“STATE SALARY EXPECTED”

Northern Advocate, 12 October 1934, Page 8

“STATE SALARY EXPECTED”

A SEQUEL OF THE SLUMP. Frequently nowadays in advertisements for typists and clerks, and even for members of professions, one may see. the words “state salary expected” —an order which implies that the advertiser is inviting tenders for the position. This matter came up at a recent meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Society of, Accountants, when it was considering. the following, section of a revised code of professional ethics; — “A request, to tender for an audit or other professional work, or to submit a quotation in competition with another member, for the carrying out of professional work, or to accept a fee or remuneration the. amount of which is to be contingent on a member’s findings or the results thereof, should be declined. “Generally speaking, fees should be fixed according to the amount of work, time and responsibility involved, and a client is reasonably entitled to be furnished with an estimate of the cost of any work or a fixed quotation for the fees to be charged, or a member may accept a fixed remuneration offered by a client if the member is of opinion that the remuneration is adequate and reasonable. The society has issued a standard scale of fees for the guidance of members.” It was stated that certain companies, iti which the secretarial position required proficiency in accountancy, were trying to lower fair standards of salary. Councillors remarked that members of the society could not be parties to schemes for undercutting a member in an existing position, but when a new position was on offer members should co-operate among themselves to prevent unfair exploitation. It would not be possible to frame a rule which could apply satisfactorily to all such cases.