The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-23
Clinging to Traditions

Clinglng to Traditions.
Mr.. B. II. Griswold, Jr, of Baltimore
iawyermenber Of the firm Of AleSan-
der Brown and Sons, bankers, has con-
tributed to the Sun the second OF a
series OF articles on the Torrens Land
Registry System. Mr.. Griswold In this
article takes his readers into the clerk $
office of Baltimore city ana shows him
sixty or more clerks laboriously copying
and i1dexing into large volumes oil deeds
and conveyances for record and COM
pairing them with the original. There are
30 many such records and SO many books
Of record that the city Is blocked out
on maps In one end Of the room and
indexes are found ut. the same end. He
points out numerous lawyers seated
about the room and engaged In the work
OF searching titles. He follows the work
Of the lawyers and shows Its tediousness
and the difficulties which they experience
in going back from one deed to another,
back, back, back, until the original
with exceeding care, for any defect over
looked will be a fatal blunder.
but the lawyers who arc doing this
work to-day will be followed within a
little while BY others who will go over
the same ground and they must con-
linue to go, ana so again. rs often as the
property changes hands. Every purchaser
of lot, whether there be ten, twenty
or forty such purchasers, will employ
ii!s%ow, lawyer TO trace back over the
same deeds for a title which has stood
lnchallcnged for half a century. He must,
do this in order to satisfy himself that
his own particular lot Is clear.
I'm the Record Office of Baltimore city
for the year 1904 the number of deeds re-
corded and assignments in the nature of
deeds was 1861; mortgages. 6,las and
many miscellaneous papers, bringing the
total number up to about 2s, exclusive
OF the chattel mortgages. corporation
charters. etc. The Office employed IS
men, practically all Of them working
day after day in copying and comparing
the deeds and in indexing them The re-
ceipts OF the Office from fees charged
for recording amounted to s74,Dl2.a5 and
the expenses STo,119.H. This Office is
well conducted, is in charge OF COM
petent man and has an efficient force.
The fault lies in the system, not in the
men who are employed to work under It.
.'But note the increase IN this work In
Baltimore city (or county. as 1t formerly
vas) about Is large volumes contained
copies OF all. the deeds fled for record
from 1850 to 't75D: h1, the year 1904
nlone ,norH than 800 instruments OF
title were recorded covering about. Gs
volumes OF great weight. In the last
year, therefore the title record moro
than doubled tina, OF approximately the
fr1t 10 years OF the existence OF this So
called syytecl
when We figure that this IS done for
every transfer or mortgage loan made
mon III. thirty or more houses in every
lot" SAYS Mr.. GriswoIc, "and multiply
the number together we obtain some idea
of The s-nrnenss amount OF useless labor
that the system demanded IN the past
and Will demand IN the future, unless
come radical change !. rnnde."
That IS true In more or less degree In
Richmond, and IN every city and county
.u the s.g.e Of virginie- II Ia the same
Old story eTsrywhere. Titles arc ex.
.r,,ned. deeds are recorded and this may
r.. done whenever there IS Il transfer OF
property. and there ara fees a. cycsS
turn why in the name NJ common seli&e,
Go we keep /. M? Simply bf"'ulse OF our
hsbit OF c!inging to o.l CUSTOMS ard ira
dtlons; s,rn9!y b.causo "e are lEciEe ced
against any new de7artsra frnn Me Way
In which our fathers walked; simply be-
cansc we have got the imorcssoIn deer
rooted thai That Is the only wHy 10 lead
ou- .jtlos clear. But It 10 not The only
way. The Terreas System offers iel!e!