H—44a

Foodstuffs Meat Grades Committee .. .. .. .. .. One meeting. Bread Approvals Committee .. .. .. .. Two meetings. Bread Approvals Panel . . .. .. .. .. One meeting. Meat Grades.- —The Meat Grades Committee approved a new, more distinctive marking for lamb, and also made some minor amendments relating to detailed provisions •of the standard specification. Bread Approvals.—The Bread Approvals Committee continued to give consideration to applications for the approval of special breads not provided for in the standard specification. Footwear Sectional Committee (One meeting) Footwear Survey Committee .. .. .. .. Three meetings. Gumboots Committee .. .. .. .. .. Two meetings. Parent Committee. —In addition to considering the reports of the committees working under its direction, the parent committee reviewed the standard specifications for footwear. As might be expected with such a comprehensive set of specifications for a basic commodity, further experience in applying these specifications revealed the need for further consideration of their provisions. The most significant amendments made to the specifications provided for the classification of footwear within each general class, according to type of construction and the nature of the upper leathers and linings used. For example, there are separate specifications for the two main classes of women's shoes —one for the cemented, machine-sewn and fair-stitched types, which, apart from the method of sole attachment, fall into one general class, and one for welted shoes, which are a distinctly separate class. It follows that the respective numbers of the two specifications distinguish these two general classes. Within each class, in turn, the different types are now distinguished by letter symbols, as is also the classification according to the class of outside leather and linings used in the uppers. Further amendments were made to the specifications to permit the machine-sewn type of construction in men's chrome lace boots, men's and youths' chrome Albert slippers, and children's sandals ; the fair-stitched method in women's walking-shoes and men's' chrome lace shoes ; the riveted method in men's chrome lace shoes ; and the screwed and pegged method in men's shooters and ferntight boots. Also amendments were included to provide for patent and yearling leathers in women's walking-shoes, and glace kid in infants' shoes, in addition to some further detailed amendments of a general nature. Finally, appendices were added to the specifications stipulating test requirements for threads and for fibre-board used for stiffeners, and the emergency standard specifications for infants' shoes and nurses' shoes were withdrawn and reissued as regular standard specifications. Survey of Children's Feet—A. committee representative of footwear and last manufacturers, orthopsedic specialists, the Government Statistician, the Shoe and Leather Research Association, Footwear Plan Industrial Committee, and the Standards Institute was instituted to act in an advisory capacity in connection with the conduct of the survey of children's feet mentioned in last year's report, and to check and review the data obtained from stage to stage. The survey is being undertaken on five thousand children between the ages of two and fifteen years, in order to obtain measurements of a true cross-section of children's feet that will be as representative as possible. The children are being selected from cities, towns, and country districts in proportion to the population in those districts. Also they are being selected from the school roll in such a manner as to ensure random selection. The children between the ages of two and four years are being measured at Plunket clinics, with the co-operation of the Plunket Society and the assistance of its nurses.

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