The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-02-27

crushing a weak competitor by selling
In his field at figure below cost until
he is ruined. There is also coming In
to existence what is known as a fac
tors Agreements contract forcing
the buyer to take the entire line OF the
trust. That makes him a party to
the trust.
The English speaking people, how
ever, have been formulating spirit Of
Jurisprudence allowing all equal llber-
ty. If we allow the trusts to arbitra.
rily fix the output and the price Of
commodities they threaten the found
ations OF liberty. am for industrial
democracy. (Applause.)
For Rural Progress.
Prof. K. L. Butterheld, Of Ann
Arbor, spoke on "a Campaign for
Rural Progress. He urged the farm
ers to look out for the social side OF
the farming problem-to discuss the
betterment of intellectual and social
life as well as the purely technical and
the things that make for utility only.
He urged them to accept betterment
wherever they found it-whether It
comes from the city people, the
preacher, the newspaper editor, or the
''little red school house."
The Congregational choir, which
sang an anthem earlier In the evening,
and received applause, again pleased
the audience. DR.. r. j. Tick, at the
beginning Of the session, gave a bass
solo, which was also warmly received.
The Torens System.
Prof. James H. Brewster, of Ann Ar
Dor, spoke on the Torrens system of
registration. and transfer of land. The
system is named for Sir Robert Torrens,
of Adelaide, Australia, who got his idea
from the ease and simplicity of ship
title transfers, and modelled a land law
which is still in force.
1t is suggested as measure of reform
that the Torrens system be introduced
in Michigan. What is the need of a
change, you ask? Because the present
system is imperfect. The fundamental
feature of our present system is that the
title passes on the delivery of the deed
to any property. 1t is recorded, but be-
fore recording, must be properly proven.
The theory is that the records shall
show who the owner at any time, is.
Even if each deed Is correctly tran
scribed, there are so many other things
entering in, there is no such thing as
title by record. In the first place, there
is nothing to prove in the record that
the deed is delivered, that is grave de-
feet. The identity of the people is not
shown by the records. There are also
cases of forgeries which invalidate the
titles, as by the substitution of one pa
per for another. The records do not
deeds are made before proper officers,
and made by proper persons. For in
stance, if a man and the woman who is
supposed to be his wife, sign deed, and
it is afterwards proven she is not his
wife, the purchaser does not get clear
title.
If the wife of married man does not
join in the acknowledgment of the
transfer of homestead, the title is not
clear. Again. if the records show a
clear title, another man may be legal
owner by reason of adverse possession,
having occupied it the requisite num-
Der of years
Still another point: Ayoung man un-
der twenty-one can convey his property,
get the money therefore, spend it be-
fore he comes of age, and then get it
back without expenses this is true even
if he swears he is more than 81. The
record does not show his age. And a
e L.