Document wxB9j3OoZq6MMBzME3R48VOD

FILES : OFFICE OF THE CHIEF CLERK February aft, 1%6 Mr. Charles & *Il*on, Chairaan Policy Comlttee on Standard* General Electric Coapany 570 Lexington Avenue Kee York, Now York Pear Hr* Kllsont UKASE RETURN PROMPTLY To Chief Clerks Office Room 6423 This 1* with refernec to the report of your Policy Coealttee on StimUfa*-* which *as aede last June, and the supplementary report submitted on December 22, 1945 after further hearinga or the original report, i an vary sorry not to iutvo been Able to write you sooner on tnia natter, but X wished to have a careful study made of these reports in relation to the proposed reorganization of the Department. I believe that the Department fcuv accept eholoheartedly the general objectives and spirit of your Committee deport, ehicb is to encourage the alder use of standards in industry and to bring about the greatest possible coopera tion among the various organization* active in this field. The Department will be delighted to sec the American standards Association and other organizations pursue a vigorous program in the fluid of trade standards ana will cooperate to the fullest extent in providing both scientific and technical, and economic and nark sting data vhlch will bo useful in such a program. One of the two principal rccom&enctatioi;* of your Coaittee fits in very well *ith thu plans for tbs reorganisation of the Department. X refer to the r^coxaand&tiou that the division* of simplified Trade Fr&cticce and Commercial standards be transferred out of the bureau of ^tandsrda to a "more suitable status elsewhere in the Department", *nd that "the Bureau of ^t&mtardn1 functions should be those of basic research, furnishing of facts, measurwheats and technical aasiolanc* in the development of bde^uate besting methods*1. The logical place for these two divisions is the no; Office of Domestic Commerce, which will be responsible for the Department1 r# ...crural services and programs for tho promotion of Cornu*tic industry, businars b-rai trade. In accordance uith your recommendations, 1 ast planning to heve tiieac divisions transferred from the National Bureau of Standard* to the Office of I'oaeatic tCasscrce as soon us it la legally possible and suitable internal arrangement* cor* be a*de. The other principal reoo-zaendatlon of your Commit te is that the Department of Commerce withdraw from the field of initiating and publishing standards which are voluntarily agreed to by industry groups as soon as the CC: Mr. Howard Coonly Frase/Hauser:daw \a Charles S* Wilson Z Z/ZB/xfi American Standards Association *implaeate Itself for such functions** Tour Coumlttee has supports! this recoamendatlm with the following; oonsideratloost (1) that "interested private groups are hoot qualified to initiate and formulate voluntary standards*! (2) thara Is now some duplication of effort aa betweea'the American standard# Association and tha Department* and (3) tha voluntary standards published by tha national Bttraaa of Standards have sometimes boon misinterpreted at scientifically determined government standards, or aa compulsory standards* Certainly tha Department doe* not'wlsh.te compete with, or to duplicator tha service* which private organisation* can provldeequally well, nor dans tha PeparUisnt wish to havevoluntary industry standards misinterpreted as sciontlflo or compulsory government standards* da havw triad to guard against such misinterpretation* by printing on tha face of tha booklets published by the national Bureau of Standards, *A moma fOimtm STAKDAHD Of TilK TRADE*, and in other ways* - v.' X 4s not believe, hoftw, that tha Department of Conmaree can proparly aloe# tha door to industry end other economic groups which request the direst assistance of tha Papertnsat in developing and in publishing voluntary standards on their behalf. Tha Department has a statutory responsibility to provide such services in the interest of business and industry and tha general public and we have no authority to refuse such requests* In addition, there nay be oirounstanoss in which the cooperation of tha Department of Commerce and tha Department of Justice will be desirable in order to avoid any possible misinterpretation of volxintary industry, agreements on standards in relation to the antitrust laws* Ho*evr,toths extant that the Aserlc&n Standards Assoolatlcn reorganises ite procedures in aoaordanca with the reooanendatlon of your Coosdttss so that it aan perform trade standard services to tha satltfaction of all tha groups with an. interest in standards, the Department is prepared to encourage the use of the facilities of tha Anerloan Standards Association for tha initiation, development and publication of standards* In view of the tranandous list of eacmodltlee, practices and services and the limited facilities of tha Department in the commercial standardisation field, it would seen aainently desirable that tha American Standards Association and other voluntary business groups as well, expand and improve their facilities far negotiating and publishing trade standards* la fast* 1 regard it as one of the Important functions of the Department of Commerce to encourage and stimulate such a development* the Department Itself does not plan, nor can It hope to monopolise this field of Activity* On the contrary, it is the Job of tha ftqpartae&t as X see it to etiaolate end assist activity by private groups in this field and to perform a pilot function in eonserelal standardisation work aa it has been doing for some two decades* , Zn view of tha above considerations, X envisage that after their transfer from the lotions! Bureau of Standards the divisions of Slnplifled Trad# Practice and Comnsrolal Standards will perform the following lunations with respect to viflmtaiy .to and simplified trade prsetleest 1 X* A* rec<wwumdtd by Coomittoe# eponsor And parlor* basic research in the economic and marketing fieldo lor the Aairioia Standards Association and other troops and organisation* engaged in. fomilating voluntary or dosiring to Initiate lUadudt) JU 1 As reccAmsndsd by year Committee, act so sponsor tor grasps in proposing standards to tbs ASA lor issuance as Amerlesn Standards! 3* detain the Department9* prssont function of initiating and proposing to the ASA or to any other group or groups tho dovolppnsnt of voluntary standard* where tho Deportment finds on tho br.eis of economic studios that ouch standards would b# desirable in tho pabllo intorost| and 4, ftotaln tho function'!' publishing a voluntary standard developed fay a group if that group request* ths Popart*snt to publish. Such standards sill bo published by tho Deportment of Ccmsssree (not tho National Burosn of Standard#} and mill clearly indicate tho industry or othor group or groups on whose behalf ths Department is publishing. However, where tasting method* or ths rosoaroh of ths national Burosn of Standard* hays oontributod to tho establishment of particular standards appropriate credit sill bo given to tho. Burosn in publication, Xhia in general sill noon tho continuance of tho functions of ths Deport ment on ooflsiorolaX standards, and simplified trade practicos in accordance with soli ostsblishsd procoduros, However, tho Department would bo prepared as a natter of policy to suggest, when the Association9* facilities arc adequate, that standards bo submitted to tho ASA for publication as American standards* Ths business group mouldyhowever, bo porfooUy fro* to nake its own decision as to whether to publish tho standard under its own na*0| through ths American Standards Association! or through tho Department of Commerce, The Department is interested in cooperating actively with your Committee end with the ASA and othor interested groups to pro*etc the wider use of voluntary standards and their adoption to the needs of the nation9* comaros In ths postwar years, 1 should like to suggest that a Joint conference committee of tho ASA and tho Sspartaent bo sot up for this purpose, X believe that this conference committee Should cover tho entire field of standards -- the scientific, technical and testing aspects as well as ths economic, narksting md trade aspect* of the problem -- and that tho DopariAontfo representatives on Uur committee Should therefore lnelude scientists of the National Bureau of .Standards ae well as officials of ths Office of Does*tie Comaerce, Office of the Solicitor and the Offlee of Program Planning, X should ala** to ask that your Policy Committee on Standards continue to function as an advisory group to as end to the Department of Commerce so that X nay consult It from time to time on questions of broad policy in the field of standards, 1 feel that ths experience of your committee during the last year will be of great value in dealing with additional problem* which will, arise in this growing field of standard#,. and that the continuance of the committee will insure maximum us# end benefit of that experience. /? 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Mwaai an* m*h Ui( DU M1M will t* aMfal la*^ a jMMtnn. :, - ^; foM af th*. 1m prtaolp*! n *mu *MUm *f mr foaalttM fit* la wr wall.t&DI Dm.pImm tor Dm *ors*aii*tlon of d m hjpirtMat. X r*for t* Dm mmnDUtt that Dm PLtUUa* of UpltflD grate fmliwi ul foaMrDal^fttMteffo.to lUMftfrDMMf Oi MimD llillull 1* a tear*, m1U1| DDm *lh*MV* la Dm Dj u DiDS m* that *Um Iv n * a* uater&a* foaatioM atumld. b Dmm if luli munk, Unlikiii if full, mu w n mU ill ImM4 aniitMM la Dm tomipiD D aUfiili MtU atDMfeVfha loloal plaot for DMM 1m AlrialMU li Dm mv Offiei if BmiiUi teas***** ifeiik lU li rpoa*ibl* for th* fofartaaat** . ' ifaaaral .aarriaaa .MA-praDuam for.. Dm 'pwaatiaa- *t . teaaatl* lataairjr* W M*a M& td*. -la h mKmm DU yw ruiMiDitUM, !- * yUaalag t* -._ k*. Dmm dlvlalMM, traufomA froa UM ImtloMl 1Nura #f Staaterte 1* DM N37910.01 X to aol MUfii teMWi ttel lit* Siyutaml te (nwiw mi property Ami tlw lf to lahutqr sad itkir MmAt vklil nMit toto dlraot MtilMM.if tlw Papartoaa* la 4MlpU| awl in publishing; vtlulur standards m ttelr Datetf fte Boportaoal has a itatuiI)r mpoMUllttr to rnfito toil MVfftMi in llii iitomt of MiUmi ate Industry nt thi (Mini pallia ate kM M Mttnllr to' MftM ml uito. t anteme* that aftor toil! Imaftr (na Dm Mliul Mwa if nulwli tte tifUtou te Slnpilflad ftoto rmlilM ui (mmn IA tluiirti All porfsra tl fillivlto function* All roopoat la voluntary toraAa standards ate lUpllfUA Ante pritotioa*. 1. M MMMMMttete tor your DomlUo*. sponsor .ate porfcra ImIi rosooteb la tea mmmU ate aarfcotlng flilii for lli tertna Standards Assoolatloa ate alter group* ate'orgaalsatloas oagagsd la iMwlatlif teutoijr standards ir ttotolif toltetlato standards* X te roooaaotood tor MW Ooimlttoo, Ml u sponsor far groups la pro posing itoatorti to Ito ASl far iaaoaaaa aa Aaorluaa Stateardoi 9, Attala Aw Bopartamt*o prsuil function if Initiating ate proposing to tea teA ar to a*r alter group r groups Ite dorolopaout af voluntary . utatearto tears tots Bopsrtamft finds an ite Dasls of otoaoalc atteloa total atoll atsteatea voted to tealraMLo la toto publlo lattroalt and 4. Batten III floaotiaa of puhllshlag a t iIi MmX standard litilipU 1/ a <rup If total group ra(UO*tt Ite Dopajrtaont to publish, ( Such daudardo tell to ptol&oted tor Aha Bopartaaat te floaaoruo bat aol through- Ite national Buroa* afttoaterte) ate tell olaaity ltelaato ite Industry ar otter group ar groups N - . 'REPRODUCED ATTH6 NATIONAL ARCHIVES <!3> -a- tk hM bshalfthe Dspsrtaoat lspubllthlag* Ktwtr, whr* tooting nthod* pr tk* rotooroh of the Stloaal Bureau of Standard* Kara contributed to th* ftitlUkant of particular ittadiHU appropriate erodlt util to (irn to Do lam% la pablloatlon, ttilo la general will *n tho ooatlanaao* of ths faaatioao of the Hoport- oat oa ooaaerelal standard* oad slupllflsd trad* pr*otlo*o la Mcordaaoo with vsll-sstabUshsd procedures. Bowovsr, tho Uspertasnt would bo properod * a aattor of polloy to suggest, thw tho Aaiooiatlo*1* faollltloo are adequate* that itutwto W subalttsd to tho, Add for pahlloatloa u Aaeriosa standards, fh* buolasas group would, howovsr, bo psrfsatly frs# to audio tto owci doolaloa ao to whathsr to publish tho standard uador lta own namt through tho Aooriooa Standards Aocoototloat or thmgi tho Sopartusat of Ooaaoroo. 1 ohould also lilco to ak that your Holloy Ooaulttoo oa staadardo ooatiaa* to fuaotlea ao oa advisory croup to as aad to tho Bopartaoal of Oouaoroo so that 1 aujr ooaonlt it fro* tlao to tluo oa gnastloao of broad pollay la tho fiold of standards, Zfosl 'that tho oxporleaoo of your eoaalttee darlac tho last your will bo of cr*t voluo la doallag with additional prohlaas which will arias la this growing flold of otoadardo, aad that tho ooatlnuuMo of tho ooaodttoo will iaoaro mx Imi uas and boaaflt of that oxpsrlencs. Z wish to express to you aad to your Ooaalttoo ay- oiaoor* approoiatloa of tho sorrloo whloh you has* perfomed for tho Sopartusat aad for Aaerloaa business la your ooaoldoratloa of thlo laportaat anbjost, Tour studio* km holpod to olarify tho ontirs oltuatioa aad to point, out soa* of tho things that aood to bo dona ta promts tho noro oxtoaolvo uso of staadardo la tho postwar parted* I olaosrsly hops that S agr.wnt oa your continuing coop*ration* -