SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
eighteen members. The preparation of the standard specifications 
is carried out by Standing Committees and Sub-Committees, the members 
of which consist generally of equal numbers of producers and users, 
Membership may be held by individuals, firms, corporations, technical 
or scientific societies, teaching faculties and libraries. The standards 
adopted covers 132 engineering materials, whilst there are also 49 
materials for which tentative standards have been drawn up, but not 
yet finally adopted. The materials for which standard specifications 
are in force are divided into four groups, viz.:—(a) Ferrous metals, 
such .as steel rails, structural steel, spring steel, tubes and pipe, steel 
castings, &c.; (b) Non-ferrous metals, such as pure metals in ingot 
form, white metals, aluminium alloys, &.; (c) Cement, lime, gypsum 
and clay products; (d) Miscellaneous materials, such as paints, 
varnishes, shellac, road and paving materials, insulating materials, &e. 
The British Engineering Standards Association was established in 
1901, at the instance of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and a far- 
reaching organization has now been developed consisting of some 170 
Sectional Committees, Sub-committees, and Panel Committees, includ- 
ing in all over 900 members, and dealing under one central authority 
with standards relating to practically the whole field of engineering 
materials. The Main Committee consists of 24 members, of which 19 
are nominated by the leading engineering institutions and two by the 
Federation of British Industries, the remaining three being elected in 
view of their eminence in the engineering profession. The Sectional 
Committees consist of technical officers of Government Departments, 
consulting engineers, manufacturers, contractors, users and representa- 
tives of the technical societies and trade organizations concerned. They 
decide the broad lines upon which the specifications are to be drawn 
up, leaving the detailed work of drafting to Sub-committees, which 
m turn may intrust the preparatory work to expert Panel Committees. 
The funds for the work are not provided by members’ subscriptions, 
as in the case of the American Society for Testing Materials, but are 
furnished by subscriptions from the British, Indian, and Dominions 
Governments, from engineering, railway, shipping and other companies, 
and from Local Giovernment Boards and tramway and electricity 
authorities. The Association has a registered mark or brand, which 
has come very widely into use. 
Although the activities of the British Engineering Standards 
Association have in the main been confined to the home country, a 
considerable amount of work of an international character has been 
undertaken, and steps have recently been taken to create standardising 
committees in a number of countries, including India, Canada, South 
Africa, Brazil, China, Chile, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, and the Argentine. 
In Japan the question of engineering standardisation has been actively 
taken up, and special attention has been directed to the standardisation 
of ships.and ship-building materials. 
There is no statutory provision for enforcing the adoption of the 
standards, but their common use is generally effected through the 
influence and strength of the standardising organizations. Official and 
semi-official authorities ordinarily require that materials used by them 
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