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(C) Organized and held lectures bud discussions on matters pertaining to Accountancy, and on legal and
other subjects.
(d) Established a Students' Society for training candidates for entry into the profession of Accountancy.
(c) Establislu Libraries in London and the provinces for the use of members.
Compiled and published a Year Book of the Society.
(g) Published & Quarterly Journal known as "The Associated Accountants' Journal,”
(4) Established a Benevolent Fund for the relief of necessitons members.
(7) Organized and held meetings and social functions for the bringing together of the members for their
mutual benefit and advantage and the interchange of ideas.
() Generally aimed at advancing the interests of the profession of Accountant and rendering membership
of the Association a guarantee of ability and integrity.
The membership of the Central Association, consisting at the present time of 930 members, has been secured by individual necession only, and not by the absorption of numerous small District and Foreign Societies, as is the case with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors.
(4) Scottish and Irish Societies.
As the proposed Bill mentions and affects three Scottish Societies of Accountants and one Irish Society, a few observations are necessary as to the origin of these Societies and the profession of Accountancy in the countries named.
Societies of accountants were established in Scotland many years before any organization of the profession had taken place in England.
(1) The first Society to be formed in Scotland, was the Institute of Accountants in Edinburgh, in the year 1853, with the object of uniting into one body persons practising accountancy in Edinburgh. Royal warrant for the incorporation of the Institute by Royal Charter, was given on the 23rd October, 1854.
(a) The Institute of Accountants and Actuaries in Glasgow, was formed in 1853. Royal warrant for the incorporation of the Institute by Royal Charter, was given on the 15th March, 1855.
(3) The Society of Accountants in Aberdeen was formed and incorporated by Royal Charter in the year 1867. In the year 1872, these three Societies entered into an Agreement, constituting a General Examination Board, and assimilated their rules relating to admission of members. This step practically effected the affiliation of the Chartered Accountants of Scotland, at the same time leaving each Society free to administer its own funds and manage its own internal affairs.
Admission can now only be obtained after a full term of service under Articles with a Scottish Chartered Accountant, and after attendance at certain University Law Classes. The examinations are thres in number: Preliminary, Intermediate and Final
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland is a small Society which was incorporated in the year 1888 with 31 members.
(5) Growth of the Profession.
The growth of the profession during the past 100 years can be judged by a comparison of the number of accountants whose names appear in the London Directories during that period. It was pointed out by Sir Albert K. Rollit, in his speech as Chairman at the Annual Dinner of the Central Association of Accountants, in 1908, that the London Directory of 1799 contained the name of but one accountant that of 1809, four accountants and that of 1822, seventy-three accountants,
There are ninety-nine accountants in Pigot Co.'s London and Provincial Directory for 1826.
107 in the London P.0. Directory for 1840.
264
1850.
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310
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1860.
467
1870.
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1883.
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And in last year's issue, the names of upwards of 1,400 accountants appear.
Fifty years ago, there were but two Societies in existence in the United Kingdom with a membership of a little more than 100.
(6) Attempted Legislation,
From the year 1891 to the present time, twelve Bills (apart from the Bill under consideration), relating to the organization of accountaute, have, mainly on the initiative of the Institute, been introduced into Parliament.
The following is a summary of the former Bills :—
TITLE,
1891 An Act to amend the law relating to Chartered
1892
Accountants.
Do.
1893 To regulate the profession of Accountancy, and to provide for the registration and control of persons acting as Public Accountants.
1893 To amend the law relating to Public Accountants. 1894 To amend the law relating to Accountants,
OBJECT.
To impose a penalty on unauthorized persons
using the title of Chartered Accountant. Similar object.
To provide for registration of all Public AC-
countants.
Do. Do.
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TITLE.
1895 To amend the law relating to Chartered
Accountants.
1895 To amend the law relating to Accountants. 1896
Do.
1896 To complete the organization of the profession of Accountants throughout the United Kingdom,
1397 1898
Do. Do,
1900 To provide for the better organization of Profes
sional Accountants,
OBJECT
To complete the organization of the profession of Chartered Accountants on the same lines as the profession of Solicitors, &c., and to protect the title, Chartered Accountant.
To provide for registration of all Public Accountants,
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
The whole of those Bills had practically the same object and were in effect attempts to create a monopoly for the members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, either solely or in conjunction with the members of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors. Needless to say, none of these Bills made any progress, but the persistence with which they were amended, modified and reintroduced by their promoters was worthy of a better cause.
(7) The Professional Accountants Bill, 1909. Turning now to the Professional Accountants Bill, 1909, promoted jointly by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Society of Accountants and Auditors, its object (like that of its predecessors) is stated to be the organization of the profession of accountancy on the same lines as the learned professions, by establishing a register of qualified accountants in England and Wales and prohibiting any unregistered person from stating or implying that he is a Professional Accountant and undertaking accountancy business for remuneration.
The Bill provides in effect that the persons entitled to registration shall be
(a) All present and future members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and
the Society of Accountants and Auditors.
(5) The members of the before-named three Scottish and one Irish Society who give notice of their
intention to practise in England or Wales,
(All persons, though not members of any Institute or Society, who were in practice in England or
Wales at the passing of the Act, subject to certain reservations,
(d) Any person not entitled as aforesaid who passes the examination prescribed by the Committee to be formed under the Act, and on proof to the satisfaction of the said Committee that he has served under Articles to a Professional Accountant in England or Wales for not less than five years (or in case of graduate of any University in the United Kingdom, for not less than three years), such service having been commenced before the passing of the Act.
A Committee (called the Professional Accountants Register Committee) is proposed to be formed under the Bill consisting of fifteen members, nine to be appointed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, and the remaining six by the Society of Accountants and Auditors. These Societies each have the right to remove any member of the Committee appointed by them and also the right in perpetuity to fill up vacancies in the ranks of the Committeemen appointed by them respectively. The Registrar proposed by the Bill is the Secretary for the time being of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and the Register is to be kept at the office of the Institute.
The Professional Accountants Committee are empowered to make rules with respect to the inspection of the register, the holding of examinations at such timea and on such subjects as they may please, to determine questions relating to the qualification for admission to the register of persons other than members of the Institute and Society, to prescribe fees for examinations and registration. Specific powers are given to the Professional Accountanta Committee to refuse registration in certain cases, including (inter alia) :-
(2) Persons excluded or suspended for membership of the Institute or Society or any other Society
mentioned in the Act.
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(5) Any person who is proved to the satisfaction of the Committee to buvę been guilty of an act or default
discreditable to a Professional Accountant.
(c) Any person following any business or occupation other than that of a Professional Accountant or
some business which, in the opinion of the Committee, is incident thereto or consistent therewith, with certain exceptions.
The Bill contains provisions relating to correction of register, removal and restoration of names by the Committee.
Section 19 prohibits persone falsely describing themselves as members of the Institute or Society, and section 20 provides that:
“ It shall not be lawful for any person registered as a Professional Accountant under this Act and not “being a member of the Institute or the Society, to take or use any fille description or initials by letters " or otherwise indicating that he is a Professional Accountant (other than the title or description of "Professional Accountant) unless such title description or initials be approved by resolution of the "Committee,”
Ever since its incorporation the Institute has put forward the untenable claim that it has the exclusive right to exist as a professional body of accountants in this country, and its desire has ever been to secure for its
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