Abstract The purpose of this article is to describe the U.S. War Department account classification and to show the use made of each element of the code, as of July 1947. It must be remembered that the War Department comprises only one component of the U.S. government and, consequently, must necessarily follow accounting procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of the Budget and the U.S. Treasury Department. At the same time it must prepare its accounts to suit the eagle eye of the U.S. General Accounting Office which is to audit the accounts of the approximately twelve hundred army disbursing officers. Consequently, War Department account classification is a result of normal federal procedure plus additions required by operating conditions within the department. The complete classification explained in this article is designed to provide a basis for budgeting, accounting and reporting, designating accountability and responsibility, and exercising managerial control over finances. Each transaction of the U.S. government is related to some one fund of which there are three major categories, namely, the general fund, special funds and trust funds.

Abstract This article focuses on the recent accounting publications by the U.S. Government. Some of the published books are "Municipal Budget Procedure and Budgetary Accounting," "Work Measurement in the City of Los Angeles Building and Safety Departments," "Governmental Cost Accounting in the Los Angeles Area" and "Cost Accounting and Work Measurement in the Federal Government." Most of the text is devoted to a discussion of budgeting for the general fund. However, budgeting for the other usual municipal funds is treated briefly with a three page discussion being given to capital budgeting in the first book. General fund budgeting is presented in the traditional three phases, namely, preparation, adoption, and execution. In the three chapters devoted to budget preparation the importance of the work program as being the basis of expenditure estimates is well brought out. A model work program is presented in the appendix. Most works on budgeting recommend the "accrual basis." Others advocate the "cash basis." This bulletin not only describes detailed procedures under both of the traditional bases but presents a very practical method of budgeting revenues on a "cash basis" and expenditures on an "accrual basis."

Reviews the book "Municipal and Governmental Accounting," by Carl H. Chatters and Irving Tenner.

Abstract The art of accounting including cost accounting, consists primarily of accounting methods which may be described as procedures or practices. However, a comprehensive statement of cost accounting necessitates that one look behind the accounting methods and see upon what ground the whole system of cost accounting is constructed. Cost accounting concepts, as well as concepts of general accounting, may be divided into two groups: first, those ideas having to do with the nature and purpose to the organization which cost accounting. is to serve; second, those ideas as to the purpose and function of cost accounting in rendering its services to the organization. Cost accounting consists of those phases of accounting in general which have to do with the classification and assignment of costs to centers of operation, to product units, and to portions of the revenue stream. In addition it includes the reporting of all types of cost information. Within its scope are the accounting techniques which seek to determine the over all periodic net income of the business firm as well as the portions of that income derived from divisions, departments, product lines, or other subdivisions of the business enterprise.