The Gazette 1958-61

the costs due under the undertaking to the plaintiff's solicitors. The Council on a report from a Com mittee stated that the defendant's solicitors give an undertaking to pay the plaintiff's costs of the pro ceedings and were not entitled to set off half the arbitrator's fee. Solicitor's notepaper On a report from a Committee the Council stated that the words " successors to CD " on the note- paper of a solicitor who purchased the practice of CD (a public official) should not be printed on the new solicitor's professional notepaper but they gave permission to exhaust existing stocks. Press notice On a report from a Committee the Council stated that they would disapprove of a Press notice by a solicitor stating that he carried on all types of insurance business for the principal companies and inviting enquiries at his private house. Vacancies on Committees Messrs. Dinnen B. Gilmore and James R. Green were appointed as additional members of the Finance, Library and Publications Committee, the Privileges Committee, and the Court Offices and Costs Committee. DUBLIN SOLICITORS' BAR ASSOCIATION A MEETING of the Council was held on Wednesday, ist March, 1959. The Administration of Estates record is now available at 6d. per copy in parcels of one dozen, from Messrs. A. & S. Donaldson, Limited, of Celbridge. Practitioners will find this form very useful when taking instruction for Probate or Administration even in relatively small Estates. The main uses envisaged for the Administration of Estates record are :— 1. It should prove a useful guide and reminder to the less experienced practitioner. 2. A Principal should see at a glance the position in a case being mainly dealt with by an Assist ant or Clerk. 3. For Principal or Assistant it will be a rapid reference and assist in answering questions as to the position especially over the telephone. 4. A reasonably experienced Costs Drawer should be able to draft most of a Bill of Costs by reference to the form while the solicitor retains his files and papers while winding up the administration. 5. It will be a useful record of an administration should questions arise after a lapse of time following completion.

The Council supports the observations recently made in the Bankruptcy Court by Mr. Desmond Collins, Solicitor for the preservation of the right of audience in that Court of Dublin Solicitors. A deputation was appointed to wait upon the County Registrar and to discuss with him the urgent necessity of improving the performance of their services by District Court Civil Bill Officers in Dublin. The next meeting was fixed for Wednesday, 6th May, 1959. SOLICITORS' APPRENTICES' DEBATING SOCIETY Benchers' Trophy THE Society were this year's hosts for the Annual inter-Debate for the Benchers' Trophy, and the debate was held in the Library on the evening of Wednesday, i8th February, under the chairmanship of the President, Mr. John R. Halpin. The motion was a quotation from Alexander Pope : " For forms of government let fools contest, Whate'er is best administered, is best." This was the third of the new series of the debates. The attendance of about a hundred saw the Solicitors' Apprentices carry off the trophy for the second time, defeating the Bar Students (last year's winners), and the representatives of the Law Societies of U.C.D. and Dublin University. The Society was represented by Mr. John Temple Lang and the Auditor, Mr. R. M. Neville. The assessors were Mr. George Overend, solicitor, District Justice Farrell, Mr. William Finlay, S.C., and Professor Exshaw. Seventy-fifth Anniversary Meeting A Special Meeting was held in the Library on Thursday, 5th March, to commemorate the found ation of the Society in 1884. Mr. John R. Halpin, the President, was again in the chair, and the attend ance included Mrs. Halpin, Mr. Nash, Vice-President, and Mrs. Nash, members of the Council of the Law Society, of the Benchers of Kings Inns, and of the Diplomatic Corps, and several past auditors of the Society. A paper entitled " The Solicitors' Profession in Ireland" was read by Mr. John Temple Lang, solicitor, wherein he critically surveyed recent developments in the profession, including the stultifying of the powers of the disciplinary com mittee, and the rejection of the Solicitors' Costs Order by the Seanad. In his appraisal of the future the lecturer ranged from legal education to the condition of solicitors' offices, and stressed the need to guard against the filching of legal work by the accountants' profession. 105