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to the Corporation for copies of the maps and books
of reference but, we were informed that this facility
could not be granted.
It is obviously essential
that the public should have full access to all infor
mation concerning the town plan and I am afraid
that I can foresee here a further cause for delay
which will hold up conveyancing
transactions
unless the Corporation set up special machinery
to deal with enquiries.
I know that in England
where town planning has
reached an advanced
stage of development the pre-contract enquiries
which are necessary on any sale or purchase of
land have become of equal or greater importance
than the investigation of title which follows on
the contract.
A purchaser who buys property
without enquiry will be deemed to have notice
of everything in the town plan, when approved
and it seems to me that enquiries on these matters
after the contract has been signed will not fall
under the heading of requisitions on title. There
fore it will be necessary for the solicitor to draw
the clients' attention fully to these matters before
the contract is signed and if necessary to make
enquiries at the Corporation. Will the Corporation
be able to deal without unreasonable delay with
the large volume of enquiries which they will
receive ? We are all aware of the continual com
plaint about delays in public departments and I
sincerely hope that the Dublin Corporation and
the Dublin County Council will give immediate
consideration to this matter so that requisitions
from solicitors who are advising clients contem
plating the purchase of property as to the effect
of the town plan will be promptly dealt with.
The Society for its part is only too willing to con
sult with the Corporation and any other local
authorities concerned with a view to setting up
machinery which will avoid unnecessary delays
in completing sales and purchases of property.
Owing to the increasing importance of town pro
perty I think that our members who have appren
tices should also draw their attention to the im
portance of town planning
legislation.
In due
course it may be necessary to include this subject
in our lecture courses and in the papers set at the
Society's final examination.
As a result of representations made by the Dublin
Solicitors' Association a deputation called to the
Department of Justice recently in connection with
the decision of the Department to forego
the
practice of keeping transcripts of memorials in
the Reg: stry of Deeds.
It was pointed out that it
was a wrong practice that the original memorial
should be available to the public and that it would
result eventually in the deterioration and perhaps
the destruction of some of the memorials and that
for record purposes it was of importance that
these memorials should be retained in good con
dition.
The Department Officials were in agree
ment with the views put forward by the deputa
tion and I understand that steps will be taken to
resume the practice of keeping transcripts of the
memorials.
A deputation also called on the Minister for
Local Government to consider a memorandum
of the Society requesting that Solicitors engaged
in the wholetime positions of law agents to local
authorities should be on the same salary scale as
county medical officers
and county engineers.
Subsequently on the suggestion of the Minister
discussions were held with representatives of the
sub Committee of the County Managers' Association,
and while no definite decision has been received
yet it is understood that the Society's case was
accepted and a favourable decision is expected.
Notification has been received by us from the
Department of Social Welfare, that it is proposed
to set up a Committee to consider the question of
Workmen's Compensation and arrangements are
being made to have the Society represented on
that Committee.
I understand that the Minister for Local Govern
ment is arranging or negotiating with represen
tatives of vehicle
insurers
for the purpose of
establishing a motor insurers' bureau to deal with
the case of a person who is injured by a negligent
driver but cannot recover compensation because
the driver is not insured. Where a judgment has
been obtained against a negligent driver and is
unsatisfied because of non-insurance,
then
the
Bureau will see that this judgment is satisfied,
This arrangement of course does not do away with
the responsibility to insure.
A guilty motorist
will continue to be liable to the penalty for driving
without insurance and he will remain liable to
reimburse any sum paid by the Bureau which will
take an assignment of the rights of the claimant.
Driving without insurance will continue to be
regarded as a very serious offence. The proposed
scheme will apply only to cases where there is a
known defendant and negligence against him has
been established by a judgment and in the ordinary
way a person injured by a hit and run motorist or
a person found injured on the road with no evidence
to show how he came by his injuries would not
be covered by the scheme.
I understand however
that the insurers have agreed that in such a case
where there is sufficient evidence to show that
the injuries were caused by the negligence of the
driver of a motor vehicle the Bureau would give
sympathetic consideration to the making of an
ex gratia
payment.
The State which
is exempt
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