British Standards Institution

THE annual general meeting of the British Standards Institution was held on October 17, when Lord Woolton was elected president. Sir Percy Ashley vice-president, and Sir William Larke succeeded Sir Percy Ashley as chairman of the General Council. Dr. E. F. Armstrong, chairman of the Finance Committee, explained that the income and expenditure for the year had increased by 28 per cent and was now about £69,000. The sales of copies of British Standards had gone up 39 per cent. The Government grant-in-aid was nearly double and was now £12,900. While there was an increase of some 15 per cent in the number of subscribing members he pointed out the need for greater support from local authorities and industry. Sir Percy Ashley concluded his term of office as chairman of the General Council with a brief review of the work done as a direct aid to the war effort by the British Standards Institution, and the progress made during the same period in the preparation of British standards for industrial and commercial materials and appliances. The war work covered the preparation of war emergency British standards for A.R.P. materials for the Ministry of Home Security, packaging schedules and code for the Ministry of Production, steel and non-ferrous metal standards as well as standards for many other materials, tools and appliances for the Ministry of Supply and for the Services generally, and schedules for clothing and hardware for the Board of Trade. Many of the war emergency standards were made compulsory by the issue of statutory rules and orders. The preparation of standards for building materials and appliances now being carried out in support of the programme of house-building of the Ministries of Works and Health has already reached substantial proportions. Sir Percy concluded by emphasizing the importance of industrial standards, which provide for accurate and precise trade descriptions, methods of sampling and testing, and standards of performance, and of an independent body, set up and maintained by the national industry as a whole, with Government support but not under Government control, for the preparation of such standards. Progress will be most widespread and continuous if the policy of 'standardization by consent' is consistently pursued.