STANDARDISED STATISTICS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 58, 2 December 1919, Page 10

STANDARDISED STATISTICS

■ The departure of Mr. Malcolm Frascr, the Government Statistician, to attend the conference of Statisticians, is of more than passing interest, for the object of the confeteiico is to bring about international uniformity in statistical recr>r<jß and reports:. There is a wide variation In the classification of commodities adopted by deferent cor.ntriee in commercial reports and statistical records, and uniformity is very desirable. If international uniformity is unattainabL , , then at lea'st it should be possible to secure iimformity throughout the British Empire. How great the need for bettor methods may be exemplified by a comparison between the general classification adopted by the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada - and New Zealand. Fcr instance, m reepect to "raw materials," under the British system there are ae.parate headIngs for:— (1) Iron ore, scrap iron, and etecl, (2) Other metallic ores. Under manufactures wo ?ct:— (1) Iron and steel and their manufactures. (2) Other metals and thoir manufactures. (3) Cutlery and hardware and implements. ;.'.'. (4) Machinery. : In Australia thero is ono group—metals and machinery; in Canada, metals and •manufactures thereof; in New Zealand, manufactures.and metals. The ■ Chambers of Commerce pf the United Kingdom have approved a tcheme devised by Yice-Admiral Henry Campbell, "Who has given the matter very close study. His main object, -ivaa to flemove the -complexity and (rouble which at present arise when a commodity is described and dealt in.under various rames in different countries. With this in mow the commodities are first classified in accordance with the divisions cf trade into which they enter. Each commodity ia then assigned a distinguishing number, to whioh -may be added a specifying letter ;to,denote a particular case of (,oods. ■ Tinder this system, any piven combination of numbers and letters -would always Jiavo the same s-igniftcince. Tho Chamber's of Commerce are agreed that the ad.vantages to bo derived from the adoption of. tho plan absolutely outweigh any temporary disadvantages that may arise during the period of change, since in their opinion it is vitally necessary that fuller and more exact information should be available, and this cannot be accomplished unless the preeent machinery is altered to include a standardised nomenclature and a uniform method of describing quantity.. CUSTOMS REVENUE. Customs duties collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £3298 4a. lid.