Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-04
CUTTING To THE QUICK.

| Bar Association Committee Finds a DeeS
Can be Written In 90 words-A Mort.
gage in 235 Words ms Binding as On.
6SJ.
The Bar Association held its regular
meeting yesterday, with President M. A
Woodward in the chair. The most i'm.
portant matter brought up was the report o
the committee appointed to prepare i'm.
proved forms of deeds and mortgages. This
committee reported that it was its purpose,
in what 1t had done, to eliminate such por-
tions of the forms now in use as are entirely
superfuous, while retaining all the ele-
ments essential under the law. If it erred
it had been on the side of the old verbiage,
as it had retained some words which are
plainly unnecessary, but which, having
been consecrated by long and uniform Gus
tom, it was not disposed to reject them.
Among the changes recommended in the
form of deed are the substitution of deed
of conveyance" for "indenture, as in the
present state of conyeyancing there is no
sucn thing as an indenture, and the new term
more correctly describes the instrument
The words in the past tense in the granting
clause are stricken out; the tenendum clause
is omitted; words which are merely syno-
nyms and repetitions are omitted, and the
receipt on the back of the deed blanks
stricken out. Altogether, the new form
contains 96 words, while the form in use
contains 37S
In the form of mortgage, instead of call
ing it an ''Indenture, I" it is termed "a Deed of
Mortgage" and il is cut down to 235 words
from 685 in the present form.
Continuing, the committee said that the
question was of great importance to the pro-
fession and people of the county. In the
beginning of 1850 there were 8S volumes of
deed books in the Recorders office; in 1850,
141; in 1870, $50; in 1880, 1896; in 1890, 675.
Ten years hence, at this rate, there will be
1,150. The mortgage books have increased
more rapidly, although there were but 504
in 1890; in ten years they will exceed 1000.
In 20 wears there will be over 1000 books in
the office, and there will not be proper &C.
commodations for them.
The adoption of the new forms will dimin-
ish by one-third the number of books that
will hereafter accumulate in the Recorders
Office. If change is not made in 20 years
there will be 4 600 books confronting title
examiner, and the committee pertinently
asked how will that title examiners "soul
be yexed when he reflects that proportion
OF them, equal to 1900 volumes of more
than 600 pages each, is filed with SUPER
huous verbiage of no value to any person in
Ine WQrlO.
The committee thinks that q continuation
of this state of affairs is blot on the science
of law, reproacn to learned profession,
and a burden to all interested parties which
ought no longer to be borne.
The report and forms were received,
ordered TO be printed, and laid over one
month before action will be taken.
George P. Murray and George William
Wurzell were elected members of the asso-
citation. After the adjournment of the bar
association the gentlemen interested in the
of a lawyers club met with R. E..
Stewart in the chair. The Committee on
reported that 130 attorneys had
signed the application Ior the formation of
the club. The committee was instructed to
continue the work until $50 signatures were
obtained. Then a meeting will be called |
when arrangements will be made to procure
q charter and formally organize.