Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-05-09
TORRENS SYSTEM
HAS A HEARING
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
LISTENS TO ARGUMENTS.
NOT AS CHEAP AS CLAIMED
John T. kenney Makes Extended Dis
cussion of the Measure-Cites the
Experience of Chicago and MaEsa-
chusetts-Says the Theory Is So
cialistc.
Madison, May 8.

Senate bill No. 237 providing for
land registration and involving some
what of the theory of the Torrens
system, was before the senate com
mittee on judiciary yesterday for
hearing. Against the bill John T.
Kenney of Madison made an eXhaus
tive argument, reviewing the history
of the system in the various states
where it has been tried and urging
against it the facts and conditions
that have arisen out of it in those
states.
He declared first that the TOrrens
system is not possible in this country
where the people have come to learn
that the dictum of no one man can
be permitted to determine finally the
rights of ownership in property and
that no man will consent to a scheme
which in its operation may result in
depriving the people of their property
without due process of law.
| Mr.. Kenney cited the operation OF
the law in Chicago. He quoted from
irecords to show that the original cost
of writing the books in that city was
$500 UUv and that since there nave
been expended 100000 for rewriting;
that from 1899 to November, 1905
the payroll of the office amounted tG
102. 755.79; and that for this vast eX
pense there have been registered but
i 1,959 entries He further declared
that there is at the present time be
fore the legislature of that state &
bill appropriating $1,000,000 for a guar
antee by the state that the work Of
the registering officials shall he cor
rect This he said was socialism. o.
even worse, for it was in the nature
| Of a subsidy to a public or govern
mental function that is in competition
with private enterprise. Vested in
terests. he urged ought not to be thuc
put in hazard by the competition o.
| the state.
OF the operation Of the law in Mas
sachusetts, where it has beer
in force for ten years, he showed TIA
the cost to the state in that time
had been nearly 100000 and TO
this vast expenditure less than 1,50(
actual registrations had been made
or at the rate of about $1,000 per Ell
try, this being the charge agains
the taxpayers of the state to sa!
nothing Of the expense to the indi
viGua1s whose titles are registered.
He said the law has fallen int
disfavor wherever it has been in cp
Grafton and showed that instead Of th'
number of entries increasing as thu
system became better known the con
trary was the fact
! Mr.. Kenney favored regulation o
the business of abstracting and OF
tfered an amendment to a bill nov
before the committee providing 70
publicity of the business Of abstract
ing. and argued that control by tn
secretary of state or the railrOa'
commission would not be Objectionable
! In favor of the bill, Mr. Weeks 0
Milwaukee made a brief argument
declaring that the Torrens system i
bound to come: that none Of the OF
iections argued by Mr. Kenney wer
serious and that the right Of the pee
pie to a cheap and efficient system c
: registration should not be denied. II
argued that in time the records, II
, der the present system, will become
: burden upon the public because :
5 their number The biz will probabl
be commended BIZ the committe
: for indefinite postponement