Abstract This article focuses on some historical notes on executorship reporting. For almost eight centuries before 1857 the distribution of real property of a decedent had been under the jurisdiction of civil courts. The decedent's wishes as to the disposition of his real property were expressed in a document called a "will." Executors in England during most of the eight-century period under discussion seem, in general, to have prepared their accounts in narrative form. Two fifteenth century executors' statements are particularly interesting as examples of the evolution of reporting technique. The first, that of the estate of Bishop Skirlaw, who died in 1406, presents the inventory and report in narrative form with no clear separation between the two documents. No money columns are used, nor is there much grouping of like items, although the late bishop had been immensely wealthy and left a long will full of detailed directions as to the duties of the executors. Accounting histories say that double entry bookkeeping was introduced into England in the sixteenth century and the preparation of statements from ledger accounts was introduced in the seventeenth century.

Abstract The article focuses on the concept of profit planning. Business profits can ye planned with a reasonable degree of success. The objective of profit plan is to maximize the long run financial health of the enterprise. Profit planning implies the predetermination of objectives and the preparation of plans to meet those objectives. Budgeting often involves only a representation of what the results will be if present plans and policies are carried out in the forecasted economic climate. Profit planning, like budgeting, extends to all phases of producing, selling, and financing activity for the coming period and it anticipates needs beyond operations for the coming period through means of the capital expenditures plan. A very popular means for expressing the financial objectives of profit-seeking businesses is the return on investment. Profit planning involves setting long range corporate objective, and determining means of achieving them. A very popular means for expressing the financial objectives of profit-seeking businesses is the return on investment.

Abstract The traditional form of the charge and discharge statement based on the practices of the Surrogate's Court of the County of New York has been presented in accounting texts for over fifty years. This manner of presentation has given three generations of accounting students the impression that this form is appropriate for use by executors and administrators throughout the United States. An evaluation of the form, however, indicates that it does not meet requirements common to the majority of states. A further evaluation of the form indicates that it does not pass the tests of a good accounting report either. The disposition of any other item in the inventory would be as difficult to ascertain from a charge and discharge statement as was that of the bonds. It is also apparent that in many states this form of report would be unacceptable because it does not contain a statement of the receipts and disbursements of estate cash. Even though this form of report is deficient in these respects, it does meet or exceed the requirements of most states in that it contains listings of both beginning and ending inventories of estate assets.

Abstract In the November, 1945, issue of the "Journal of Accountancy," Emanuel Sax described "An Improved Form of Summary Statement for Fiduciaries." In that article Dr. Saxe pointed out many deficiencies in the charge and discharge form of executors' account in use in the Surrogate's Court of the County of New York. Although the charge and discharge statement has been presented to three generations of accounting students by almost every text published in the United States in the last six decades as the "customary" form or the "most suitable" form of executors' report, Dr. Saxe is one of the few writers who has devoted any critical attention to it or to other forms of executors' reports. Every state has certain statutory provisions pertaining to reports of executors and administrators. Additionally, statutes are usually implemented by rules and orders of the courts of jurisdiction. No matter how peculiar some of these legal restrictions may seem to an accountant and no matter how superior he may feel another form of report to be, he must prepare executor's reports in the form required by the statutes and court of jurisdiction.

Abstract Reviews the book "Reporting of Service Efforts and Accomplishments," by Paul K. Brace, Robert Elkin, Daniel D. Robinson, and Harold I. Steinberg.

Abstract The article presents a report on teaching methods and programmed instructions in the U.S. During the past few years, in the process of continuing search to discover means for increasing instructional efficiency and for developing new materials to cope with the rapidly expanding demands for additional education and training by a burgeoning number of learners, the experimentation and development of programed learning has received the attention of educators and training directors across the country. Programed instruction has found wide-spread usage in industry and in the armed forces in various aspects of training for specific assignments or tasks, in which predetermined performance levels or behavioral patterns had been established. In numerous situations in both education and industry, programed instruction has proved to be effective, and under some circumstances more so than conventional methods. However, at this time research findings, especially at the college level, are totally inadequate to serve as a basis for making decisions on the adoption of programed learning for use throughout any specific course or program.