SOUTHLAND LAW SOCIETY

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 6, 23 April 1920, Page 13

SOUTHLAND LAW SOCIETY

(Sgd.) GORDON J. REID.

ANI) THE "WAIT AND SEE" POLIGY The "wait and see".policy seems to he an essential part of various phases of our activities. We have in previous issucs ciealt with other phases of the use of tlis policy, but it is now associated with other characteristics : namely "That oi obtaining infoi'mation from another part of the Dominion as to what thev are doing before we do anything ourselves. The ktest application of% this policy is the -Southland Law Society whc allowed intervals of months to eiapse before- ev,en replying to a . letter from t' ,e R.S.A., asking for a reduction i.i (he cost of conveyancing fees In addition to this, application was made to the N.Z. Law Society, asking f ir a ruling on the matter, as 'ndi:ated in the president's letter dated November 18th., 1919. The secretary has now received a letter from the Society staMng that they were referring the matter to tbc Otago and Canterbury Law Societies to ascertain what is the praetise in those districts. In this later communication ihe, * w Zealand Law Society has apparently been tlirown overboard. It would ije interesting to know whether or not the j/arent lody left this matter to the discrction of the local society, who are now waiti ng to see what others are doing. Surely tbe local society has sufficient grip ot its affairs to decide its action in this matter. There has -been a lack of decision vight through, and the local R.S.A. have been kept in doubt on a matter which affects e\ery returned man throughout Southland. Special attention is drawn to the dates oi the various communications and every reasonable person will surely admit that. th 3 society should have replied at an earlier date inst-ead of adopting the "wait and see" policy. Trfe whole of the correspondence is published for general inff.rmation. The President, " Invercargill Law Society, Invercargill. 21st Octofcer, 1919. Dear Sir, — At the last General nieeting of our Association we were informed that your Society had considered tjie fact that some of tlie solicitors practisin-g locally were charging returned soldiers half .your scaie fees for documents prepared fo: them in connection with securing homes under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlcment Act, and had decided that this concession to returned men must be discontinued. I was insiructed, in connection with the secretary of our Association to approach you on this matter, and to endeavour to arrange for a continuance of this concession ,to returned men. ! shall be very much obliged if you will advisfr. us what . attitude your Society takes with regard to fees for doing this work and I shall be grateful if you will do your Nest to see that transactions of this description are still done for soldiers at half scale fees. I feel confident that ycur Society will be willing to allow this cor.cession to be continued, and I shall be gla-d to be able to aisure our next meebing that a definite arrangement to this effect has been made. — Y"ours faithfully, (Sgd, ) R. B. CAWS, President R.S.A. The President, Invercargill Law Society, Invercargill. 12th January, 1920. Dear Sir, - I have been instructed by the Executive of the Invercargill Returned Soldiers' Association to draw your at-

tention to the fact that a letter from this Association and signed by ohr President was forwarded to you under date of the 21st October, 1919. This letter referred to the fact that 'some ^of the solicitors , who are praetising locally were char.ging h.'rL your scale of fees for the documents prepared by them for returned soldiers in connection with' securing homes under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, and that it had been decided that this concession to returned men must be discontinue. The letter forwarded was courtJous in every respect and this Association feel-, that there was no occasion for the communication to have been treat§d in the manner that it has been, that is that thi receipt of it has not evea been acknowledged. This Association feels decidedly sore at the treatment it hns xecervecr rrom your Society, and we hope sir, that any furtker commnnications will not be treated in the

same manner as the previous oue. — Years faithfully, (Sgd. J. SHORT AL, Actrng Secretary, R.8.A. Southland Law Society, Invercargill, N.Z., 12th March, 192G. RE CONVEYANCING SCALE. Dear Sir, — Your letter regarding tbg above matter was duiy con,-sidercd s,t ihe last meeting of the Law Cormtai. Tfxrou-gh some inadver ten.ee, it appears tfe-at our reply to your ooginal letter was iffiisiaifi or otherwise. omitted to be forwarded on to you. No discourtesy was intanded t-j your Association. 1 am enclosing a copy of what was originaliy pentted by the President. — Yerars faithfally, GORDON J. BEID, Hau. Secretary. COPY OF ENCLOSED. RE CONVEYANCING SCALE. Dear Sir, — In reply to your letter I beg to inform you that this matter was eon sidered at the last meeting of the Southland Law Society and it was decided to rcfer the matter to the N.Z. Law Society fo- its consideration. As the scale is fixed by the N.Z. Council, it wag felt that the matter should be dealt with on a- Dominion basis. I have received a letter from the N.Z. Law Society that the matter will be considered at the next meeting. On receipt of this advice I will commmi kaho with vou.— Yoiirs faithfully, I. A. ROBEJtTSON , President. The Hon. Secretary, Southland Law Society, Invercargill, 13th March, 1920. . RE CONVEYANCING SCALE. Dear Sir, — I have to thank you i'or your letter and enclosure of the 12th inst., addressed to the President of this Association. We shall be glad to know if you ha** received a further letter from the New Zealand Law Society stating the result of their consideration. — Yb'urs faithfully. (Sgd.) L.-S. GRAHAM, Secretary R.S.A.

Southland Law Society, Invercargill, 15th April, 1920. RE CONVEYANCING SCALE. Dear Sir, — At a meeting of Invercargill practitio]\ers held immediately prior to the Easter vacation, the question of conveyancing charges to returned soldiers wj-s again considered. It was resolved that the Otago and Canterbury Law Societies be approached with a view to ascertaining the practice in those distriote., This befng done, and immediately repliea \ come to hand, the matter will be considered again by the local Society, Your Association will then be advised wliethes any alt-eration is to be made locally.— Yours faithfully,

Hon. Secretaocy*