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Hon. GEORGE P. MILLER,

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION,
Washington, D.C., October 11, 1966.

Chairman, Committee on Science and Astronautics,
Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: By letter dated September 12, 1966, Mr. Frank R. Hammill, Jr. of your Committee's staff requested the comments of the General Services Administration on H.R. 17424, 89th Congress, a bill "To promote and support representation of United States interests in voluntary international commercial standards activities, to establish a clearinghouse for commercial and procurement standards, and for other purposes."

The purpose of the bill is to enable the Secretary of Commerce to arrange for participation in international standardization of products, and for him to maintain a clearinghouse service for collection and dissemination of information on international standards. Such clearinghouse would also provide a central retrieval system to permit interested persons to determine quickly and inexpensively what information has been collected in any catalogue on existing standards.

Section 3 of the bill provides authority for the Secretary of Commerce to make grants, enter into contracts, and prescribe necessary regulations in the area of international standards. The Secretary would be permitted to establish prices for such material at levels permitting recovery of costs incurred.

GSA representatives have in the past worked with the Department of Commerce in the initial studies performed to determine the feasibility of such a bill. We believe the proposed bill is consistent with the objectives of the Federal standardization program and is not in any way in conflict with GSA's policies and procedures.

Accordingly, GSA recommends the enactment of H.R. 17424.

The Bureau of the Budget has advised that from the standpoint of the Administration's programs, there is no objection to the submission of this report to your Committee.

Sincerely yours,

LAWSON B. KNOTT, Jr., Administrator. 103

APPENDIX 2

CORRESPONDENCE FROM INTERESTED PARTIES

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION, INC.,
Washington, D.C., September 14, 1966.

Mr. FRANK R. HAMMILL, Jr.,

Committee on Science and Astronautics,

House of Representatives,

Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. HAMMILL: Thank you for your letter of September 12, 1966 requesting the views of The American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. concerning H.R. 17424. We are honored that you see fit to consult us in such matters.

While the Institute is normally concerned solely with fabrication of structural steel for domestic use, my principals in New York may have some construction suggestions to offer. Consequently, your communication has been referred to them.

Yours very truly,

JOHN SOULE, P.E., Senior Regional Engineer.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS,
New York, N.Y., September 15, 1966.

Mr. FRANK HAMMILL,
Counsel, Science and Astronautics Committee,
Rayburn Building, Washington, D.O.

Dear Mr. HAMMILL: This Society has been involved in the development of engineering standards almost from the day of its formation in 1880, and we have participated in the growing demand for these industrial tools right up to this very moment. The breadth of our participation in the national standards field in the area of mechanical engineering has been considerable, and for over twenty years we have been active in the field of international standardization. We must go on to say that we were one of the founders of the American Engineering Standards Committee, the predecessor of ASA, newly identified as USASI and a constant supporter of that organization.

Referring again to our activities in the international standards area we have supported international secretariats and visiting representatives to foreign meetings and have had over these last twenty years firsthand evidence of some of the problems involved in support of these activities both under ISO and the IEC. In 1963, representatives of this Society visited the National Bureau of Standards and the Department of Commerce to suggest that some provision be made for help in support of the international standardization work in which we have been engaged. When the so-called LaQue Committee began its meetings in early 1963 we also made representations to that group on the subject of the need for additional support for international standards work. Further, we called attention in a report to that group in mid-1963 that there was a need for complete and centrally collected data on activities in the field of standardization.

It seems to us that Bill H.R. 17424 will provide authority to cover the requests that we mention above and we therefore support its adoption.

Yours very truly,

J. H. HARLOW, President.

CHEMICAL SPECIALTIES MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, INC.,
New York, N.Y., September 15, 1966.

Mr. FRANK R. HAMMILL, Jr.,

Counsel, Committee on Science and Astronautics,

House of Representatives,

Rayburn House Office Building,
Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. HAMMILL: This will acknowledge receipt today of your letter of Sept. 12th regarding Chairman Miller's bill H.R. 17424 introduced on Aug. 30th, 1966, to promote and support U.S. interests in voluntary international commercial standards activities.

While the Dept. of Commerce did raise some questions with this Association on this same general subject last winter, this is the first notice we have had with regard to the introduction of a bill or the fact that hearings are scheduled for Sept. 20-22, 1966.

The proximity of the dates will not permit us time to fully review the bill and statement of purpose and need from the Dept. of Commerce which you have sent to me. However, I will be pleased to refer this one copy of the bill and statement which you have kindly sent me, to our legal counsel and further I would request and it would be much appreciated if you would mail me, in the next day or so, 10 or 12 more copies of the bill and statement which certain committee members could then review during the Board of Governors meeting which is to be held on Cape Cod from Sept. 24-28th. Therefore perhaps in the first week of October, we might be in a position to comment more intelligently based on opinions expressed during the Board of Governors meeting. Your cooperation in this matter is much appreciated and thank you for bringing it to our attention.

Sincerely yours,

A. A. MULLIKEN, Secretary.

NATIONAL CANNERS ASSOCIATION,
Washington, D.C., September 15, 1966.

Hon. J. EDWARD ROUSH,

Committee on Science and Astronautics,
U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.

DEAR CONGRESSMAN: In acknowledgement of the invitation of Committee Counsel. Frank R. Hammill, Jr., for comment on H.R. 17598, a bill concerning international commercial standards activities, I am pleased to advise you that after careful study of the proposal I will recommend to the food canning industry that the measure have its support.

The National Canners Association has a long record of fostering voluntary programs to encourage the free interchange of commodities in commerce and for over 35 years has had the cooperation of the Department of Commerce in the issuance of Simplified Practice Recommendations for canned fruits and vege tables. Presently, in the international field, we are cooperating with the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies in the development of the Codex Alimentarius, a code of international food standards for voluntary use, in a project jointly supported by the FAO and WHO.

Chairman Miller, you and the Department of Commerce are to be commended for taking leadership in recommending H.R. 17598, which I believe will provide for greater assistance by the Department in the development of effective and necessary voluntary international commercial standards programs.

Sincerely,

MILAN D. SMITH.

THOMAS ASSOCIATES, INC., Cleveland, Ohio, September 15, 1966.

Mr. FRANK R. HAMMILL, Jr., Counsel, Committee on Science and Astronautics, House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. HAM MILL: Thank you for your September 12 letter and the copy of Chairman Miller's Bill H.R. 17424, which is a bill to promote and support representation of United States interests in voluntary international commercial standards activities, to establish a clearinghouse for commercial and procurement standards, and for other purposes.

I have reviewed the contents of this bill and am sympathetic with its intent but, frankly, seriously question the methods outlined to achieve the stated objectives. I have for many years been a very strong supporter of the American Standards Association, which is now the United States of America Standards Institute, as the sole agency responsible for standardization in the United States. As I read the contents of the proposed bill, it would seem that its intent is to establish a separate organization to act as a clearinghouse in the area of domestic and international standardization, which I believe should be the primary function of the U.S.A. Standards Institute. I do agree that the performance of United States industry in the area of international standardization has, in the past, been woefully lacking for a number of reasons which we need not go into for the moment, other than to mention that one of the primary ones is cost.

It is my opinion that the objectives of the bill could be more effectively achieved by firm governmental support of the activities of the USA Standards Institute through grants, contracts, etc., rather than the establishment of a separate government agency to accomplish same.

In conclusion, it is my considered opinion that the USA Standards Institute, as it is now constituted, should be the agency which deserves the full support of government, industry, trade associations and technical societies.

Any movement to establish additional organizations in the area should be discouraged as being undesirable from the standpoint of diluting the effectiveness of this new organization.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity of commenting on this bill.

Yours very truly,

ALLEN P. WHERRY.

P.S.-Unfortunately, I will be out of the country during the time of the public hearings and, therefore, will not be able to appear.

Mr. FRANK R. HAMMILL, Jr.,

AMERICAN LUMBER STANDARDS COMMITTEE,
Washington, D.C., September 16, 1966.

Counsel, Committee on Science and Astronautics, House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. HAMMILL: I have your letter of September 12, regarding H.R. 17424 introduced by Congressman Miller.

For the record, perhaps I should point out that the American Lumber Standards Committee, although its members are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, is an autonomous organization operating under the auspices of the voluntary product standards program of the Department of Commerce. It is responsible for the maintenance and enforcement of the standard for American softwood lumber, currently SPR 16-53.

After reviewing the information submitted with your letter, it is my view that H.R. 17424 does not directly involve the functions of the ALS Committee.

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