H. —34A

Conference on Metal Containers for Foodstuffs. During the visit of Mr. Good, opportunity was taken to convene a conference of representatives of manufacturers of metal containers for foods—meat, milk, fruit, and vegetable products—and the Government Departments concerned, in order to discuss the draft schedule of sizes issued by the British Standards Institution and to agree upon a procedure by which New Zealand could collaborate in formulating an Empire standard on this subject. The question was fully discussed with Mr. Good, who stressed the importance of this matter, from the point of view of the Imperial authorities, as a means of facilitating storage and distribution of rations, particularly under conditions of national emergency. The conference recommended that a special committee be established for this purpose, with sub-committees in the main centres to facilitate preliminary discussion. Standard Marks and Certification. Throughout all these discussions and deliberations, Mr. Good made it clear that his visit to Australia and New Zealand was to secure agreement concerning a reciprocal control and protection ol standard marks as a means of certifying the quality, dimensions, or other characteristics of goods, by means of establishing a warranty to denote that these conformed to the requirements of standard specifications. While this was the specific object of his visit, it was not possible to separate it from the wider aspects of standardization, which consequently were not precluded from his attention. The question of the proper use and control of standard marks, in the opinion of Mr. Good, was exceedingly important, as the protection which standards afforded to both buyers and sellers was to a considerable extent sacrificed unless there was a universally recognizable distinguishing mark which could not easily be used illegitimately. Standard marks thus adopted and protected would establish a reliable certification of goods according to their intrinsic merit and value. He desired to secure agreement concerning a method for the administration of such marks which, together with, the adoption of standard trade descriptions or definitions, would define the factors of quality which are no less important in relation to value than the factors of price and quantity, because, unless the three factors—price, quantity, and quality—be properly related there can be no means of determining value. , . It was important, therefore, that standard marks should possess the same validity, authority, and universal recognition as Imperial weights and measures, and to this end he sought agreement to which he hoped all English-speaking nations would ultimately subscribe. After full examination and consideration of the whole position, the Advisory Council of the JNew Zealand Standards Institute recommended that this Dominion should subscribe to the general conclusions agreed upon by the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Australia in regard to the procedure that should be adopted to protect and control the use of standard marks and the certification of goods generally. _ ~ . T tir . The report embodying this agreement of the Advisory Council appears as Appendix I of this report. In conclusion, it is desired to place on record appreciation of the valuable work gratuitously performed by members of the respective committees. A. R. Galbraith, F.R.S.E., M.lnst.C.E., Chairman, Advisory Council. L. J. McDonald, Secretary.

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