SOCIETY OF ACCOUNTANTS

Evening Star, Issue 22892, 25 February 1938, Page 15

SOCIETY OF ACCOUNTANTS

REPORT FOR ANNUAL MEETING The twenty-ninth annual meeting of the New Zealand Society of Accountants is to be held in Dunedin this year on March 2. The annual report to be presented at the meeting states inter alia:— The membership shows an increase of 108 for the year. During the year the council met on three occasions, during February, June and October,, and these meetings occupied four days. The Executive, Investigation and Finance Committee have held several meetings during the year, and this committee has dgalt with business requiring attention between council meetings. Meetings of the Education Committee have also been held. The members of the above committees are as follows: Executive, Investigation, and Finance. —The president, the vicepresident, Messrs J. W. Smeaton (Otago), C. H. Wynyard (Taranaki), S. E. Lambert, W. H. Nankervis and F. H. Bass (Wellington), R. English (South Auckland), and E. D. Wilkinson (Auckland). Education.—The president, the vice-president, .Messrs D. H. Steen (Auckland), G. W. Reid and W. R. Brown (Otago), C. H. Wynyard (Taranaki), W. A. Smith (Canterbury), and F. H. Bass (Wellington). The twenty-seventh annual _ examinations, covering the professional subjects of the society’s examinations, were conducted by the University of New Zealand on behalf of the society during November last, 4015 candidates sitting for the various subjects of the examination, but as some of these candidates are taking other courses, such as banking or insurance, or are sitting for a University Certificate of Proficiency, it cannot be assumed that the total number are prospective candidates for membership of the 'society. One hundred and sixty-seven candidates completed the full course and are eligible to make application for membership of the society. The accounts of the Benevolent Fund show credits to the capital account of £ 8977 3s 2d, and to the income account of £1262 3s sd, a total of £10,239 6s 7d. Several meetings of the Benevolent Fund Board of Control have been held during the year to deal with new applications for assistance and to review the existing grants. The senate of the University ot New Zealand at its meeting held in January last approved of amendments to the society’s syllabus of examination and these amendments will be effective at the examination to be held during November, 1933. The principal alterations are as under:—(a) The prescription for the subject of bookkeeping and accounts (stage I) will be extended; (b) there will be three papers in bookkeeping and accounts (stage III); (c) the subjects of trustees and bankruptcy will be combined in one paper; (d) the subject of economics will be deleted from the syllabus; (e) there will be a new subject entitled secretarial law and practice. Your council set up a special subcommittee which reported on desirable amendments to f>he Land and Income Tax Act, and this report has'

been forwarded to the Government. During the year all branch libraries have been extended by the purchase of additional books and a special committee has been set up to keep in touch with publications affecting the profession and to make recommendations to the council regarding further purchases. Improvements have been made in the matter supplied through the Accountants’ Journal, and special features have been incorporated which should be of benefit to members in the daily practice. During the year Mr P. B. Foote, representative on the council for the South Canterbury district, tendered his resignation and Mr A. J. AJiport was elected in his stead. In accordance with the regulations of the society the following members of the council retire: —Auckland, Mr J. M. Elliffe; Hawke’s Bay, Mr M. 3. Spence; Wellington, Mr S. E. Lambert; Canterbury, Mr >W. A. Smith; Otago, Mr J. W. Smeaton; Southland, Mr J. B. Reid. Of the foregoing only Messrs Spence and Reid offer themselves for re-election, and both have been re-elected unopposed. The following nominations have been received for the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago districts:— . Auckland. —Messrs A. W. Christmas, L. W, Holt, and V. Kirk. Wellington.—Messrs G. J. J. Feil, L. H. Heslop, and A. Marshall. Canterbury. Messrs W. H. Nicholls and C. H. Perkins. Otago.—Messrs W. J. Bardsley and H. H. Sykes. The income and expenditure account for the 12 months shows an excess of income over expenditure of £1255 6s lid, and the accumulated fund now stands at £8505 Is 6d.