ACCOUNTANTS' INSTITUTE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 897, 17 August 1910, Page 9

ACCOUNTANTS' INSTITUTE.

KECENT CHANGES REVIEWED. . The annual'meeting of tlio Incorporated Institute of Accountants was liclil in the Chamber of Commerce Hall last evening. • The president (Mr. James Brown)- was in the chair, and about forty members were present. ; The president said he saw no substantial grounds for any serious misgivings with .regard to the future of thu new society, which has been' constituted by law. If the society was to succeed in its mission it must not be subject to any sort of political interference, and only such Parliamentary legislation should l>e enacted as might be recommended by the council, or by • the members in general meeting. It was almost certain that in the near future the council of the new society would prescribe its own' examinations and hold them within its own borders. The framers of the Act of 191 M apparently contemplated that the society would draw its future membership from public accountants and registered or meicantilo accountants in proportion to the relative numbers in those classes. He hardly thought that this would be the case. Although the commercial world offered employment to great numbers of young men, the average position which could I>b reached was by no means a remunerative one. As a general rule (he prospects in mercantile accountancy * did riot hold out sufficient inducement to attract well-educated youths,' and consequently the ranks were mainly recruited from the primary schools. Tliero would, of course, always be a certain proportion that would qualify by examination, but in his opinion the majority of the rank and file would never find .their way to the •membership of . the society. His feelings on this question prompted him to. strongly favour the suggestion that the society should institute a bookkeepers' examination, the object.being to provide a test for bookkeepers as distinct from accountants.

After reviewing tin work of the past year, the president stated that in view of the constitution of the new society the institute could not, for any length of time, continue as an institute in tho ordinary, sense. Ho thought, however, that there might be some justification for continuing for a time, as a sort of second chamber, with the idea ot watching the progress of tho society, and, if possible, of exercising an influence over the institute's section of tho membership. But every suggestion for continuance of the institute was contingent upon its retaining the bulk of its members. The annual report and- balance-sheet (already published) were adopted. Several resolutions affecting the constitution were discussed at length. A resolution to delete, articles dealing with examinations, and Droviding means for further raising the status of the institute, was lost..

The following were elected as the nc\i council:—Messrs. C. P. Powles (Wellington), E. Hill Fisher (Christchurch), James Brown (Dunedin), and R. G. Tewsley, (outside districts). The Auckland representative was not elected. Mr W. S." Wheeler (Wellington; was appointed auditor.