§ Mr. SNELLasked the Attorney-General if he is aware that the 33⅓ per cent. impost on solicitors' costs, which was allowed during the War, constitutes a hardship to a large section of the public; and will he consider whether this should now be revised?
The ATTORNEY - GENERALThe power to make an addition of 33⅓ per cent. to certain costs allowed to solicitors was conferred by Orders made in December, 1919, and in July, 1925. The ground upon which these Orders were made was the rise in the expense of carrying on a solicitor's business by reason of the general rise in rent, clerks' remuneration, and materials. I regret to state that there has been no such fall in any of these items of expense as would justify the Committee by whom these Orders were made in repealing them.