set out in proper sequence and precise terms, which define the responsibilities of the parties to a contract. It will have the advantage of avoiding the loss of time, and the consequent economic loss, involved in the preparation of independent general conditions for each and every contract, and the necessity for the parties concerned to interpret and work to the same or similar conditions, expressed in different terminology and sequence. Instead, the standard code will permit contracts to be negotiated and completed according to an established, uniform set of general conditions, which can be cited and referred to in lieu of being stated verbatim in every case. Hollow Concrete Blocks. —The Cement and Concrete Committee has drafted a standard specification for hollow load-bearing concrete masonry units, and the provisions ■of this specification are at present being circulated in draft form for examination and •comment to the interested parties, including local authorities, architects, engineers, builders, and others -concerned. The standard specification will establish requirements

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