The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-05

FOR such endless Examinations of titles
| by experts ,,S
Sixth. The addition OF a merehantnpis
! quality to titles, rendering lands Market
\ able ann n source of ready commerc,hl
| credit for short loans as wen us si''i'i
| loans.
| Seventh. The enormous increase OF the
| banknble capital of Virginia, multiplying
| other writings.
Eighth Tho emancipation Of the owners
| OF small homes from the hands OF tne
| money sharks, who now charge outrl-s
| geous rates for small loails' as iiuNe
| also elsewhere shown
Ninth The FREQ development of the
| State by settling titles in Il comparatiye-
| ~ cheap, expeditions and most enective
Tenth The augmentation OF the reve eve,
I nues OF the state from the Increased
! value Of her lands.
! sEeventh. The encouragement OF mn
| migrngtion by the certainty OF good u
1 Ties
| or course 1t would be folly to expect
\ any such results absolutely free of cost.
| 1t would also be folly to expect all the
lands of Virginia to be registered at once,
| or to expect all the good results OF regis
| pution to be realized at once. The pro-
(, cess ought to be and VIII necessarily be
| SLOW. But let us do some figuring OF our
I own. The total assessed value OF real es-
| tate In Virginia Is S343, 790316. Everybody
| knows that assessments are generally far
| below actual values throughout the State;
I, but even taking the figures given, 1t VIII
| appear that Judge Phlegar's estimate OF
| the total cost of registration would only
| be about six and two-hfths per cent. of
| the present assessed values. The lawyers
of Roanoke charge one per cent. of the
value of the property for each and every
examination of title--and this lis an end
less tax. 1t would not take many trans
fers under our present system to equal
the cost of registration under the Torren5
System. ~.
clerks of courts throughout the Common
wealth shows that 1t cost the people
of Virginia no less than si2l,Sl0 for the
examination of titles alone In 1904. This
estimate Is based on an average cnatsc
OF SIC in the cities and IS In the counties
for each title transferred This was
nearly as much as was spent upon all the
public schools in the 100 counties OF our
State, and more than half of what was
spent for public education In every city
and county In the State. IL our, lands
had been registered under the Torrens
System that snug sum would have been
saved to the people. / do not say that
my figures are absolutely correct. but
j do declare that they present fair estl-
mate. Frequently the charge for n sin
gle examination of title will run mp, into
the hundreds of dollars letter was
read from a distinguished lawyer of
Southwest Virginia by an opponent of my
the usual charge of examining the tue
to tracts of 100 acres of land in that sec
ton of the state was from $50 to SD:
that for larger tracts the charge ranged
from $1,000 to 5000; and that he mad
known Instances in which 5000 had been
paid a fcw instances like these would
materially raise the average OF my esti-
mates, and enough can be counted on 10
satisfy any unprecedented mind that my
figures are not excessive. The Roanoke
charge of / per cent. would also mt the
average of my city estimates much above
the estimate of so: and consideration
of the Richmond charges is likewise con-
vincing that my figures are moderate.
Again. the registration OF title Is
PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT to real
estate. This statement Is made and can
be accepted without qualification. we
are however, accustomed to the use OF
these words in cases where they should
be severely qualified. We speak of build
ings and even OF fences as permanent
Improvements" to our lands But, con-
struct your handsome residence, erect
your ample barns. and build your best
fences. II YOU please: In few months. or
certainly In a few years, the plumber,
the timer the mason the carpenter ana
the palnter-one or all of them-must
be called into requisition. And the tax
gatherer Immediately raises your assess
Inent. so that instead of making "a per-
manent Improvement" you have in real
ity only invited a higher permanent tax
your land you have truly made IA per-
inanent Improvement to your property.
You have done something that will en-
dure as long as the Commonwealth sur
wives and as long as the reign of law
continues. You think nothing of spend
ing $50 or 500 on your barn or perishable
fences. Will you hesitate to spend SINH
lar amount, If necessary, for the acqul-
sitlon of perpetual benefit? The build
ings in Virginia are assessed at s147,9i9,599.
| If the people have thought 1t well to spend
that much for these so-called permanent
improvements, ii does not seem unreason-
able to suppose they might think 1t wise
| to invest even s22,6Ji o0o, or is per cent.
of the building assessments. to secure a
| real permanent Improvement to their
| lands And. please remember, as have
| already said, that no one will register his
| lands unless he thinks 1t Will pay. And
why should Judge Phlegar or any other
| opponent of the Torrens System object
| to the cost of registration? The bill leaves
| it entirely optional with every owner
| whether pr not he will register his
| property and if the cost Of registration
! will in reality be so outrageous, oppo-
| nents of the system ought to say noth-
| ing about it, but rejoice in secret because
I no one will register and the bill will Kill
| itself most effectually.
! But let us apply Judge Phesars argu-
| ment to other cases Take the case OF
| the railroads. for instance, The gross
! transportation receipts of all the steam
TdIiIoduS III tlie ol.itc III lsVo was Sol,olo,-
| 953. Think OF it! How can the people
| stand 1t? There was q time when there
| We're no railroads in Virginia. A states
| man using Judge Phlegars line of argu-
| ment might then have said IF you are
| silly enough to charter these railroads
| and allow them to do business in Nir-
glnia, tell you the time will come when
| they will wiring from our defenceess peo-
| pie in a single year, more than enough to
J pay the whole State debt! And what do
| you want with railroads, anyhow? Can't
| you get about fast enough In your OK
| carts?" This line of argument might have
| been hurled against every achievement of
| modern civilization and be opposed to
| every suggestion for further progress.
K And while we are considering the cost
of the Torrens System according to Judge