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within the various parts of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and of the general recommendations of the Conference on Standardization held in 1930, and of the resolutions adopted by the Imperial Conference of that year. The Sub-Committee also takes note that the Imperial Conference of 1930 commended the co-ordination of standardization under a central body in -each country, to which support should be given by the Government. It urged closer co-operation between these standardizing bodies with a view to the further development of standardization, and the establishment, so far as practicable, of uniform standard specifications. Stress was laid upon the importance of simplication by means of the reduction of unnecessary types, sizes, etc., of everyday commodities. The Conference also recommended the adoption of marks or brands by the various standardizing bodies, to be protected throughout the Commonwealth, and suggested measures to promote adherence to standard specifications and practices. The Sub-Committee takes note of the progress being made to put into practical operation the results of the Imperial Conference of 1930, and once again desires to bring prominently before the Governments of the various parts of the Commonwealth the importance of the judicious development of national standard specifications, the importance of buying on nationally recognized specifications as safeguarding purchasing and insuring quality and performance. It welcomes the advance that is being made in the various parts of the Commonwealth in the co-ordination of industrial standardizing activities in one central national body representative of all parties concerned. It urges once again that the central standardizing body in each part of the Commonwealth should be accorded the active support of the Government by way of financial and technical assistance and by the co-operation of the Government purchasing departments, and otherwise. The Sub-Committee also desires to draw attention to the statement in paragraph 16 of the Twenty-First Report of the Imperial Economic Committee on the subject of Imperial Industrial Co-operation that "the development of standardization in the various parts of the Empire, upon the basis of close co-operation in establishing uniform standard specifications, facilitates Empire trade definitely and effectively." The Extent to Which the Recommendations of the 1930 Conference Have Been Carried Out (1) Central standardizing bodies have been formed in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Substantial progress in this direction has also been made in Canada. In the Union of South Africa, in the Irish Free State, and in India the position is as reported in 1930. In Newfoundland no organization for industrial standardization is in existence. In Southern Rhodesia, while there is no central standardizing body, active standardization efforts are being made under the direction of the various government departments. (2) In those parts of the Commnowealth in which central standardizing bodies exist, the national governments support them by direct financial assistance. (3) In regard to the co-operation of government purchasing agents, great progress has been made in the United Kingdom where the purchasing departments of the Government and all local authorities are increasingly adopting British standard specifications. Progress has also been made in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. (4) National standardizing work in the United Kingdom is stimulated on the initiative of various Government departments, with most beneficial results. In some degree this may also be said to be true in the other parts of the Commonwealth. (5) At the invitation of the Board of Trade of the United Kingdom, the British Standards Institution has taken over the work of compiling an index of industrial specifications in common use throughout the country. No steps have so far been taken in any other part of the Commonwealth. (6) With reference to the stress laid by the Imperial Conference of 1930 on the necessity for the further development of systematic and expeditious consultation and co-operation between the central standardizing bodies in the various parts of the Commonwealth, substantial progress has been made. Regarding the view of that Conference that there are many occasions when the position might be clarified and delay avoided by oral explanation, the Sub-Committee is im--51041—3