ACCOUNTANTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3164, 16 August 1917, Page 6

ACCOUNTANTS

(To tlio Editor.) _ Sir,—Liko many other commercial men, I have read with interest the letters of , "Commercial Accountant" and "Profcs- . sional Accountant." That of. the. former has a ring of sincerity, and comes from | a man who knows his job and discusses • what he knows. The second letter appears to have been written by a person who seeks to criticise what ho has not even rend. If lie had done so, he would not state that "Commercial Accountant" j suggested any "resolution." All that was j suggested was that at the annual meet- J ini; of the N.Z. Society of Aeiouatints • the facts should be discussed <"i>d mar- , shalled as a puidc (to the Efficiency ( Board) in determining the essential nature of the work of expert commercial 1 accountants; the specialised liiagnitudo . of such work and tho number of men , available for its performance. j Now, sir, a glance through your adver- , Using columns and those of your leading'contemporaries, proves that at even this period of comparatively depleted man power there is a strong, if not a growing demand, for experienced commercial accountants. It is not possible to replace theso men by substituting tho ordinary professional accountant. Tho latter has not the requisite experience. The handling of small tradesmen's books, checking additions with adding machines, engaging in land agency and insurance agency, doing a little rent and debt collecting, does not qualify a mari tp take , control of the internal organisation _of one of our banking institutions, shipping companies, wool and station agencies, or tlie complicated details of a wholesale merchant's office. No responsible board of directors controlling any of the foregoing "would for one moment consider tilling the position of an experienced commercial accountant with an ordinary professional accountant. This position is only attained by years of specialisation in the particular business dealt witn, and is a slow upward progress through many departments. It is quite impossible to qualify for such a position in tlio way that some of our professional accountants have ualified for theirs. A man whilst engaged at his trade of co)- , l)linrr may, by assiduous _ study ot tlie necessary text-books, qualify by passing . tho set examination for immediate admis- | sion to the ranks of the professional 1 accountants. It is simply lack. of practical experience that fits professional i ac- | countants so ill to replace their c - mcrcial brethren-the natural ability" there; otherwise, the stiff hurdle of amination would not be surmounte(l. Another important feature of the question is that the commercial accountants work requires close application centration. It demands men of stroiu vitality to withstand its wear, tear, worry, and confinement. As a consequence the fit young men, wbo, mo toary times would bo tho commercial accountants of the future," have gone to the front. The work is too strenuous to be taken up early by men in the war-shat-tered, mental, and physical condition of soldiers invalided out of the . if these men have had the previous flaming in their civilian life. One of the most brilliant of the commercial accountants Sir Joseph G. }\ ard, Bart, who is a Fellow of the A .4. society fills one of the most onerous and r-Wntial places in our National Government, that of Minister of Finance. His uractical and acceptable Budget sh°wi> I s capacity to guide our finances boldly wd prudently in these days of desperate strife. He is not perturbed by the timid lirotests of those who say he is asking too much,-nor by the wonderful schemes of some of our in tho clouds. AVhat air J. u. ward ib to our National Government, the experienced commercial accountant: « tc, ttw mercantile concern whose financial mtu cacies lie directs and controls. , ~ » Judein" by "Professional Accountants letter, it" would appear that he considers that a judicious thinning out ot his fellows would.be in the interests: of the survivors. A little booklet just brouj t to my notice seems to show'.that he is not alone in his opinion This booklet has been issued by the Council of A.A. Accountants who aie .almost exclusively professional men. It is entitled Professional Ethics," and is an appeal to refrain from competing against each other too much for professional work in its own "words it bogs 1 not to disturb the ««sin in possession" of an audit, ctc. This, combined with tho fact that so many professional accountants are predatory jack-of-all-trades, and poach on the domains of the land agent, insurance writ, •indent agent, sharebroker, etc., etc., .shows that their proper status is lowered by reason of there not being sufficient purely accountancy and auditing work offering in the Dominion—l am, ; Ct °" MERCHANT. August 11, 1917.