WELLINGTON LAW SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1683, 25 February 1913, Page 5

WELLINGTON LAW SOCIETY.

•'.''.. ; ANNUAL MEETING.. "■_...■'■ Tho thirty-fourth annual, meeting .of tho Wellington District Law Society wsis'hel'd' last evtniug. The. annual. report staled that from death,or. otherwise, the. society, has, lost' twelve members during.(bo', year, but during thO' same period ten. new, members were enrolled,' leaving, a membership of 209, 113 of whom reside in tho city arid ,!>B. in. the country. .''.'-:■ ' ' : ' There are' 248 solicitors practising in the Wellington district, one. less than last y«tr.. iwency-onoof those.practising in tho district last year have ceased to practise) left the. district, or died, wliile 20 others, have commenced practice. This change reduces the number practising in the city by four (123),..whi1e, the country; towns of tho district gain three in number (126). The number of practitioners in the Dominion at the end of, 1912 was 963, an increase of 45 oyer last year.'s.roturns,

The number shown to'be : practising in the respective,: districts, and- the ■ increase, or decrease shown- for' the, year 'uro' as follow (the figures in parentheses aio the numbers for: 1911 :-Aufckiand 214 (22G), Hamilton 42*, Canterbury. 127 (125), Wis;' borno-23 (20), Hawko's Bay 51 (52), linrlboroiigh 12. LU), Nelson 5l '(18), Ota'ijo 104' (■106), Southland 3G.(33)," Taranaki G2 (53), Wellington' 213 (249), Westiand* '23- (22); North. Island 640-'(<ioQ),' South Island 323 (318). :, ';,:' ' ':~.' '"■ ■'•, ' Mianiiltcn was.-included, in : tho. Auckland district, last year. , . Twenty-nine of whom ro : sidod in this district—have • been' ii.initted- as barristers.or. solicitors, or beib, since last report,, namely.—9 as barristers and solicitors, and. 14 a 9. solicitors, hot previously 'admitted; one as solicitor previously admitted in Kngjnnd; and sas uar r risters under- Section 5 of the Law Pruc-. titioners' Act, 1908. , '.'... For- tho entire 'Dominion. 122 intention to apbly for. admission, wer.o re.- r ceived during the year, viz.: Au.ckhnd.2G, Canterbury 12, Gisbqrne 4, Hamilton 7, Hawke's Bay-7, Marlborough 4, Otago 12, Southland' 4, Taranaki 11, Wellington. 33, and Westland 3.' ' (In 19U the, notices, numbered 85.) -Of.'the. above, 23 were, for; admission as' Barristers' and- solicitor?, |68 as ■ solicitors (one 'each on English, Irish,' an 4' Scotch ; qualifications), anbV33r as barristers,, previouslyadinifteJ. "■".". , It was decided: by special- resolution of' the council that Dominion Day being observed' asa holiday.by the. Government offices, insurance companies, and others, should-be so observed.by.the. law offices, and bo added- to. the,holiday schedule, for future observance, 1 Two cases, in. hand, a,t the close of last year' were dismissed. there., being, no, grounds for. action. In the., two. cases in which, rulia. nisi to, striko- off- were reported to hpo. been obtained last: year. the. Court 6t. Appeal in each, case, suspended the offender, from, practice*, for a. Period, of three, years. Seven, complaints were received, during the. past year. One of . these, involved: charges, against members of , three separate, fi.rnis in connection with an exchange of. ian,d,, "TheJ" councils cpuld sec-nptJiingampropeTor, unprofessional in the conduct of; anx 0?- thoi allcge'd "offend-, erg,! accented their, explanations'; and, dis ; niijsed tho rcomplajnts. Complaint Was, made against aji.unjTiofessional. person, for preparing and charging for a'transfer of: Inn'd. Action was taken! but discontinued, the offender, oppressing, contrition 'mid naying.'all'cosls'.'' A circular letter, ah'd business card issued by an unprofessional ner'son'in the-Auckland ' district, holding himself out, to' act'as, town agent for eqlicif ots, search titles, etc' was ' received. Th& council referred this matter to the Auckland Law Society to deal with. The advertiser, on being informed that ho was acting in contravention to tho Act. expressed regret, and ceased,so to aot.. Tour complaint*, were received and dealt with. The following; officers for, tho ensuing veor were appointed:—President, Mr, O. R. Morison. J\.C.;. vice-nresidont, Mr, C. H. Treadwell; eouncil. Messrs. W. TJ. D, Bell, O. N. B?erc, M. F. Lnckio.. T. Neave, H, It. Ostler, and. I-. 0- H.Trinn: honorary trensjirw. Mr. J. A, Trine: nudiMr." W. F. Ward : Sew Zealand rounf'l. of T/wv- Reporting, Ron, F. K. D. Roll. K.C; a n ,] Mr,'Edwanl Stafford; Wellington, ineipliers. of the Council of Hie N«w I.nw Soc'ctv, Hon. F. TT. D. Bell, K.C.. ond Mr. C. B. Morison. Iv.C.; secretary, Mr! F. Harmon.