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woodwork (white and light tints) ; cement water paint (white and light tints) ; Unseed oil putty; inflammability ratings for textiles ; shrink control treatment of woollens ; children's hosiery sizes. Standard Committees During the year two new sectional committees were established, one to direct and supervise consideration of aeronautical standards ; the other to consider and direct standard specifications relating to physics. In addition, a number of working committees and subcommittees were established to facilitate the current work of existing sectional committees. Unified Screw Threads Upon receipt of the tentative British standard for unified screw threads, which is based upon the international agreement referred to in the last report, the Standards Council set up a special committee to consider the action which should be taken in connection with it here. The widely representative committee recommended that it should be adopted as an interim New Zealand standard specification. It was realized that consequent change of design and production could take place only over a long term, but it was'considered important that the British standard should be endorsed in New Zealand in order to encourage and assist the change, in so far as it was found practicable to introduce unified screw threads coincidentally with the change in other countries. Wider Use of Standard Specifications by Public Authorities Arising out of representations from the Electrical Accessories and Appliances Committee, the Standards Council set up a special committee to consider the wider use of standard specifications for administrative and regulatory purposes, in lieu of provisions formulated by each individual authority, when these relate to the same, or closely allied matters ; or when they so affect professional, industrial, commercial, or trade practice that the formulation of the most practical provisions require full collaboration with the interests concerned. After considering this matter, the special committee reported as follows : Citation of standard specifications or codes in regulations and administrative documents in lieu of arbitrary requirements, in so far as practicable, by avoiding the increased costs and loss of production which arises from the use of unnecessarily different specifications, would yield substantial economic benefit to the country and be of corresponding advantage to production, trading, and administrative interests. For this reason, the committee recommends the closest collaboration with Government Departments and public authorities to assist in securing the fullest advantage of standardization to the country generally. The representatives of the three major departments—Post and Telegraph, Railways, and Works —assured the Council that its endeavour to bring about the wider use of standard specifications had the full support of their respective Departments which would reissue clear directives to this end. The Council adopted the report of the committee and resolved that it should remain in existence to collaborate with Departments and public authorities. Procedure for the Development and Adoption of Standards A further special committee was set up to review the procedure in connection with the consideration of British standards, and draft standards, to ensure that this aspect of the Council's functions was handled in the most effective way. The committee found that the existing procedure should be adhered to. This procedure is based upon a reciprocal arrangement between the British Standards Institution and the national standards organizations of other Commonwealth countries.

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