LAW SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1051, 14 February 1911, Page 8

LAW SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING. NUMBER OF SOLICITORS INCREASING. , 'J'ho thirty-second annual meeting of tho Wellington Law Society was .held last evening. Tho annual report of tho council stated that the amount expended on now books for tho Wellington Library had been -£36S lis. 7d., and in addition there are outstanding accounts for books received, amounting to .£3B 7s. Cd. The amount paid on account of tho. country branch libraries was JGI36 3s. 7d., to which has to bo added accounts in hand,'.£7l 2s. Bd. Donations are acknowledged from the Law Book Co., and tho Minister for Justice. . Tho society lost fifteen members during tho year Dy death and other i causes, and six new members .were enrolled. The society now numbers 215, a decrease of 8. Of theso 116 .practise in tho citv, and 99 in the country districts. A total of 27 solicitors practising in tho district have not becomo members of the society. There are 242 solicitors practising in Wellington district (an increase of 2 for tho year), notwithstanding that 18 of those praotising last year have died, left tho district, or ceased to practise. Of the above, 12G solicitors practise in the city of Wellington, and 116 in the country. : The number of solicitors practising in the Dominion at the end of December, 1910, was 881, an increase of 22. oyer the previous year. The number practising in the respective districts -and tho increaso or dccreaso shown during the year are as follow (the figures in parentheses being the nnmbers for 1903):—Auckland, . 205" (193)";' I Canterbury, 120 . (123); Gisborne, •20 (20) Hawke's Bay, 5i (41) i Marlborough, 9 (10);-Nelson, 17 (14);. Otngo,' 100 (113); Southland, 31 (28); .Taranaki, 57 (55V; Wellington, 242 (240);' and, Westland, 20 (19). NortU Island, 578 (552); South Island,'3o3 ,(307).] - Twenty-five 'applicants Tes'ident in the Wellington; district were admitted as barristers and solicitors since the last report, viz. -.—Three as barristers and solicitors, and fourteen as solicitors,' not'previously admitted; five.as barristers under Section 5 of the Law Practitioners Act, 1908; one-solicitor oh Ehglish qualification; one barrister on Scottish qualification; and one barrister by examination. For tho entire Dominion'G3 notices of intention, to apply for admission wero. received during, tne ycaT, • viz.:—Auckland, 8; Canterbury, 6; Hawke's-Bay, 5,' Otago, 4; Taranaki, 4; Wellington, 34; and Westland. 2. Fourteen of these were for admission as' barristers. and solicitors; twenty-nino as .solicitors, ,'and twenty'as barristers (previously admitted as solicitors), twelve of' which applied under Section 5 of; tho. Act, six "by examination; and three were not elapsed. Eight notices (to in respect of qualifications outside fho Dominion. " ; ' ' ' '

The council calls attention to tho frequent disregard shown to Rule 12 of the library rules, by solicitors introducing to the library and robirig»room clients and qthors not being solicitors— largely caused, no doubt, by-the inconvenience of; upstairs rooms for the purpose of interviews, 1 and the. fact-that the rooms provided are not so comfortably fitted up as-might bo.. Members are requested ■to consider the convenience and privacy of each other by'; strictly observing; Rule'l2. The . principal items of business reported to havo received th,o attention of the council r' tho New Zealand Law Socjcty are as follow:—Tho preparation of a new edition of the New Zealand Law List was left in the hands'of'the Wellington Committee to deal with. The quest ion. of a conveyancing scalo for tho Dominion was passed on. for .the consideration of the. anneal general-'mffeting, but the meeting-lapsed for want of a'quorum.'nnd'th'e matter' is still in ' abeyance. .' Tho. Law Practitioners Aet' Ainendment Bill was'introduced into Parliament by tho Attorney-General nt the request of- the Kow Zealand Law Society,-but receiving considerable • o'pp'qV sit ion fronV several of tho-'smaller' law societies; waf, : at', the 'snggestion 'of • tho Attorney-General,*alloweti to drop.. committee'in charge of' tho- above- Bill.' having;' failed in their endeavours to get ,it passed, applied to' thfe Goverainent'for an.an'nual grant in aid: off the "Judges'' • Library. 1 The'gratitude; of the law sboietisi is duo to the 'Attorney-General,'whose' sympathy with the object and willing assistance to improve-the Judges'. Library; 'were successful 'in- obtaining-;a sum of £250. This-6nm has been received, by the secretary <)f the Nnw- Zealand _,Ln-~ Society, and. paid into its account at the .Bank of New Zealand. It .is anticipated ,that,this grant will be\ annually renewed. " The-council is;of opinion■ that Law., Students' Association should in.the,interest of the profession be oncouraged *as far possible. It .must be borne .in mind that, the future Bar of -New-ZealantMs roprcsentwl amon? tho members.of this and kindred associations, and that- since the abolition of articles of clerkship in the Dominion, the influence of these as : ' ro'ciations-bver the conduct and character of students is likely to have beneficial remits. ' The code of ethics and the esrrit de-corps," w-ithin the power of such oseociations to inspire arapng their members will tend to promote tho high ideals looked for in and inseparable' from the conduct of the successful practitioner.. The- following, officers .were -elected for the ensuing year , Mr. L. O. 11. Tripp; Tics-president,' Mr. J: W. !• .. moiul (Solicitor-General); treasuror, Mr. J. A. Tripe; ordinair membprs, Mr. H. H. Ofitlor (rc-eleoted),. and slef«:s.'.H. Buddie, E. H. Dean, 51. M. "P. Luclcie, C. B. •Aforison, and T. Stafford; auditor..Mr. AY. F. Ward (reelected); K.Z. Council of Law ■Reporting (Wellington i members), Mr. P. n.-D. Bell (re-elected) and; Mr. B..Stafford (re-elected); N.:Z. Law Society; (\\ elBell (reelected) and Mr. L. 0. K.-Tripp.