A Puzzle in Book-keeping.
[277.] A firm appointed an agent to do business on their account, and gave him £32 17s. in cash for expenses, &c., and also supplied him with a stock of goods, the value wholesale being £57 14s.; while in a distant town he bought a job lot of goods for £59 19s., which he paid cash for out of what he had realised on his first stock. He still continued to sell, but very soon after the firm called him in, and desired him to close his account and hand in a full statement.
His total retail sales amounted to £102 17s., and he returned goods to the value of £31 17s., his expenses had been £25.
Question—What does the firm owe the agent, or the agent owe the firm?
The Agent’s Statement Being—
| Cash | £ 32 | 17 |
| Goods | 57 | 14 |
| Paid for Goods | 59 | 19 |
| Cash Sales | 102 | 17 |
| Goods Returned | 31 | 17 |
| Expenses | 25 | 0 |
This puzzle first appeared in “How to Become Quick at Figures,” the answer being withheld. It is a record of transactions that actually occurred in America, which were the subject of litigation. Although we received thousands of replies, not more than 5 per cent. were correct. It is a question that individuals not conversant with book-keeping would be as likely to solve correctly as the expert. For the convenience of those who are unacquainted with American money we have been obliged to substitute £ s. d., and would advise our readers to attempt a solution before referring to the answer.