ACCOUNTANTS AS WATCHDOGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 78, 1 April 1936, Page 13

ACCOUNTANTS AS WATCHDOGS

Special interest for New Zealanders .. - lies in the opening remarks of Viscount " Craigavon (Prime Minister of Northern Ireland) at the recent annual dinner of the Belfast Society of Incorported Accountants. He said he had ob-

tamed a number of very interesting

figures which he had thought of quot--■ving to confirm that there was prosper- - ity in their midst, but on reflection he -'"had decided that to bring tables of .-■statistics to that gathering would be "• like taking coals to Newcastle or goals -'io New Zealand—except, of course, "from Ulster.

Another pleasant speaker was the Attorney-General (Mr. A. B. Babing--■ton). He said that the profession of

•■■": accountancy was one which was grow- "•-■ ing and increasing in importance. He '■■was bound to say he thought they : * owed a great deal to the State because ;■•■:; their activities were founded by tact.r'less Governments passing, complicated

laws, relating to income tax and com-

• panics.. (Laughter.)- He supposed ■> ■ - the time would come when, with re...Tf'.gard not only to public finance but to --"private finance, they would have . to call in the assistance of Incorporated Accountants and give an explanation

as to why one's wife bought so many

hats, or the male members of . the .'!.'/■. household purchased so much drink. .'„■'," (Laughter.) ,;;,* Accountants, he continued • had become the watchdogs of the public; they stood between the public and the "people who preyed upon the public— '~ sharepushers and others —and also be- ,;, tween the public and what was, per- , haps, even more dangerous than mere ' dishonesty—inefficiency. Their profession was rapidly bringing all business up to a modern standard which enabled it to compete not only with comparable trades in their own country, but with the trades it was in competition with in foreign lands. Therefore he thought their society was worthy of their respect and support for- the good' which it brought not only to themselves but to the commun-