The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-22
ST. PAUL REALTY.

Capital is loosening. for investment.
and the money offered for loans on real
estate exceeds the demand for same.
Real estate agents report inquiries
and number of deals under way. but
the closing of sales is slow and none
of Importance are ready for publication
at this time. @3~
The Torrens law governing the trans
fer of land and the registration of land
titles has been declared by the SUI
preme court of Illinois to be unconsti-
tutional. and therefore void
The opinion, written by Justice w.
Wilkin, and filed in Ottawa, considers
only one Of the half dozen contentious
raised in the appeal from the lower
court, namely, that the act confers
judicial powers upon the registrar of
titles or county recorder, in contra
vention of article 6, section 1 of the
state constitution, which provides that
judicial powers shall be confined ex-
clusively and without exception to the
courts This contention Is wholly sus-
tanned
The decision is unanimous, Justices
Magruder, Craig, Carter, Baker, Phil
lips and Cartwright concurring in the
opinion as written by Justice Wilkin.
The case is remanded to the circuit
court and judgment of custer is or
dered to be entered against Samuel r.
Chase as registrar Of land titles under
the act. Thus the effects Of the Chi
cago real estate board, assisted by the
best legal talent, persfstently exerted
for more than five years and brought
to bear on a commission Of inquiry,
two sessions Of the general assembly. a
county election and the state courts
end in defeat.
The immediate effects Of this decision
are: ss
Samuel B. Chase, as register Of land
titles created by legislative enactment,
Is out of office
The 100 certificates of registration is
sued in Cook county under the operation
Of the law are 80 many pieces Of waste
paper: .i- 81
The 81 $50 paid for these certificates
at the rate Of $15 each has been thrown
away.
Recorder Chase has on his hands a lot
of office furniture, bought and paid for
out of this $3.50, unless the county
beard chooses to take it off his hands.
Frank Scales and w. N. Holden, ap-
pointed examiners of the land titles to
assist the registrar, az annual salaries
Of $4,000 each, and all the other en-
ployes added to the recorders office
force for the proper handling of Tor
rens' law business, have been simply
working for less than daily car fare,
unless the county board be charitable.
The recorder estimated when the now
obsolete law took effect, that the an
nual receipts of the office would be
$42, 300, and that the, annual salary list
would aggregate $19,05e, SO it was stipu-
lated that the salaries and expendi-
lures should be paid entirely from the
receipts, and that the gross receipts
have been only the 81, $50 already men
tened. ~
The Improvement Bulletin contains
the following:
M. F. Craig, 300 Marshall avenue, Sc
cured the contract for improvements
in 2-stOry frame residence on Dayton
avenue near Avon street for the Con-
necticut Mutual Life. Insurance COM
pany. Cost $500.
Herman Kretz & Co., architects, are
preparing plans for a business block
to be built in Fargo, N. D. Speciflca-
tons; 50x100, 2-story, Portage entry,
red sandstone front, with plate glass,
iron beams and columns, gravel roof,
hard wood floors. hard wall plaster,
furnace or steam heating. Contracts
will be let for work to begin early in
the spring. Cost $4,000.
Geo. w. Thayer, SAC Marshall avenue,
secured the general contract to build
J. w. Wegman's residence on Charles
street, near Mackubin., Specifications:
plumbing, bath, maftel, loaded glass.
hardwood interior finish, electric wiring
and furnace. Kingsley & Williams,
architects. Cost $500.
Contractor Grant ehast completed his
contract on the state capitol foundation,
about month sooner than the contract
required. The commissioners have ap-
proved the job. 1t unexpected the legis-
ldture Will make a liberal appropriation
for the continuation of the work
A. Fall secured the general contract
to build w. T. Kauffman's residence on
Bates avenue near Euclid street. Speci-
feat ons: 30x46, two stories, frame, stone
foundation, with plumbing, hardwood
interior finish, mantels. CRATES, bath,
laundry and furnace. Cost $4,000.
J. M Cooley, 551 Broadway. secured
S. Lightbourn's residence at 323 Somer-
set street.
The following building permits have
been issued:
E. s. Lightbourne, 1923 Somerset ST., ad-
dition to frame dwelling. .yt1.5.0 $500
Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Co.,
Dayton near Avon, improvements en-
two-story frame dwelling. ........... 800
j. NJ Carlson, 154 West Fourth ST., one
story brick shop and frame shed =. 1,2OO
j. w. Wegman, Charles near Arundel
ST., two-story frame dwelling . $500
w. T. Kaufman. Bates ay. near Euclid,
two-story frame dwelling ............ 5000
RanI Eafafa Trans fars