BUSINESS PRACTICE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 182, 1 May 1931, Page 2

BUSINESS PRACTICE

Latest Modern Machines ADDRESS TO ACCOUNTANTS Some o£ the latest ideas in machine accounting were described lasit evening by Mr. 11. A. Fox, in an address on the use of machines in modern accountancy practice, given at a meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Society of Accountants, presided over by Mr. S. E. Lambert. Demonstrations of various bookkeeping machines were given during the last session of the branch, and last evening’s lecture was arranged in order to keep members posted with current devclopments in an important sphere of their work. Mr. Fox spoke first of the wonderful increase in efficiency obtainable with modern machines, compared with old methods, and of tlieir speedy operation and almost uncanny accuracy. Ordinary typists, with no knowledge whatever of bookkeeping, could be trained in a few days to operate up-to-date machines with absolute accuracy, he said. These modern machines provided for the analysis of outstanding accounts month by month, which showed how much was owing for one month, how much for two months, and so on. Use of machines meant that it reduced the amount of time that an accountant had to spend on the work by about 50 per cent., thus freeing him for other important duties in connection with the business.

After demonstrating one of the latest electrically-driven accounting machines, Mr. Fox went on to deal with invoicing, and the special machines designed for that work. They were made nowadays to use invoice forms printed on rolls, each containing 500 forms. Carbon paper was also in rolls, 75 feet long. The machine, consequently, was loaded once only for 500 invoices and carbon copies, as against 50 loadings under old methods. The machines automatically added the various Items as they were typed, and gave the total as soon as the operation was finished, besides carrying the gross total for the whole of the invoices of the day, an amount which was plainly visible at any moment. Mr. Fox gave demonstrations of a roll-form fast invoicing machine, and explained also some of the latest visible card-index systems.

At the end of the address, the speaker was thanked, and the evening concluded with supper. There was a good attendance of members.