PROPERLY QUALIFIED AC COUNTANTS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 6 September 1880, Page 2

PROPERLY QUALIFIED AC COUNTANTS.

The attempt which is to be made, da - ing the session of Parliament, to obtain for accountants in England a recognised legal status, is a step in the right direction, and one which we trust may meet wi'h snccess. A Bill has been deposited in the House of Commons by the Society of Accountants in England, for their incor* poration as a body corporate, the main object of the 13iil being to secure, if pos« sible, a technical definition of the term • accouni ant,' and the prevention of improperly qualified persons assuming the title. If the society should succeed in their objects, all persons desirous of acting as accountants would only be per* raitted to do so in accordance with rules and regulations to be laid down, and under the general supervision of the society, which could not foil to have a healthy influence. The difficulty that will arise will consist principally in defining what constitutes an accountant, and the promoters of the Bill will be fortunate if they induce Parliament to lay down a legal definition of the term. Accountants, properly so called, in Scot* land, were incorporated many years aao and at the time of tL'eir incorpation they en learoared to haye the word'accountant 'confined to members of their societ;-. The Legislature, however, declined to allow the restriction asked for, and in Scotland, as in England, any person can call himself an accountan' ; but the members of the incorporated society of Scotland may add the letters C.A, (Waning ' chartered accountant 'J to their names, a privilege which those who are not mem' ers of the body corporate are not permitted to enjoy. This, we imagine, w 11 be all that the English society will be able to o!>l=n'n; but should they induce the Lfsishlure to grunt them still further nosers in relation to the supervision of a \ persons who practise the calling of accountant, so much the better. In re» cent years the number of accountants in England has been largely increased by persons who are not only thoroughly in-« competent to exercise their calling, but who, by their improper and dishonorable conduct, have brought no little discredit on the" general body of the profession; and if it should be found practicable to carry out the proposals of the society as regards English accountants, such persons would be very properly prevented from exercising an important calling, for which they are both morally and intellectually unfitted. The main obstacle to the accomplishment of the society's object will be a proper definition of the term * ac» countant.' If that is surmounted, there seems no reason why the society should not be incorporated in the way proposed,

and accountants placed under a supervision and discipline similar to that exem cised over members of both brunches of the Lpgal Profession by the varioa3/Inns of Court, and the Incorporated Law Society. Should this supervision of ac» countants be secured, an immense advantage to the general public will ensue.— Law Times.