The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-03-10

XAG& bookkeeper. Well, what
>&NAZNI\ about an accountant?
~ You don't know about
that exactly? You're afraid
eh, that that's fob not nuch bet
ter than that of bookkeeper?
Well, then, listen while I tell you
briefly about the apotheosis of the for
mer unimportant bookkeepcr under
the title of accountant. And first give
heed to the following excerpt from a
university prospectus, Introducing q
talk on it's course in accountancy.
Twenty years ago." It says, most
business concerns Of this country
were satisfied if their bookkeepers
could render to them 1t the close of
each month an accurate statement of
cash income and cash outgo, and could
make up at the end of the year bal
ance sheet which would show the true
condition of their affairs. In other
words, they asked for nothing more
than record of results
To-day. the managers of progress
sive and successful concerns call upon
accountants-not bookkeepers-to aid
them in the efficient administration of
their business. They demand of the
accountant that he show them the
true cost of every product that they
turn out; that he measure the eff
cheney of the men and machines that
they employ; that he trace the effect
upon profits of new methods and in
ventions. In short, the accountant is
expected to analyze the business and
to measure accurately all the forces
and factors that are engaged therein.
ITO perform this work successfully,
the accountant must not only under
stand all the complicated interlocking
records Of the business, he must have
a grasp also Of all the essential feat
ures Of it's management, and must be
himself an administrator of high
order. Public accountants particular
ly,-;nasmuch as they may be called
on to install or reorganize accounting
systems in any line Of business
must have wide and accurate knowl-
edge of business organizations, &C
finance, and of economies, as we'll as
Of accounting proper.
Now let me quote summary Of the
high place in modern affairs the for
1nerly unimportant bookkeeper has
reached: THE public accountant is
expected to have knowledge Of the
underlying principles of the laws that
govern business relations and Of the
practical application of such laws, a
thorough knowledge of the principles
Of modern accounting and Of their
scientific application to the keeping
and stating of accounts in all lines of
business enterprise and wherever set.
Elements involving money are to be
made. He is expected to be able to
solve the most abstruse and intricate
problems that arise in any branch of
accounting; and, as an auditor, he Is
expected to have a broad general
knowledge Of business. with the in
tuition of the detective as we'll as the
skill of the accountant"
Well, when casting about for the
lifework for your boy, and he shows
a liking for "fggers" and business
analysis, don't stick up your nose al
any ideas of bookkeeping as you re-
member it; but let him go on, sure in
the knowledge thai he is starting on
road that leads straight into the
highest and most lucrative positions
in any and all lines of commerce. II
Is no exaggeration to say that many
many managers OF the bigger bust
nesses Of the country today were ear
ly in their lives running up columns
Of figures at bookkeepers desk.
Like most lines of enisavor, &C
countancy is not line thar requires
college education as preliminary;
indeed. your boy may start in almost
any time after his infancy in the un
hallowed job Of office boy, secure in
his confidence that the handle of the
world can be manipulated from tina,
beginning if he only has ambition and
application. Office boys generally re
ceive 81 or S. a week
AS soon as he Starts in this humble
place, however, your boy should &c,
to work learning things that he viii
not be taught in The ordinary details
of his employment; for his usefulness:
will depend upon his increasing his
efficiency and earning more than ne i
paid There is no branch of actIvit:
that offers greater facilities to the
energetic young man anxious to nd
vance; for the country is full G:
schools giving day and evenins
courses of study in business, rangins
from special courses in the public
/ schools and those costing very little
! in the Y. NJ. c. AS, to the more al
| vanced university courses in accouu
fancy that require previous prepara
ton equivalent to a four years hicl
school course and end in the degret
Of Bachelor of Commercial Science.
Your boys special work at evenins
school or outside study will include
bookkeeping, commercial arithmetic
| penmanship, business letter writing
| business forms, commercial geo
graphy, and the elements Of CONNER
cial law, and stenography and typs
writing will also be found useful, !;
he has time to take it up. Soon afte3
completing this course, which Will re