H—44a

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS During the year the following specifications were recommended to the Minister of Industries and Commerce for declaration as standard specifications or for withdrawal: —

In addition to the above standards, the revisions of 12 standards and 31 amendments to other standards were recommended for declaration. New Zealand standards now total: Regular, 775 ; Government purchasing, 4 ; emergency, 123 : grand total, 902. Details of new standards, revisions, amendments, and withdrawals are shown in the Appendix hereto. STANDARD MARK During the year 42 licences were granted and 280 were cancelled, mostly by businesses that had ceased operating, had changed their activities, or were working on a scale so limited as not to justify the continuance of their licences. The total of the licences in force at the end of the year was 825. STANDARDS COUNCIL General The Standards Council and its Executive Committee considered all requests for the development of standard specifications, reviewed specifications received from overseas, examined the reports of all meetings held during the year, and directed the necessary action arising therefrom. Standardization Projects The Standards Council, in response to requests from responsible interests, authorized the following projects : fire fighting equipment in buildings ; fire alarm installations ; carbon dioxode fire extinguishers ; cast manhole covers, road gulley gratings and frames ; W.C. seats (wood and laminated) ; grading of ready-mixed paints for exterior use on

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New Standards. Industry, Commodity, or Service. Withdrawals. British. New Zealand. Total. | i Building 9 3 12 Chemical engineering 4 4 Chemical and scientific apparatus 7 7 Electrical engineering 12 1 13 1 Household commodities 6 6 Iron and steel 7 7 2 Mechanical engineering 12 i 12 1 Nomenclature, abbreviations, &c. 2 3 1 Non-ferrous metals 16 16 Paints, varnishes, colours, &c. 4 4 Plastics 2 2 Plumbing 9 9 Rubber 1 1 Safety 2 I 3 Textiles and clothing 2 2 Miscellaneous 6 3 9 Emergency standards 17 Totals 93* 17 110 22 * Includes 15 with amendment to suit New Zealand requirements.