The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-25
THREE MORTGAGE TAX BILLS
REPORTED 10 STATE SENATE
--NEW SCHEME IN PROSPECT.
One Proposition Is Five Niill Tax AFTER
June Move for Torrens Registration
sysien--More Checks on Careless
Noters-To Protect Ulster County.

ALBANY. Feb. 24.--The Senate Taxation
and Retrenchment Committee to-day re-
ported to the Senate three mortage tax
bills. One proposition is to impose an
annual tax of five mills upon all future mort
cages after June | next. with the privilege
of permitting existing mortgages to come
in under the act Half Of the revenues are
TO go 10 the State and half to the county.
The other propositions are the Bostwlck
bills Of last year. imposing recording
tax Of five mills on all mortgages and e1-
empting them from taxation.
The committee hopes to be able, before
the session Is over, to agree upon a form
of new mortgage taxation which will not
encounter too much opposition.
Assemblrnan Prentice rep, y. V
has introduced a bill providing for the
introduction of the Torrens system of
registering land titles in this State. The
county clerks or registrars Of deeds are made
registrars of titles. Mr.. Prentice purposes
making a vigorous effort to have the bill
passed at this session of the Legislature,
or having a commission appointed to in
vestigate its workings He anticipates
considerable opposition to the bill from
the title insurance companies and lawyers
a
for titles
Mr.. Prentice says the advanta ges OF this
system are its Cheapness, expedition and
immunity from fraud, for instead Of having
TO wade through volumes Of records the
title and all matters relating to II can be
quickly found
Assemblyman Coutant introduced bill
which makes provision for the protection
Of Ulster county when New York city goes
into that county to get its water supply.
Mr.. Coutant believes that the city will be
permitted 10 go into the county and take
the watersheds in the Catskill Mountains.
His bill provides that all lands acquired
by New York city for its water supply IN that
county shall be assessed and taxed in the
towns whore situated. for State, county
school and highway purposes.
II has been asserted in behalf OF other
counties that the city takes the lands apd
escapes taxation or If it docs pay taxes
pays only on the value Of the land as it is
now, which IL unfit for any other use than
that 10 which 1t ia devoted. He makes
provision for that by providing that the
assessed valuation Of the lands shall not be
reduced below the assessed valuation at
the time the lands were acquired. until the
bonds and other Indebtedness Of the towns
and Ulster county are paid
Assemblynan Prentice introduced the
bills brought TO Albany by William Halpln.
BENJAMIN B. Odell's chairman OF the New
were approved by Mr.. Odell and are de-
sired by George W. Morgan, Superintendent
of the Metropolitan Elections District
One provides that false registration
shall be a felony punishable by not more
than five years imprisonment. Another
provides that an election district in New
York city shall not have more than 4o0voters
Another change in this bill provides that
In cases in which a man has registered
from a building and the owner or inmate
of the building denies the electors residence
therein it shall be regarded as presumptive
evidence Of false registration and can be
rebutted only in open court In cases
in which personal registration is demanded
the election law il amended to provide
that the elector shall state the year in which
he last registered or voted and shall sign
his name In one copy of the registry book,
Every naturalzed citizen must show his
papers TO the inspectors. In New York
city IL is required that person must sign
his name when he goes to vote or make his
mark, witnessed by two inspectors, Of OPP
posite parties.