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The period 1835-1935 saw the development of the structure of local government which remains broadly intact today and also the growth of modern financial reporting procedures. This book examines the accounting implications of these developments and places them within the social and organisational contexts in which the events took place. The research is based on the contents of government reports, contemporary literature dating from the mid 1870s and the archival records of five municipal corporations ΓÇô Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff and Manchester.

In the UK today the form and content of accounts published by limited companies are closely regulated. In the 19th century the position was different: the popular view was that such matters were for private negotiation between owners and management. Nevertheless, there was a great deal of discussion of the need for regulations, which were actually imposed in a number of areas. This book provides readers with the essence of the many debates that took place, the conclusions reached and the action taken to regulate company accounts.

The book contains a collection of papers dealing with a range of controversial accounting issues which exercised the minds of local authority officials during the period 1909-1934 and the "solutions" embodied in the Accounts (Boroughs and Metropolitan Boroughs) Regulations 1930. The contributors to the debate were mainly local government officials and the items reproduced cover a wide range of matters such as the content of the abstract accounts; the need for standardization and an illuminating comparison of the nature and contents of municipal accounts with those of limited companies. A number of issues which received close attention from the literature during the early part of the present century were related to the growth of municipal trading undertakings (water, gas, tramways and electricity). The pricing of these services was a matter of considerable debate; questions included whether these services should be priced to generate a profit, break-even or receive a subsidy from the rates. The depreciation question and the related issues of loan periods and the need for a sinking fund receive some attention as do the growing concern of municipal debt.

Of the nine articles reprinted in this volume originally published in 1984, those by Ladelle, Hotelling and Anton are recognized as being the classic articles on the depreciation of a single `machine¿. Each of these articles was published in a journal that is often not accessible and reprinted here has brought them together in one place. For many years accountants have dealt with depreciation and capital maintenance as a static problem. This volume recognizes its dynamic aspects.

This book gives a flavour of the issues that concerned auditing practitioners more than one hundred years ago and which retain a certain relevance to us today. The material is arranged chronologically and thereby emphasizes the interconnections between the issues as well as conveying the overall depth and flavour of the debate.

Although each of the pieces included in this collection has been cited as an outstanding contribution to the literature on the subject, they are not available in most libraries. Each of them is a classic on the theory of double-entry bookkeeping. Of the nine articles reprinted in this volume originally published in 1984, those by Ladelle, Hotelling and Anton are recognized as being the classic articles on the depreciation of a single ΓÇÿmachineΓÇÖ. Each of these articles was published in a journal that is often not accessible and reprinted here has brought them together in one place. For many years accountants have dealt with depreciation and capital maintenance as a static problem. This volume recognizes its dynamic aspects.

Published between 1965 and 1985 the papers in this collection address the problem of using accounting data to estimate the economic rate of return. The search for a solution to this problem has been an important episode in the history of accounting thought. The papers reprinted in this volume are the foundation of this intellectual effort. Ten articles and six notes and comments are reprinted here. Seven of the papers were published in UK journals and the rest in US publications. Bringing them together in one book will facilitate research on this important subject.

This volume brings together noteworthy articles in accounting. Some of the pieces existed in journals, but many were commissioned specifically for this volume. They fill gaps in the usual text-books, gaps that are particularly glaring where concepts are at issue. Among other things the articles cover: depreciation dividend law social accounting value and income inflation