ACCOUNTANTS' SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1077, 16 March 1911, Page 2

ACCOUNTANTS' SOCIETY

IMPORTANT MEETING. UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS. A special general meeting of the New Zealand SocieTy of Accountants was held at. the Chamber of Commerce las-t. night, about forty members boiiig present. Tho president, Mr. Peter Barr, of Dnncdin, "•as in the chair. The principal business on the order paper was the consideration, of a number of important notices of motion for amendment of the regulations, most of them standing in the name of the president. Tho .council had met during the day and revised (ho notices of motion. Constitution of Council. Tho president's first motion was for the division of tho Dominion into districts lor the purposes of the constitution, election, and tenure of ollice of the council l'ollmving are the names of districts as finally adopted, with a number of council members to represent each district — Jlarlborough-Nelson-Westlnnd. 1; Poverty }' : ?V,V A " cklalul ' North, 1; Wellington, 3; South Canterbury, 1Canterbury, 2; Qtago, ;j ; Southland, 1 Hawke's Bay, 1; 'J'aranalii, 1. It W resolved that the present members of the ciurieil .should hold office until the annual., general' meeting next August, or until an.election- takes, place after the coming into force of-, the regulations. Several consequential amendments were made: . . . i ?' he J?i 10,v > r S wa? substituted for Regulation 1!7 slu.ll be informed of. the number of marks they havo ohtamed only in each subject in which they havo failed." J University Examinations. .. A new regulation was added, giving the council power to agree by resolution to rccngniss in lieu of the whole or any part oi tho examination!; prescribed under tlic regulations, the "professional examinations in"accountancy" held in con.lmctinn with the course for the degree oiJJaclielpr of Commerce imd adopted and prescribed by (ho University of New Zeai u'i or ? ny otller similar examination held by the same university. ihe chairman said that if the amendment was adopted, the-council intended •i f u tho actioll iud 'oated. The council felt that this would place a hall-mark on its examinations, so that it would be evident that they were of a high standard. The University authorities would adopt a new course for the -Bachelor ■ of Umnierco degree. The examination would bo divided into four parts, and parts.3 and i would be those utilised 'for the purposes of the society. Candidates tor tho degree of Bachelor of Commerce would havo to keep terms at college, and go through tho wholo course, but candidates for membership in the society would not need to do so, and would only require to take parts 3 and i of the examination. .They would, however, be at liberty to take the other parts of the examination afterwards, so as to obtain the degree. The new arrangement would benefit both the society and the University. Tine new Bachelor of Commerce course would bo.more useful and practicnl than the present one, and that would be a gain to the University, while tho society would gain in the higher value that would be attached to the examinations. After 1913 it would bo necessary for candidates to matriculate and keep terms at the University. ;Tn reply to a question, the president said that (he representatives of the University had stated that the society would be consulted as to the appointment of leclurers in accountancy and the course of study. . • ■ . . Sir. W.'Jack'said ho believed the new arrangement would do more than anything else yet achieved to raise the status of the profession. He warmly congratulated those who had negotiated tho matter. .■■ . .::'■■.• Tho president, in acknowledging-, tho congratulations,- said that most- of- the .work had been done by Mr. A. T. Clarke and the secretary (Mr. E. W. Hunt). '.- '.What-To Do With tho Funds.; Sir; T. Forsyth moved, and Mr. A. : Le.igh-Hunt seconded, a motion to reduce ■thc'annual' subscripts for registered'accountants' to :10s.. (id., t'in the absence of any delinitc .policy-tori'the utilisation , of th 6 surplus funds'of the society." • Mr. Hampson (Nelson) said that it would , be seen ero' long that .the council had ,a ; financial policy. The subsidising of university lectureships in accountancy would absorb some of the funds.- He also thought that , they must expect the membership to decrease rather than increase during, tho next five years. It - might even be necessary to raise the subscription. There was also the question of subsidies for tho branches. Mr. Shaw" (Auckland) said there were many w:iys of utilising the surplus, such as establishing a benevolent fund, branch subsidies, scholarships in connection with the university, etc. The council was doin? good work. Mr. Mills (New Plymouth) said the society should exert itself for the mutual protection of all its members'. Other people had their remuneration fixed and their position improved, but accountants were just whero they were 20 years ago. . The chairman said ho regretted that Mr. Forsyfh's motion contained the reference to "absence of policy." He dwelt upon t.ho greatness cf the amount of business the council had' to do. and the demands upon tho funds. Ho also men- . Honed that 350 members had dropped out as tho result of the rule that any member six months in nrrenr with his subscription should bo struck off the roll. He rather welcomed the dropping out of those who were not: interested. The motion was lost on the voices. Proxies—A Burning Question. A V J f ? n ,(^ ellington) movc<l t0 abolish the. following clause:—"Proxies when given, must be given only to a member, ot the. council, or a member of tho society resident in the same district as the member g.vmg the proxy, / unless there be no member of either council or soaety resident in that district able to ffb,' k J^ -a' -hich the proxy The mover said that if his pronosal were not accepted on the present occasion ho would move it again and again until it was. would make it a "perpetual moTliq' motion was strongly supported bv others' ' T, Fors . vth - alld . T , h .| opposers of the motion included '?w ii■ T (Auck ' antl ) and Mr. Wilberfoss (Wellington), who said that it would do away with district representation, and the representatives who attended might be . ontvotcd by proxies. The chairman, in the course of a speech' against the motion, expressed regret that Mr. Jack should have used a threat, Mr. Jack.said, ho did.not intend the remark.in question os a threat. • The .chairman accented the explanation Procceding,..'he complained that sinister motives had been attributed to'him in regard to the inception of.the present rule and by a' man who should know him Mr. Forsyth said the president must be referring to him. What he had said was that nobody but Mr. Barr foresaw frm,i the beginning the effect of tho clause. 110 did not imputp any sinister motive. The president said he could not accept thnt explanation. The motion was lost on the voices. A number of machinery and formal amendments to the regulations weremade. The meeting of the council will continue to-day and'probably to-morrow. .