The Gazette 1940-44

[December, 1941;

The Gazette .of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland

28

Dublin to Cork in eleven hours, but I am told that many -others have been less for– tunate. I have made the journey from Cork to my home town, a distance of just over fifty miles, in six-and-a-half- hours, but again, I do not hold the record. , The position of the Country Solicitor is at present not a happy one! His city brother, is not much better off. Owing to the shortage of petrol there has been a substantial decrease (I was going to say a regrettable decrease) in the number of actions for personal injuries. Land purchase is also dying out. Legal work of every kind has been badly hit by the present unsettled economic situation. When the trouble in this country was at its worst the country solicitors were largely fed with Criminal Injury Applications, and while we will not ask for a return of those days nothing has come to replace the shortage of litigation. As you know this has been the Centenary 3'ear of our Society. We have celebrated it by proceeding to establish a permanent annuity to be administered through our very efficient Benevolent Association. I was hoping, and am still hoping, that we would have a sufficient fund to establish an annuity of £40 a year. We are still a little short of that mark, but with a strcng pull, and a pull all together, we should be in a position to accomplish it. When we do, many a widow and many an orphan will bless the Centenary year of our Society. May I venture an optimistic note as to the prospects of our honoured profession. What the veil of the future may hide is not given to man to know, and the darkest hour is that before the dawn, and may we hope and pray that the dawn of the Legal Profession in Eire will soon break ; Universal peace would bring that ; and may we hope and

30th September, 1941, whic.h. by the Chairman.. .' . , f ••'•'. ,- ., " The Chairman with the consent of the meeting signed the audited accounts of the Society for the year ending 30th April, 1941. The Secretary read the Report of the. Scrutineers of the Ballot for Council, which stated that the following had been returned unopposed as Provincial Delegates: Ulster, John Gillespie; Minister, A. J. Blood-Smyth ; Leinster, W. L. Duggan Connaught, C- E. Callan. That for the thirty-one Ordinary Members of the Council the following had been elected and received the number of votes placed after their respective names : J. Travers \Volfe, 360 ; E. F. Collins, 348 ; Arthur Cox, 347 ; VV. J. Norman, 339; P. F. O'Reilly, 338; H. P. Mayne, 337; T. £. Quirke, 335; J. P. Carrigan, 328; H. St. J. Blake, 328; J. J. Lynch, 327 ; W. S: Hayes, 321 ; S. O'hUad- haigh, 320; L. E. O'Dea, 311; Peter O'Connor, 308 ; P. R/'Boyd, 305 ; M. G. R. Lardner, 295 ; G. A. Overend, 286; D. O'Connell, 286; M. E. Knight, 285; J. R. Brennan, 269; H. O'Donnell, 267: W. Gordon Bradley, 267; E. H. Burne, 265; J. B. Hamill, 254; R. A. Macaulay, 246; J. T- Dunne, 246; John J. Dundon, 242; J. S. O'Connor, 237; C. G. Stapleton, 234; W. S. Huggard, 233 ; T. D. McLoughlin, 227 ; and the following to form a supplemental list in case of vacancies : Roger Greene, 222 ; F. D. Darley, 198 ; J. F. Smyth, 191. The President addressing the Meeting said : There is very little to add to the Report of the Council for the year ending to-day, which has been put before you. The member– ship of your Society shows a small but satisfactory increase following up previous increases ; we trust this increase will continue. I .wish I could say the same of the general prospects of the profession. Our profession is an overcrowded one. During this year 67 new solicitors have arrived. Owing to the shortage of petrol and coal, travelling facilities, so important especially for the Country Solicitors, have proved a very serious matter. It now means to me that every time I come to Dublin to attend a Meeting of the Council I am absent three and often four nights. The journey from Cobh to Dublin prior to the curtailment of the train service took three-and-a-half hours. I have recently made the journey from

pray that it will not be long in coming. I beg to move the adoption of the Report. Mr. W. J. Norman, Vice-President, sec– onded the adoption of the Report, and Mr. McLoughlin, Mr. Desmond Moran and Mr. E. H. Burne having spoken, the President replied and put the motion that the Report be adopted, which was passed unanimously. Mr. Norman, Vice-President, having taken the chair, on the motion of Mr. E. H. Burne, seconded by Mr. O'Connell, Vice-President, and supported by the Chairman, Mr. Norman; a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the President who returned thanks and the meeting terminated. ALL Communications connected . with .THE GAZETTE (other than advertisements) should be addressed to the Secretary of the Society, Solicitors' Buildings, Four Courts, Dublin. N.W.8.