THE CITY TREASURERSHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14700, 7 December 1909, Page 10

THE CITY TREASURERSHIP.

r If' n- 800 ,, Committee ol the City Corporation hits recommended that applications be invited for tho nosition of city treasurer, at- a salary of £500 per annum, preference to bo given io appli-cants-.holding an accountant's examination certificate. Will you permit 1110 to express the opinion that, although tho object, underlying the latter restriction is. no doubt, a worthy one, the restriction itself 15 injudicious, and likely to defeat its own «mj? A large proportion of our commorci;u'accountants, and practicality tho Avholo of our public accountants, hold certificates, qutte apart from their registration as members of tho recently-formed Society of Accountiints; but tho majority of them havo not, I think, sat for an examination. Amongst their number arc men of undoubted Capacity as accountants, wido commercial knowledge, and possessed of organising and administrative ability of the highest order: just the class of men from whom— because of their long experience in all matters _ pertaining to accountancy—tho future city trcasiuvr should be selected. If, however, it is intimated that preference will bo given to other applicants, tlicn, of course, the men to whom I have referred will withhold their applications. Tho result will Im that tho council's clioioo will lis practically limited to applicants who have passed their examination—men of ability, no doubt, but men who. as things stand at present, are scarcely likely to have had the necessary practical experience iu commercial and municipal accounts, and in tho control of large oflioo staffs. 1 say "as things stand at present," bccauso it* the courso of a few years it will be an easy matter to find .porsons 'having plenty of experience, and yet holding examination certificates; but ar. prcsmf, 'it is pretty well a question of choosing between the two. Thero may, of course, be exceptions; bur, speaking generally, those holding tho certificates recommended by the Finance Commit tee are men who have studied hard' and passed their examinations, but who who aro not likely to possess, a.s yet, the qualifications required for the adequate fulfilment of the duties attaching to tho position of city treasurer. To give 11 specific example of what I mean, one might refer to the three gentlemen recently selected, by ballot, to represent. O'ago on tho Council o£ tho Mew Zealand Society of Accountants. Each of these men, selected because of their known capabilities, holds well-earned certificates as Fellows of cither tho New Zealand Accountants and Auditors' Association or the Institute of Accountants: but not or.o of (.he thrco, I believe, holds tho certificate which the council is asked to prefer. As I havo said, there may be exceptions, ami it may be possible to securo a, man who has studied and passed an examination, and who is also possessed of tho varied experience anil many qualities necessary for this mcst responsible position'; but if wo have to offer as high a salary as £500 a year—and if wo are to avoid a further reorganisation later 011.—then the 0110 essential thing is to procure tho very best man obtainable, and it certainly seems as if the present proposition will unnecessarily restrict the council in its choice.—l am, etc., AV. Mooitu, F.N.Z.A.A., Keg. Acct. Duncdin, December