FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING A Distillation of Experience by v 4 - GEORGE O. MAY Formerly senior partner, Price, Waterhouse Co., Certified Public Accountants lecturer at the Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University NEW YORK THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1946 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. All rights reserved no part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in magazine or newspaper. Reprinted December, 1947 Reprinted May, 1949 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF A1CVUCA In this volume the American Institute of Account ants is commonly referred to as the Institute, the American Accounting Association as the Associa tion, and the National Association of Railroad and Utilities Commissioners as the NARUC. Foreword FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING is now generally recognized as be ing primarily historical in character and as having for its most important function the extraction and presentation of the essence of the financial experience of businesses, so that decisions affecting the present and the future may be taken in the light of the past. The rules of accounting, even more than those of law, are the product of experience rather than of logic. Similarly, this book is an attempt to extract and present the essence of an experience in financial accounting in the hope that it may be helpful to those called upon to deal with the problems of the future. It is not the result of a study and appraisal of authorities, and the views that are expressed are those of its author alone indeed, publication has been delayed until formal ties and official positionswhich might have been deemed, to imply more than a personal responsibility for them have been relinquished. In part, it is based on lectures delivered at the Graduate School of Busi ness Administration of Harvard University and papers writ ten for other purposes since 1936. A few passages have been reproduced from the volume which those who were then partners, with generous insight, prepared in that year to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the authors assumption of senior partnership. The writing of such a book seemed to be justified by the fact that the experience on which it is based extended over a period of exceptional interest and was enriched by close association with men of eminence here and abroad, not only vii viii FOREWORD in accounting but in government, business, finance, law, and economics. The obligation owed to those who have con tributed to that experience is great, but can be expressed to them here only collectively. Grateful recognition must, however, be given to the guidance, friendship, and inspiration of Arthur Lowes Dickinson, who by his abilities, his writings, and above all, by his example, earned an outstanding place among the independent accountants of America, to whom this book is gratefully dedicated. Contents CHAPTER PAGE I. THE NATURE OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING ... i II. THE USES OF ACCOUNTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON ACCOUNTING 14 HI. ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND POSTULATES ... 37 IV. HISTORICAL 51 V. COST AND VALUE 86 VI. COST 108 VII. DEPRECIATION 118 VIII. DEPRECIATION AND REGULATION SINCE 1918 . . 130 IX. DEPRECIATION METHODS DEPLETION INTANGIBLES 145 X. INVENTORIES AND COMMITMENTS ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE 172 XL LIABILITIES v 191 XII. INCOME 215 XIII. FORMS OFSTATEMENTS 240 XIV. ACCOUNTING AND REGULATION 254 GENERAL INDEX 267 CASES CITED 273 IX FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING A Distillation of Experience

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING A Distillation of Experience by v 4 - GEORGE O. MAY Formerly senior partner, Price, Waterhouse Co., Certified Public Accountants lecturer at the Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University NEW YORK THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1946 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. All rights reserved no part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in magazine or newspaper. Reprinted December, 1947 Reprinted May, 1949 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF A1CVUCA In this volume the American Institute of Account ants is commonly referred to as the Institute, the American Accounting Association as the Associa tion, and the National Association of Railroad and Utilities Commissioners as the NARUC. Foreword FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING is now generally recognized as be ing primarily historical in character and as having for its most important function the extraction and presentation of the essence of the financial experience of businesses, so that decisions affecting the present and the future may be taken in the light of the past. The rules of accounting, even more than those of law, are the product of experience rather than of logic. Similarly, this book is an attempt to extract and present the essence of an experience in financial accounting in the hope that it may be helpful to those called upon to deal with the problems of the future. It is not the result of a study and appraisal of authorities, and the views that are expressed are those of its author alone indeed, publication has been delayed until formal ties and official positionswhich might have been deemed, to imply more than a personal responsibility for them have been relinquished. In part, it is based on lectures delivered at the Graduate School of Busi ness Administration of Harvard University and papers writ ten for other purposes since 1936. A few passages have been reproduced from the volume which those who were then partners, with generous insight, prepared in that year to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the authors assumption of senior partnership. The writing of such a book seemed to be justified by the fact that the experience on which it is based extended over a period of exceptional interest and was enriched by close association with men of eminence here and abroad, not only vii viii FOREWORD in accounting but in government, business, finance, law, and economics. The obligation owed to those who have con tributed to that experience is great, but can be expressed to them here only collectively. Grateful recognition must, however, be given to the guidance, friendship, and inspiration of Arthur Lowes Dickinson, who by his abilities, his writings, and above all, by his example, earned an outstanding place among the independent accountants of America, to whom this book is gratefully dedicated. Contents CHAPTER PAGE I. THE NATURE OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING ... i II. THE USES OF ACCOUNTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON ACCOUNTING 14 HI. ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND POSTULATES ... 37 IV. HISTORICAL 51 V. COST AND VALUE 86 VI. COST 108 VII. DEPRECIATION 118 VIII. DEPRECIATION AND REGULATION SINCE 1918 . . 130 IX. DEPRECIATION METHODS DEPLETION INTANGIBLES 145 X. INVENTORIES AND COMMITMENTS ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE 172 XL LIABILITIES v 191 XII. INCOME 215 XIII. FORMS OFSTATEMENTS 240 XIV. ACCOUNTING AND REGULATION 254 GENERAL INDEX 267 CASES CITED 273 IX FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING A Distillation of Experience