THE VALUE OF STANDARDS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 August 1939, Page 6

THE VALUE OF STANDARDS.

immense amount of useful work, about which very little is heard by the general public, is being done by the New Zealand Standards Institute, a section of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, working in conjunction with the Department of Industries and Commerce. Dealing in large part wiYh technical details, the third annual report ol the Institute, which was presented to Parliament recently, may appear Io have little* claim on the attention of the average man oi - woman, in i’aci, however, the Institute is dealing with matters of great iiionieiil to all members of the community from the, point of view of economy, general welfare, health and in many oilier respects. The task of lhe Standards Institute is to bring about the best possible selection and use of indiist ria I and other materials of all kinds and the elimination of superfluous types and needless duplicalion throughout the whole range of industrial production, thus reconciling economy with the highest attainable standards of quality and utility. In the extent to which these objects are attained, it is clear that benefits are conferred alike on manufacturers and oilier producers, on distributors and on consumers. 'The simplification and improvement ol production methods which results from the adoption and application of national, or in some instances Imperial standards makes it possible at once Io raise the quality of products and to supply more goods or better goods, sometimes both, at a given price.

Good progress is already being made in this excellent, enterprise. The annual report of the Standards Institute just presented is, as slated, only its third, but it tells of tin' adoption of 192 New Zealand standard specifications up to the end of .March last, with another 36 standard specifications only awaiting the endorsement of the Advisory Council. An extension of the determination and application of national standards no doubt, will be facilitated increasingly as the benefits that are conferred in this way come to be appreei-' ated more widely. Under the procedure in vogue, action in developing standard specifications and codes for voluntary use is initiated by a request from responsible industrial or other interests concerned. When draft standards have been prepared by committees consisting of expert and professional officers attached to Government departments and local bodies, and of representatives of professional, technological ami industrial interests, the drafts are circulated to those concerned for comment. A full call is thus made both on scientific ability and on practical knowledge and experience in the branches of industry concerned. A standard is recommended for adoption only after it has been subjected to the most exhaustive examination and investigation.

Some of the specifications adopted relate to highly technical matters, such as the strength and quality of building materials, town-planning schemes, and important engineering details. Mori* familiar problems are also receiving attention, however. For instance an inquiry is in progress with a view to determining suitable sizes, shapes and oilier requirements of lasts from which to manufacture footwear that will not cause deformity of children's feet. Another inquiry is directed to the production of hides and calf-skins of reliably uniform grades of quality. Standard specifications for motor-spirit are also under consideration. As a whole, the work ol the Standards Institute is directed to ensuring the most satisfactory and beneficial use in every way of the resources available to the people of the Dominion. 11 is obviously very much in the interests of the community that these most helpful activities should be extended as rapidly and as widely as possible.