M 161
The reason for the low figures in this Colony is due possibly to the state of the Regulations covering the sale of Food and Drugs. There is at present only one standard for foodstuffs laid down, i.e. that for fresh milk. Draft definitions or standards for the most important foodstuffs were submitted by the late Mr. E. R. Dovey in August 1927 and embodied in a new Food and Drug Bill printed in November 1930. Until this Bill becomes law, the present unsatisfactory state of affairs will remain.
MINERALOGICAL ANALYSES.
A large increase in analyses under this head was shown during the year.
Metals 1932 1931 Minerals. 1932 1931 Tin 195 96 Coal 254 177 Lead 2 Coke 1 0 Nickel 1 Sulphur 2 0 Alloys 1 Graphite 1 0 Bismuthite 1 Chromite 1 Manganese 2 Galena 1 Zinc Ore 1 Molybdenite 1 Antimonite 1 Wolfram 48 7 Other ores 3 Total 195 100 Total 425 196 19Tin accounted for the whole of the metal analyses, the large increase in numbers being due, possibly, to a rise in price which occurred.
An increase in the number of wolfram ores occurred during the summer, but this was probably due to the illness of the other consulting analyst who does the majority of these estimations.
The large increase in coal estimations is due to the new method of dealing with tenders for the supply of coal to the Government. For the 1933 supply each tenderer had to submit a sample to the Laboratory of the coal for which he tendered. This resulted in 92 samples being submitted in the space of a