The Gazette 1949-1952

members will find many new and useful books on the shelves. Sometimes the Library Committee finds itself in a difficulty. The price of law books is extremely high, running up to £ j a volume, and whilst the Committee is anxious to maintain an adequate library, cost is an important factor and it would be o f considerable help to the Library Committee in considering the purchase o f new books if members could send to us from time to time their views or suggestions for the improvement o f the library. S olicitors B ill : This is the usual hardy annual which has been referred to at every half-yearly meeting of the Society for the last seven years. The Council has kept constant pressure on the Minister for Justice over the past twelve months, and the Secretary, and I saw him no later than Monday last. I cannot pretend to you that the meeting was entirely satis­ factory. The Bill has been with the Government since 1944 and during the last seven years there has been a constant procession of Presidents and deputations to various Ministers urging on the Government the desirability of introducing our Bill. I am afraid that our interview on Monday last was just a repetition o f many which has taken place over the years. This time, however, we can hold out a tiny gleam of light to the profession. The Minister informed me that it was his sincere hope and wish to introduce the Bill during the Session starting after Christmas and with normal progress it should become law twelve months hence. You may well ask me to explain to you the cause of the seven years delay. I am unable to do so as the Minister himself could only account for it by saying the Bill was under examination. D elays in G overnment D epartments : During this interview with the Minister for Justice we drew his attention to the increasing delays in the Probate Office. The delay in issuing Grants o f Probates and Letters of Administration is now some seven weeks. Up to a few years ago Grants issued in seven days and although the volume has increased slightly within the last few years, such increase cannot be held to justify the delays to which the profession and the public are now subjected. Unfortunately the profession suffers • directly from such delays as clients are wont to blame solicitors for delay which can directly be traced to Government offices. It frequently happens that these delays are the causes of serious financial loss to the public as in the present unsettled state o f the Stock Exchange, the buying or selling of 49

his term of office it will give you some indication of what is done, especially when you remember also that the work is not confined to Council or Committee meetings alone. The volume o f work now reaching the Council has grown to such proportions that your Council has deemed it necessary to re-organise its work by delegating a greater number o f decisions to sub-Committees than has been the practice heretofore. This new system will operate as from to-day and it is hoped will lead to a more efficient discharge o f the Society’s work and the Council’s duties. Finally, let me emphasise that the Council is your Council. It is elected by the members each year and the members of the Society expect, quite properly, to receive adequate service and support on the many problems confronting solicitors. The converse, however, is also true and the Council should feel itself entitled to rely at all times on the complete co-operation and support of the members o f the profession in the carrying out of the Council’s duties. Neither o f us could progress without the other. Accordingly, in asking for this support, I would also ask tbe profession to send to us from time to time their views and suggestions for the improvement of the affairs o f the profession. As you will have seen from the Annual Report during the course o f the year I received two invitations to visit the United States. One, in May, to speak at the Annual Dinner o f the Eire Society of Boston and to address a number of Bar Associations, the other, in September, where your President was invited to represent the Society at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Associa­ tion in New York. Speaking as President of the Society I should like to tell you that the visits could not have been more successful in any way. No greater honour or courtesy could have been paid to this Society than was, in fact, paid during the course of the visits and I would like to take this opportunity of publicly acknowledging on behalf of the Incorporated Law Society o f Ireland, the great honours and courtesies bestowed by the American Bar Association on the Society at its General Meeting last September. A detailed description o f my visit will appear in the Gazette. L ibrary : This is probably the first occasion on which some of you have the opportunity of seeing our new library. Cramped conditions in the office and the old library compelled the Council to decide on a change the result o f which you see to-day. The Council has made, and is making, every effort to bring the library completely up-to-date and