The Gazette 1961

move the adoption of the report of the Council for

the year 1962-63, and I do so with pleasure and

with confidence of your approval.

I have first to record, with deep regret, the deaths

of members of our Society which occurred during

the past year.

They are—George V. Moloney,

Cavan ; James L. McLoughlin, Dublin ; Henry P.

Mayne, Dublin;

John E. Wallace, Mullingar;

John Ryan, Dublin; Herbert McCloughlan, Donegal;

Robert I. Archer, Dublin; Francis P. Johnston,

Dundalk;

Samuel R.

C. Hemphill, Dublin;

Patrick J. Little, Dublin; Michael E. Fitzgerald ;

Thomas E. F. Bennett, Dalkey; Bernard Darcy,

Dublin ; Michael J. McGuire, Longford ; Arthur

C. Houlihan, Tipperary; Martin A. Salmon, Naas ;

Mrs. William L. Carroll, Castlebar;

James P.

Coffey, Louth; Commdt. Thomas M. McMahon,

solicitor, Advocate General with the United Nations

Organization who died in the Congo.

Amongst the names I have mentioned, you will

recall men who gave long service to the Society and

to our profession. Henry P. Mayne was a member

of the Council of this Society from 1926 to 1949 and

was a distinguished president for the year 1939-40.

May I, on my own behalf, and on behalf of my

fellow Council members, express to their relatives

and friends our sincere sympathy.

Finance

The accounts and balance sheet of the Society

have been in your hands for some time and show

the financial position of the Society for the year

ended 30th April, 1963.

Two years ago my distinguished predecessor,

Mr. Ralph Walker, issued a word of warning and,

having referred to a steadily decreasing profit,

accurately predicted that the day to day working of

the Society would entail considerable more expendi

ture, and this is reflected in the accounts before you

which show an

increase in expenditure under

various heads.

The Finance Committee of your Society make

each month a careful examination of the Society's

financial position, and a check on its outgoings.

There is, however, one item of expenditure over

which neither this committee nor the Council have

any control, namely the annual contribution which

your Society must make of £5 30 to the Incorporated

Council of Law Reportings. This is a service of

a public nature and we feel that its activities should

be financed out of public funds and not be a charge

on the finances of this Society.

Compensation Fund

The Compensation Fund set up by this Society

has given full indemnity to any person who suffered

loss through the dishonesty of a solicitor since the

passing of the Solicitors Act, 1954, and there is

a heavy burden on the members of our profession

in so far as each one of us is obliged to contribute

an annual sum of £20 towards this fund.

This

fund is administered by a committee of your Council

who make careful and painstaking investigation

into each claim which comes before them with

a view to seeing that full compensation is paid to

any member of the public unfortunate to suffer a

loss, but at the same time to safeguard the fund.

I think it right that the public should know that the

Society has power to refuse to make or to limit a

grant from

the compensation fund where

the

claimant has contributed to the loss by his own

negligence or conduct, or where he has employed

a solicitor who does not hold a practising certificate.

We are indeed indebted to the gentlemen on this

committee for their very important and necessary

work. When the yearly contribution of £20 from

each solicitor was fixed, you were informed that as

soon as it was warranted by the financial position

of the fund, steps would be taken to reduce the

contribution.

I am very glad to inform you that

your Council, with effect as from the 6th January

next, have decided to reduce the yearly contribution

from each solicitor from £20 to £15 whilst, at the

same time, they are able to maintain in the fund a

reserve in excess of the sum of £25,000 imposed by

the Solicitors (Amendment) Act of 1960.

I think

our profession will find this reduction most welcome,

not only from a financial aspect but as the tangible

proof of the firm belief of your Council in the

integrity of the vast majority of our members.

Solicitors'

Benevolent Association

I hope it is unnecessary to remind you that this is

the centenary year of the Solicitors' Benevolent

Association which is our own particular private and

personal charity and I appeal to every solicitor who

has not already done so, to join the Association to

become a subscriber thereto.

I had the privilege

of speaking at the Ninety-ninth Annual General

Meeting of the Association at the start of my

presidential year and I then said, and think I must

repeat, that a means test under Social Welfare

legislation creates a problem in that there

is no

use in an Association such as ours giving liberally

to some person by way of grant or annuity if this

was simply to reduce the amount of State assistance

that that person was then in receipt of.

I can

appreciate the difficulty in giving general exemption

in cases of this sort, but relief could be given in our

case as. the recipients come from a very special and

well defined ckss.

The directors of the Association have marked the