The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-03-04
A STRONG PLEA.

We have the following letter from a
professor in one of the Virginia Col
leges, who is too modest to give his
name to the public. Indeed he states
that his letter is 'snot for publica-
tion,'' but it is SO clearly to the point
that we take the privilege of print
ing it. The letter follows:
Editor of the Times-Dispatch:
Sir:-I have noticed several referen-
ces in your columns to bill of Sena-
tor McIlwaine's, providing for the
Torren's system of registration of titles
to land, and I write to say that I think
you are doing great service, to the
agricultural communities at least, by
the intelligent and thorough manner
in which you are advocating this
measure. I have had large opportuni-
ties for the past fifteen years of OBJ
serving the development of agriculture
in Virginia, and I do not hesitate to
say that if sound, we'll drawn measure
providing for this system of land
registration is passed, 1t will do more
for the real business development Of
those who own agricultural lands,
than all the measures combined in
tended to aid agriculture which, have
been put in force in this State for the
past fifteen years. The farmer has
long rested under grieyous disadvan-
tages which I do not presume were in
tentionlly laid upon him, but he is
conservative and seldom reaches out
after new things, consequently, while
other people have looked after their
interests he has been content to plod
on, and as result has grasped very
little of she benefits that have come
from the great industrial awakening.
The enactment of such a law as
this, will at once make him the peer
of other people in regard to the
availability of his property for credit,
and will enable him to furnish
promptly, the absolute assurance OF
the perfection and inviolability of his
title when he wishes to dispose of the
same.
You cannot overstate the Importance
of these facts and I certainly hope that
you and other like public-spirited
writer's will press this question until it
reaches a favorable issue at the hands
of our present legislature.
We do not see why there should be
any hesitation on the part OF the Gen
eral Assembly to pass this bill. There
is nothing compulsory about it. It
simply gives to each and every land
holder, who desires to register his
land and take advantage Of the pro-
visions Of the act, the privilege Of do
ing so. At first it will probably impose
some little cost upon the State, but it
will be slight, and there is every reason
to believe that in a short time the act
will be revenue producer. The Tor
rens system is not an experiment. 1t
has passed the experimental stage. 1t
has been tested in other lands than ours
and in some of the States of the I'm
ion, and it has proven itself to be emf
nently successful. In Massachusetts it
has grown in volume and is growing
in favor all the time. This system in
Virginia would clear up many cloudy
titles, but above all it would give to
every land-holder who should register
his land certificate which he could
use much the same as a bond. Many OF
these bonds would be negotiable at
bank, and could be used as collateral
upon which to borrow money and save
the fees and the trouble, and the red
tape and the publicity of land loans
under our present system.
We believe that the establishment OF
the Torrens system in Virginia would
do more than any one thing that the
Legislature could do to make real
estate more desirable as an Investment
and to enchance its value. Richmond
Times-Dispatch.
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