The Gazette 1955-58

but indeed throughout the whole of this land North and South. During all this time, and during all my stresses, strains and tribulations, both at home and abroad, I had the help and enthusiastic assistance of our most able and efficient Secretary, Eric Plunkett, together with his most competent and willing staff. I now move that the report of this Council for the year 1956-57 be adopted. The motion for the adoption of the report was seconded by Mr. Desmond J. Mayne. The Secretary, at the request of the President, read a report from the special committee of this Council on the Solicitors' Remuneration General Order, 1957. The President asked the Press representatives to retire and the discussion on the report was taken in private. Mr. J. B. McGarry on behalf of the Dublin Solicitors' Bar Association, asked for information as to the present position of the Solici tors Accounts' Regulations and why they had not been brought into operation. In the discussion which followed, the following members participated. Messrs. J. R. Halpin, Scan O'hUadhaigh, Arthur Cox, Desmond Moran, Desmond Counahan, Charles Hyland, Denis Greene, Leslie Kearon, C. J. Gore Grimes, Donough O'Donovan, F. X. Burke, J. P. Tyrrell, S. V. Crawford, D. P. Shaw, William Dillon Leetch, John Sheil, John Carrigan, John Nash, James Hickey, George Nolan, M. J. Lardner. The President stated that the views expressed and all other relevant views and information would be carefully considered by the Council. The motion for the adoption of the report was put to the meeting and carried without dissent. The following motion on the agenda was then proposed by Mr. G. G. Overend, seconded by Mr. John Carrigan : (a) That bye-law 35 be amended by the sub stitution of the word " one " for " three " therein. (£) That the following new bye-law be sub stituted for the existing bye-law 37 :— 37. When the poll has closed the scrutiny shall be proceeded with and at the November general meeting in each year the scrutineers of the ballot shall return the names of the thirty-one candidates for election as ordinary members having the greatest number of votes and shall also return the name of the candidate for election as provincial delegate for each province having the greatest number of votes, and the Chairman of the meeting shall there upon declare the thirty-one candidates first returned duly elected as the ordinary members

In my half-yearly Report to the Council in May I referred to the delays in the Valuation Office. I regret to say that so far as my personal experience goes, there has been little or no improvement in this particular regard. I don't believe there will be any improvement until the Government adopts the suggestion I made in my half-yearly Report in May, namely that these valuers should be situated locally in local offices instead of being sent down through out the country from Dublin. These delays in my opinion are unnecessary and unwarranted, and a bad example to the rest of the country. It seems to be absolutely ridiculous that it should take a valuer six months or more to value a property which he could inspect in an hour and report on in another hour, if he were on the spot in a local office. In consequence of the very successful Dinner- Dance held in November of last year, it has been decided to renew the function this year, and accord ingly the Dinner-Dance is being held to-night at the Shelbourne Hotel, where I trust you will all be and where I hope you will thoroughly enjoy yourselves. Before I conclude this address, I must mention what a pride and privilege it has been, for me to be your President during the past year. It has been a year of great social activities so far as I was con cerned, and while it meant a good deal of travelling around, and at first I viewed the prospect with considerable misgivings, I must now confess when I have come to the end of my term of office that I enjoyed every minute of it. There are three special occasions which I will always remember and cherish. There was our visit to Northern Ireland in May of this year, where Mrs. Gaffney and I spent three days as the Guests of the Incorporated Law Society of Northern Ireland. Then there was my visit to London where I was entertained by the President and Council of the English Law Society at their Annual Dinner, and lastly, and by no means least, there was our own reception in conjunction with the Benchers and the Bar to the members of the American Bar Associa tion in the Round Hall of the Four Courts, and the subsequent reception at the Castle, given by An Taoiseach. My term of office has been made easy by the fact that I had two Vice-Presidents in the persons of Mr. Desmond Collins and Mr. Charles Downing, who were always ready and willing to help me out on every possible occasion. I had a most loyal and considerate Council, who have been more than generous and accommodating to me in every way. I have had the support and help of not alone my own colleagues in Limerick City and County