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The Gazette of the Incorporated Law Society ot Ireland.
[DECEMBER, 1933
submitted that the deed was transferred to
the Valuation Office to make a valuation.
He also thought that in many cases Solicitors
did not give enough information when deeds
were sent to be adjudicated on, and that he
had in course of preparation a circular which
he was going to send to every Solicitor in the
Free State specifying the information which
was required in order to deal with the
adjudication promptly, and he hoped that
by giving this information a great deal of
delay would be avoided.
I understand that
this circular will be shortly issued. Mr.
Collins
admitted
that owing
to
illness
amongst
the office
staff an arrear has
accumulated, and that special provision had
been made to deal with this arrear. Mr.
Collins was, as usual, most sympathetic and
anxious to help the members of our profession
in any way he could.
Valuations for
Estate Duty.
In the month of July last I had an inter–
view with the Commissioner of Valuation
with reference to alleged delays in dealing
with valuations for estate duty purposes.
The Commissioner assured me that he was
aware that there was a considerable amount
of delay in issuing these valuations, and that
this was principally due to inadequacy of
staff, and that vacancies which had occurred
through death or retirement had not been
filled for some time. He informed me that
since his appointment as Commissioner he
had considered this question of delay care–
fully, and had applied for an increase in
staff in order to speed matters up, and that
five additional valuers had been sanctioned
who would be attached to the Valuation
Office.
The principal work of the Valuation Office,
of course, is in connection with valuations for
rating purposes, but for many years past a
considerable amount of extra work has been
thrown upon the Valuation Office, who are
now required to make valuations for estate
duty purposes, and the Commissioner stated
that he had recently organised a special
Estate Duty Section in the Valuation Office
to deal with this class of work. It has been
my experience, and I am sure has been the
experience of most of you gentlemen, that
these valuations are now being dealt with
much more promptly, and we are all grateful
to the Commissioner of Valuation for the
special interest which he has taken in con–
nection with this class of work. Needless to
say, it is of the utmost importance that these
valuations should be dealt with promptly, as
otherwise executors and administrators are-
unable to wind up estates of deceased persons
within a reasonable time.
Law Books.
The Council during the year appointed a
Special Committee to consider the present
want of law books to meet the needs of
practitioners in
the Circuit and District
Courts. Standard books, such as O'Connor's
" Justice of the Peace," Carleton's " County
Court Practice,"
" Browning & Glover's
Registration of Title," have been out of
print for several years, and the same remark
applies
to " Wylie's Judicature "
(1906).
The need of standard books of this nature is
apparent to everyone in the profession, and,
unfortunately, it is not a business proposition
for anyone to publish a law book in the Irish
Free State. At the request of the Committee
representatives from the Bar Council joined
our Committee
in
their deliberations
in
connection with this matter, when it was
decided
that
the
following books were
urgently needed :
(1) Wylie's Judicature (1906), revised
up to date.
(2) A Book on the Law (independent of
Practice)
administered
in
the
Circuit Courts.
(3) A Book on Criminal Law, dealing
with summary
jurisdiction and
committals to take the place of
O'Connor's "Justice of the Peace."
A joint deputation from our Council and
the Bar Council had an interview with the
Minister for Justice in the month of July last,
when this matter was fully discussed, and it
was arranged that, subject to further infor–
mation as to the cost of publication being
supplied to the Minister, he would give the
matter his careful consideration.
I trust that
something may be done to get these books
published for the members of our profession
who at the present time arc unable
to
purchase books of a similar nature.
In connection with this, I would like to
express my very best thanks to Mr. T. W.
Del any, of Longford, who has taken such a
keen interest in this matter and who was one
of the deputation who came with me to the
Minister for Justice, and made to him a clear
and well-reasoned case showing the need of
these imbrications