Constructive criticism;

              ATLANTA HASKINS & SELLS BALTIMORE PHILADELPHIA
BOSTON CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS PITTSBURGH
PORTLAND
BUFFALO SAINT LOUIS
CHICAGO SALT LAKE CITY
CINCINNATI BULLETIN SAN FRANCISCO
CLEVELAND DALLAS SEATTLE TULSA
DENVER WATERTOWN
DETROIT KANSAS CITY
LOS ANGELES
MINNEAPOLIS HAVANA
LONDON
PARIS
NEW ORLEANS EXECUTIVE OFFICES SHANGHAI
NEW YORK HASKINS & SELLS BUILDING 37 WEST 39TH ST.. NEW YORK
VOL. V NEW YORK, MAY 15, 1922 No. 5
Constructive Criticism
THE public accountant who is sensitive
to criticism may well look about for
some other field of endeavor. Irrespective
of his high ideals and desire to approach
perfection, it is inconceivable that he may
come into contact with all types of persons
and minds and all sorts of conditions, both
familiar and unfamiliar, without meriting
criticism of one kind or another.
Destructive criticism is mean and low
and tends to discourage. There is no
place for such criticism in the affairs of
the busy world of today. Constructive
criticism, on the contrary, should be stimu­lating
and welcome. How may the public
accountant learn wherein he fails to satisfy
clients and others with whom he comes in
contact unless someone takes the trouble
to point out to him his mistakes in judg­ment,
understanding, and vision?
During the past year, a number of
bankers and bank credit men have criti­cised
public accountants, sharply at times,
with respect to their professional reports
on which bankers have come to rely in
making loans. Whether or not the ac­countant
is at fault, has no place in the
discussion. If the bankers are dissatisfied
with accountants' reports, and take the
trouble to bring specific cases frankly to
the attention of the accountants, it should
be sufficient cause for consideration with­out
giving rise to any sense of pique or
sensitiveness in the matter. Quite the
contrary; such criticism, being constructive,
should be received in the spirit in which it
is offered, and calls for whole-hearted
effort on the part of the accountant to do
whatever lies in his power to correct the
situation.
It may be regretted that the public
accountant did not see the light before
the banker found it necessary to raise these
questions. But the situation having arisen
it appears that the accountant should wel­come
the opportunity to cooperate with the
banking representatives in improving the
relation to which bankers and accountants
are parties.
One of the traditional difficulties in
serving bankers has been that of ascer­taining
just what in the way of information
was desired by the bankers. They have
now given voice freely, frankly, and
specifically, not once, but on several oc­casions;
not only as individuals, but