The Gazette 1919-20

The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.

[DECEMBER, 1919

12

He was thankful to say there were some members of the profession who would see to it that the memory of the glorious dead would be perpetuated in a manner worthy of their great sacrifice. When he last addressed them the Barristers and Solicitors (Qualification of Women) Bill was before Parliament, and had passed the House of Lords, and he then indicated the attitude of the Council on the subject. Since that time the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Bill had been introduced and passed through both Houses of Parliament, and the only question now open was the question of women taking their places as Peeresses in the House of Lords. Under Section 1 of this Act, women would become entitled to practice as Solicitors or as Bar risters as well as in any other civil profession, so that the hope that he expressed on the last occasion had now almost become an accomplished fact, and he had no doubt that the members of the pro fession would extend to women a hearty welcome. As regards the Acquisition of Land (Assessment) Bill, and Local Govern ment (Ireland) Bill, the amendments the Council succeeded in having inserted in these Bills were of vital importance to the pro fession, particularly to country members, whose interests the Council were always on the alert ,to protect, securing in the case of the first mentioned Bill a right of audience at inquiries in respect of the acquisition of land for public purposes, such as the many housing schemes now under consideration all over the country; and in the Local Govern ment Act, making the office of standing Solicitor to a local authority a pensionable office. These amendments were not secured without a great deal of hard work and close attention to the proceedings in Parliament, and they were certainly very much indebted to Captain Craig, M.P., and Mr. Harbison, M.P., both members of the profession, and to other members of Parliament named in the report, for their services in the matter. The present scale of fees was to remain in force for six months after the termination of war. The date of termination of war was to be fixed by an Order in Council, which had not been issued. There could be no doubt that since the present scale was fixed there had been a large increase in the cost of living and

At the Half-yearly Meeting he referred to the death of Mr. Trevor Overend and to his generous bequest to the Society. He now mentioned that the scheme had been drafted for the regulation of the Scholarship which he endowed, particulars of which would be published in due course, but there would not be any Scholarships awarded until the examinations for the year 1920 had been concluded, when the proficiency displayed during the year at the Preliminary and Final Examinations would be considered. They had had an uneventful year. The finances of the Society were in a more satisfactory state, and snowed a considerable improvement since last year. The number of members was slightly less. The Society during the past year had done, and it would continue to do, good work in the interest of the profession, notwithstanding the fact that a considerable number of Solicitors had not thought it worth their while to become members. There was now before them a complete record of the numbers of Solicitors and Apprentices who did their duty to their country during the war, and the list of honours showed that the members of the profession did their part nobly and well. That brought him to the subject of the War Memorial, and he confessed that it was with a feeling of shame that he referred to it. When he addressed them at the Half-yearly Meeting in May last a sum of about £275 had been subscribed, and he then asked that subscriptions should be sent in at once, so that they might proceed with the work without delay. The amount since received was about £50, the total number of con tributors being 317, of whom only about 300 were practising Solicitors. There were 1,550 practising Solicitors on the Roll in Ireland, and 800 members of the Society, so that, roughly speaking, only one-fifth of the mem bers of the profession, or one-third of the members of the Society, had considered the memory of their gallant brethren worthy of a token of respect and regard. This was not creditable to the profession ; but he was not going to appeal for funds ; this was a matter on which a man's heart and conscience must tell him what to do. That Memorial would be erected. The amount of subscription asked for in the circular issued last March was limited to the small sum of one guinea.