TOTALITARIAN WAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 71, 25 March 1940, Page 7

TOTALITARIAN WAY.

ACCOUNTING IN GERMANY. ______ UNDER WAR-TIME CONDITION'S. | Some interesting notes to "The • Accountant" (London) on accounting in] I war-time Germany are given by Dr. T. Plant, "I have occasionally reported | I on the new developments in the field of j German bookkeeping and accounting," he | states. "War-time conditions have naturally affected them very considerably. I The regulations providing for the oom-1 pulsory auditing of accounts of joint-I stock companies have been suspended fori the duration of the war. The reason given is the lack of adequately trained j accountants, who are said to have either been called up or, more probably, are being employed by Government departments. "However that may be, it would l>c incorrect to interpret the measure as a relaxation of Government control of enterprise. On the contrary, the introduction of standardised bookkeeping ibeing pressed forward. All German industrial firms by January. 1940. wet" required to adapt their bookkeeping to | the new schedules provided by the j Estates of Trade, and exceptions were not permitted except in cases of cxtroti)" j urgency. The Government, the National | Socialist Party and the Estate* <-f Tra ■ !••; are prepared to provide linii- \<ii!i! accountants, where necessary. In <•c!.r | to help and advise them on the :.rw; methods. Obviously, there lanii"* 1- " ] lark of accountants. It i- i ■' ''0 assumed that tlic introduction ••; r-.i-l I fortuity in bookkeeping -tnd (-•-' * ■ ■•'" , . i - j ing is more important than < ■:> j''---"'. v Auditing. '"The int nxlui' i'P. •>' tuc "' ' v r "-' " '"' cost account ins h«> J !«-cn ] i.-»-: ■ .-«.. t "'• By Jai:u.ir\ IV l'J«0. t!.c_c>: ■'.- • i evrnrd were to forward tin- ' '■■<! >■::.'• •_Ts)ion- for their trade* t., 'l,c < , i.tral jKst.it.- of Industrie*, whi.-i. i~ to examine 1 (hem a- quickly a* and then ; pro.-l.iim them as hind'ng for cost accounting without delay. When inlro-, dueed. prices r. 1 ! over tiermany will be , assessed in aoootdance with those prin-j cit'les on exactly the same lines for the 1 same product, though for different pro-j ducts details of method may vary; and,l indeed, if one firm produces a variety of goods, the rules for cost accounting may 1 \ary for the different goods, though the I principles will always be the same. It j will be remembered that the principles' ' of bookkeeping are adapted to trades,' 1 and that all memliers of the same F>tit^ 'of Trade will, therefore, have the same j bookke-pi ig system after January 1." j IBy special nrrangc-m<-nt Router"* World i S«rrire. in addition to other special ««<:«—«•<, • «.f information, is used in the onipil.itinn ] <•(■ tin- ov»rs»a.s iin.-lliz.ii.-.- pubiWhou in I this issuo. and all rights therein in Australia and New Zealand are reserved. Such of the cable news on this pajro as is so headed ha* appeared In "The Tiroes • aad la seat t» this paper by spo-inl l«TmS*k>n. It should he undorstoml ihat the opinions are not those of • Th« Tini-s'j unless exprest-ly stated to be so]