ACCOUNTANCY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 65, 14 September 1934, Page 14

ACCOUNTANCY

ADVICE TO STUDENTS

Au important function of the-New. Zealand Society of Accountants is in the help given to-students' societies in various districts. ..

"Naturally students are anxious to complete their professional course as quickly as possible," states the society's president (Mi. H: Valentine), ;"buf I need hardly say that the completion; of the professional course in r only the commencement of what is a life "work, the study and practical application of the.principles of economics, finance; and business organisation and the broad principles of law as applied to ' business transactions/ The examination/course has failed in its principal objective if on its completion the student has merely , equipped himself to perform the. routine' duties of a bookkeeper. .

"Bookkeeping is only a moans to an end and not an end, in' itself. It is the capacity to study and interpret the results shown by the art of bookkeeping in the light of the wider knowledge of the economic principles forming the foundation of sound accountancy which make the accountaut so. valuable in 'modern, business. Statistics and costing are an indispensable adjunct to interpretive accounting. A sound, knowledge of the science of mathematics is essential to the statistician, and the" accountaut must thus become the connecting link between, the academic mathematician and economist and the world of business, or between theory and practice. ■ .

'•'All this may seem to set an impossibly high standard for the student who is struggling tp master the mysteries of trial balances or to memorise the Acts of Bankruptcy or the machinery provisions of the Companies Act. But the drudgery of these studies will help to create the capacity to proceed step by step to higher'flights and will train the brain so as to make the task easier. Let me utter ;i warning against the mere cramming ol the subjects: The student should endeavour to' find and understand the iinderiyinc; principles in all lie studies; otherwise his knowledge will be of onl.v ; ' limited value and his work second rate."