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DECEMBER, 1938] The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland
28
Society have been appealed to to take an
interest and to provide material for the
Gazette which would be of importance or
service to the profession or to the public.
With the exception of two months of the
year it appears every month. Every effort
is made by the Committee in charge of it
to make it as useful to the profession as
possible.
If the members of the Society,
as a whole, would take an interest in it and
supply information of interest or importance
to the profession, the Committee would be
only too glad to take advantage of their
help.
I would like to call attention to item 19
of the Report headed " Award of Scholar
ships, 1938."
It will be noticed there that
in
this year the Council, acting on
the
report from the Court of Examiners, have
felt unable to make an award of the Find-
later Scholarship.
It was with much regret
that, both
the Court of Examiners and
your Council came to this decision.
It is
only necessary to refer
to the Findlater
Scholarship to know what it means, and
what also it means when it is impossible in
any particular year to make the award.
In
short language, it means that the standard
attained at the Final Examination has not
reached what it ought to reach to merit
that award.
The paragraph in the Report dealing with
the Solicitors' Apprentices Debating Society
indicates that the Council has been helping
the
Debating
Society.
The
Council
appreciates the value of that Society, and
urges upon Solicitors that they should see
that their apprentices became members of
the Society. This year the Inaugural meet
ing was a delight to those who had the fortune
to be present; and I would like, as President
of the Debating Society,
to express my
obligation to the Attorney General and the
other distinguished gentlemen who
took
part in the debate.
It ought to be a matter
of gratification to Solicitors' apprentices to
know that in their efforts to qualify for the
profession they have the support of the
leaders of the Bar and Solicitors' profession.
During the year the Council had appeals
from members of the profession all over
the country, calling attention to various
grievances they thought the profession had
cause
to complain of. Members of
the
profession frequently submitted their dif
ferences and accepted
the
solution
the
Council provided.
It is possible that many
members of the profession attribute to the
Council powers they do not possess, but the
Council is always ready and willing to hear
of any matter or thing which is in any way
an encroachment on
the
rights of
the
profession, or to settle any matters of
practice or differences which arise between
members.
Members of the profession may rely upon
it that the Council, ever jealous of the
rights and privileges of the profession, will
never lose an opportunity in the assertion
and protection of such rights.
I may give you an instance or two—The
Council had a complaint as to what might
happen at the sittings of the High Court
on Circuit. The Council sent a deputation
to the Judges, and they had an assurance
that everything would be done to facilitate
the smooth working of these Courts.
Another matter was a complaint as to
the working of the Estate Duty Branch,
Complaints were made
that unnecessary
delays were taking place, and I was sent
there on a deputation from the Council to
inquire into the complaint as to the delays
and a complaint as to a letter which had
issued from that office tending to reflect
upon a member of the profession.
I asked
for particulars of one special complaint, in
reference to which before I reached the
office I had an intimation that the cause
had been removed.
I went to the office and
had an interview with the Controller and
with his chief helpers.
I was informed that
for
a
time
there might
have
been
cause for delay, but that it was due to
special circumstances, and now there could
not be much cause for delay; but that
whenever a case arose in which, there was
special urgency, on such being represented,
care would be
taken
to
facilitate
the
members of the profession interested.
As to the other, complaint, I was- satisfied"