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the previous year, have been circulated in draft form for comment from affected interests. The comments already received confirm the value that will attach to the completed specification, which will provide a common basis for the estimation of costs and charges relating to building work. Building Materials Sectional Committee (One meeting) Bituminous Building Materials Committee .. .. .. One meeting. Parent Committee. —In addition to reviewing the work coming under its direction, the parent committee examined and directed the circulation of 21 British standards and 3 draft British standards to affected interests. Bituminous Building Materials. —Proposals for a standard specification for these materials have been reviewed by a special committee set up during the year. Samples of saturants, coatings, and finished materials for coated roofings are being tested by the Dominion Laboratory according to the tests laid down by the American Society for Testing Materials in order to provide a basis for the quality requirements of the specification. The committee, which is also responsible for the development of standard specifications for bituminous building materials generally, is giving consideration to 1 draft British and 3 British standards covering tar pitches for building purposes, roofingfelts, damp-proof courses, and pitch and lake asphalt floorings. Timber Sectional Committee (One meeting) Timber Preservation Committee. .. .. .. .. One meeting. Joinery and Profiles Committee .. .. .. .. Two meetings. Profile Gauges Sub-committee .. .. .. .. Two meetings. Timber Ladders Committee .. .. .. .. One meeting. Parent Committee. —In addition to reviewing the work carried out under its supervision, the parent committee examined 2 draft British standards and 2 British standards, but decided that they were unsuitable for adoption as New Zealand standards. Timber Preservation. —In response to a request from the State Forest Service, the committee decided to obtain the necessary data for preparing a specification for the preservative materials already stipulated in N.Z.S.S. 202, Preservative Pre-treatment of Timber by the Cold Dipping Process. The committee also intends to make provision for the use of additional solvents. Pressure Treatment.—The development of a scientifically based standard specification for the treatment of timber with preservatives applied by the pressure and " vacuum " methods has been deferred because further progress is dependent on the conclusions of research being carried out by the Plant Diseases Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. It is understood that the stage has been reached when conclusive tests can be made of the toxicity of the available preservatives when applied by various methods, and it is hoped that this will enable a standard specification to be formulated in the near future. Timber Ladders. —The draft specification for timber ladders referred to in the last report has been considered by the parent committee and referred to the Timber Ladders Committee to be redrafted, in the light of comments from affected interests. Profiles of Weatherboards, Flooring, and Matchlining.-—The standard specification for profiles of weatherboards, flooring, and matchlining has been issued. The original draft standard has been amended to some extent by the Joinery and Profiles Committee, after consideration of the comments received from a circulation to some three hundred interests. The standard now defines rebated bevel back, rusticated, and rebated skewcut weatherboards. The skew-cut weatherboard, which was provided for in Part IX,

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