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20 years. This arises from such factors as that
more people are producing goods, and each
individual is consequently producing more. The
population of Ireland has remained static, but,
due to increased productivity, two people now
produce today what three people produced ten
years ago. This is due to such factors as greater
capital equipment, greater division of labour, and
the dissemination of standardised products.. In
respect of productivity we have done much better
than England, but there is a need for adjustment,
because out of every three producers, the third
man is exposed to geographical mobility and will
have to change his occupation. This is of course
eventually determined by the wish of the con
sumers. The consequent legislation necessary to
implement this is a necessary component to
urbanisation.
The lecturer said that the proper criterion of
solicitors costs should be that the charge should
cover reasonable expenses and produce a reason
able high profit. There appeared to be too many
monopolistic and restrictive practices in the pro
fession, as for instance the rules relating to
apprenticeship and the control exercised in regard
to the standard of admission which required
fluidity. There appeared to be too many solicitors
content with performing clerical work, instead of
work suitable to their capacity. Clients should
gravitate towards firms with modern methods.
Furthermore it seemed that no one could practice
as a solicitor until he was admitted, and if he did
so, he committed a criminal offence. There
appeared to be 'no restriction in law to use the
terms engineer or nurse. The solicitors further
more had the monopoly of issuing proceedings for
third parties and the sole right to draw up docu
ments in conveyancing matters. The lecturer did
not consider that these practices which so restricted
competition led to any higher quality of work, but
he saw no objection to adopting the American rule
of contingency fees. It seemed that the authorised
charges for conveyancing in Ireland are twice as
high as in England. For instance, in respect of a
consideration of £3,600 the charge is 3% in Ireland,
and 1J% in England, and in respect of £10,000 pro
perty, the charge is 2% in Ireland and 1% in
England. It seemed that the nature of the property
here does not involve much more work than in
England. As regards conveyancing it seemed
doubtful that a recently qualified solicitor should
be able to charge the same scale fee as an experi
enced man of several years standing. Law clerks
will probably tend to become legal executives, as
in England. But the necessity that solicitors should
be paid the same fee uniformly throughout had yet
to be proved.
The Professor was completely unsympathetic to
the argument that as there were large losses in
litigation, it was necessary to make good these
losses by profits on conveyancing. It seemed that
the rule that the Solicitor had a right to select his
client and could reject clients purely on the
grounds of lack of means was inequitable parti
cularly if exercised too frequently. Although the
ratio of solicitors in Ireland appears to be higher
than in England there were Fourteen Hundred
Solicitors here and Twenty Thousand in England,
nevertheless the total income of Solicitors pro
duced in England was 50% higher, it was therefore
important tn realise to what extent Solicitors had
gradually transferred many of their activities to
other professions.
The Professor had come to the conclusion that
there was great scope for an improvement all
round, the speeding up of work in public offices
was essential as was the speeding up of Law
Reform Measures. It was essential to adopt an
easier method even than Registration of Title to
transfer land and an effort should be made to
simplify the complications entailed by property
and conveyancing law. It was also important to
introduce a modern system of organisation in a
Solicitor's Office. It was also increasingly difficult
to carry on one man firms and it seemed absolu
tely essential in the interests of uniform efficiency
to undertake a drive for larger firms. The four
main classes on whom the onus fell to carry out
these reforms appeared to be primarily.-
1. The State itself should promote an intensive
programme of Law Reform.
2. A forward looking profession should be
engrossed in undertaking its own reform
rather than sticking to the perquisites and
privileges of the past.
3. This appeared to be a particular function
for ginger groups who, though often con
sidered a nuisance, have achieved many
beneficial results.
4. The question of independent research by
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