LAW SOCIETY'S BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 223, 20 September 1935, Page 6

LAW SOCIETY'S BILL.

Your paper desires tho full support of the public in drawing attention to the bill which is sponsored by the Law Society. Nowhere in a British community has such audacious legislation ever been proposed, for its ultimate clfcct would bo practically to force accountants, patent agents, sharebrokers, commercial and mercantile agents, estate agents, valuers and other classes of the community out of business and to place the whole of this business into the hands of tho legal profession, to tho detriment of tho public. Tho bill would preclude any person who is not a solicitor from drawing any document of any nature or description which affects tho real or personal property of any person. It goes still further and would prevent any person from advising another as to what he should do under any circumstances whatever, the only .persons not brought within the category jjein" doctors and chemists. An accountant could not make out a land tax return or advise his client on any matter in relation to the business, in which an accountant has exceptional skill. A sharebroker could not draw a document for the transfer of shares. Ail estate agent could not draw an agreement for sale and purchase or even a tenancy agreement. A valuer dare not inform a ratepayer if his valuation were too high, and ho would be precluded from lodging an objection to the hi«-h valuation. An auctioneer would be debarred from drawing an agreement for the sale of furniture or chattels. A patent agent could not draw an agreement pertaining to any plans or specifications. The portals of the Land Transfer Office, which have been open to tlio public for the past hundred years would bo sacred to tho legal profession only. Even a surveyor would not bo allowed to walk upon this hallowed ground. Tho bill provides * penalty of £50 for each of tho foregoing offences. The Great War was a war for democracy, and tho solo guardians of our democracy are henceforth to be the legal profession. Before our British rights are conveyed to an exclusive class it is tho duty every person, every business and commercial man to confer with tho member for his district in order to prevent this outrageous legislation from becoming law. JUSTICE.