The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1905-06-27

FREDERICKSBURG VA, TUESDAY, a7, 1905.
TORRENS LAND TITLE SYSTEM


BY Eugene &. Massic.
The real estate of Virginia il assessed
at 3l3T millions, or nearly three times rs
much as all the personal property return
ed for taxation IN the State.
You can sell your personal property or
borrow money on it quickly and at little
expense. You don't have to employ u
/ lawyer to examine the title to your
! horse or row, nor t0 your oats or hay,
nor to your stocks and bonds
II You try tO sell yonr land or qorruw
money on it, the first question Is: Have
you got u good title3
No one will buy nor lend you money
without being satisfied about your titlr.
I 1t must be examined 10y lawyct, and
you have To pay the bill.
/ Ii doesn't matter how often the title
has b,rn examined h,fon. il has tu he
r..eXamiued every time Il new deal Is
made.
The same old records ar examined
Overland over again, and every time you
have to pay the bill.
IL take days or weeks to make the eX-
animation, and sO many difficulties an
encountered that business men frequent
/ ~ haven't time to bother with trans
action involving so many problems.
All this makes land hard and slow 10
handle
The TOrrens System will convert your
/ lands into "A quick asset and make them
available ~ a source OF commercial credit.
IL operates in the following manner
lst. 4 title is examined once officially.
and confirmed 10y order OF court. That
ends the matter.
ID iou arr then given certificate ui
title, which guarantees to all the world
that YOU have such title ~ il Sct forth
Therein To lands therein dcscribed-lOr
example. II life estate, or lee simple. IN
whole or in part, frT from cncumhranos
or subject To such encumbrnccs as an
mentioned in the certificate.
Id You can deal with this certificate
oi title almost AZ freely as with a Ger
tifeate OF stock; beause everybody can
49,. from the thecrtiiicateeXactly what your
| title il.
This will put your real estate on a
footing with your personality. and will
add millions 10 the business capital ol
Virginia.
The Torrens act will help the farmers
and everybody who owns real estate in
the country, AZ we'll a. in the city.
! It will kill the business Oi he land
grabler in Virginia.
! IL will enable the State To collect its
taxes promptly, aud no mans land.
when Registered can be- sold fOr dein-
quent taxes without his knowledge.
1t will help everybody who deals in
real estate.
IL will lessen the cost ot transactions
in real estate. stimulate and enlarge the
market. and thus Increase values; and
when poor man buys a home he will
get good title To it and no one can
| take it away from him.
II will invite development of the whole
State by settling titles. And it will in
yite immigration, because strangers Will
not hesitate 10 buy such guaranteed
titles.
The Torrcns System is no experiment.
II has been tested in Australia since
! 1858, and il in operation in London
and other portions OF England, and
many Of it, provinces, including portions
OF Canada.
1t has also been adopted in Illinois.
California. Massachusetts. Minnesota,
Oregon, Colorado, the Philippines and
Hawaii. And Iowa. Michigan. Rhode Is
land, Wisconsin, Georgia. Kentucky,
Maine. Missouri. New York. North
! Dakota. Pennsylvania. Tennessee.
Texas. Washington and West Virginia
are considering il, and taking steps Tor
its adoption.
II Virginia wishes to keep up with the
march OF progress she must do justice
to her land owners. The spirit OF our
! land laws is the spirit OF mediaedyal op-
preston and restriction. We are living
under superannuated system, orig
| mated by Norman lawyers under VIII
liam the Conqucror, and venerable only
AZ an antique relic of n past age. teu-
| dial methods are not suited to this age.
Laws made when lands Were held under
royal grants and sold for ten cents an
acre are not suited to the business meth
ods and commercial requirements OF this
day and generation.
See that every candidate for your vote
il in favor of the TOrrens System. Sup
port no one who opposes it.
Ii il entirely voluntary, not compul-
sorry. 1t simply gives you an opportun-
ity to registeryour landsi il you shouldse
fit to do 80.
There il no valid reason why any one
should object.
Sections 100 of our new Constitution
especially authorizes the Legislature To
adopt the Torrens System IN Virginia.
1t has been approved by the Virginia
State Bar Association, the Bar AssOcia-
ton of Richmond, the Virginia Bankers
Association, the Virginia Board ofTrade,
the Virginia Real Estate Association, and
the Chamber Of Commerce OF Richmond.