The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-07
CHAPTER III.

HOW TIE TORRENS SYSTEM AZ
FEC,rs BUSINESS MEN.
We will now consider how the Torrens
System will affect business men, and our
View will extend to those In the country
as we'll MS to those IN the towns and cities.
THE HOMES OF BUSINESS MEN.
In the first place every business man
wants home. You not only want a
home, but you want Il home Of your own.
That early English authority, Sir Edward
Coke. great as n lawyer and renowned as
n Judge. announced this grand sentiments:
For u mans house is his cnstlc"; and to
THIS he added some Latin words "Et
domtis suh cuique tutissimn refugium,"
meaning. "and for every one his home
IL n place of safest refuge'--scntiment
cherished by the people and honored by
the law since the sixteenth century You
have the right, therefore, to be certain
that tho title to your homo is good. This
at least you should demand ,of the law.
And you may further demand that the
law shall not place any unnecessary OBJ.
structions in the way of your acquiring
n home. Our present laws not only fail
to give any assurance of title, but erect
many unnecessary obstacles In the path
of the home seeker by the antiquated,
complicated. slow, uncertain and costly
proceedings required for the transfer of
lands. The result is that capital invested
in real estate is not only sluggish, but
practically buried in many instances. You
feel this and hence you hesitate about
putting your money In realty. and until
you accumulate large means you do not
dare to buy your own home. Is 1t not
fact that many business man would
buy n home for his family, II he felt he
would not be Withdrawing that amount
of capital from his business absolutely?
Tho Torrens System will relieve you
from this anxiety. 1t Is a fact that CAPT.
tai invested in land under our present
laws is more or less absolutely with
drawn from business; and 1t is n fact
that capital so invested under the Tor
rens System will not DO so withdrawn
II you have any doubt about the latter
proposition, you have only to consult the
experience of business men In those coun-
tries In which the Torrens System has
been tried and is In active operation.
For instance, the statistics from Queens
land. where out of thirteen million acres
all but 1866 acres had been brought
under Its Torrens Act in 1892 show that
more than 4 per cent. OF all mortgages
were for sums not exceeding $500. and
that more than 2S per cent. were for
sums ranging from $500 to $3.50. If YOU
wish evidence from some countries nearer
home, you can consult the records In
Illinois. Massachusetts, and Minnesota. In
Cook county Illinois, more than $4,000
600 worth OF property have been reg
stered. This embraces 5000 tracts,
chiefly OF small values. In Massachusetts
more than slo.5oo,ooo worth Of lands have
been registered. and there have been
frequent transactions with every piece OF
property registered. The Minnesota Act
became operative intRamsey county three
years ago and $3.50 tracts, valued at
s6,25O,000, have there been registered,
with which there have been l,iOo trans
actions since registration. We can show
Won a massachusetts certificate involving
two lots upon which seven transactions