The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-25
TORRE:NS
AND
SYSTEM

NOW lidl VOTERS dit bt5ihlAhh "
study state propositions to be voted
on November 3. the speech OF Hon.
Vim H. Murray on the Torrens land
system. stare question No. .. vii. be
VI lnter,l
Gentlemen: | desire to explain TINT
system of land registration known as
The TorreDs' Land system" sys-
tenn of registering TILES as distin-
guished from registering evidence Of
title such as deeds, which system
brings about our cumbersome, expen-
siye and uncertain abstract system.
The Torrens' system had Its origin in
Australia in 1854. 1t first came to the
United States and received official
notice by Governor Russell, of Massa-
chusetts. where II is i9 force in its
! fullest vigor OF any state in the Amer
lean Union; although It is in force in
modified form in the states OF Cali-
! forna, Colorado, Minnesota, Ore
con and Washington and by the
! Philippine commission and acts ol
congress- has been adopted IN Hawaii
and the Philippine islands, a copy OF
which last laws ! have in my posses
sion. j; was extended throughou. the
4 German empire by the code OF 1900
1t is also in Denmark Austria and
! Hungaria and most OF tho cantons oi
switzerland, the county OF London
England and in most of the provinces
of Canada; in fact, in my opinion lht
law as It Is in force in the proyinc'
of Ontario is the best on this cont
nent. II IS in force in some form
in all Of these states notwithstandin;
:. the stubborn opposition with which !
has been met by the abstract con-
panies and by land attorneys Whel
once understood Il Is irresistible, be
) cause Il Is the one law, and the onll
one with which am acquainted, upol
: which the richest man in the state a
well as the poorest in the state unit
their endorsements II Is true ii !
hurtful TO the abstract system AM
they fight it, II is hurtful to tn
land lawyer, and Of course, he fight
. it however, for the first generation
! II will assist the land lawyer and Civ
him an increased amount Of litigatio
that is. until the system is complete
ly Installed. after which a land sui
, involving title Is practically unknown
. Suits. OF course. will occur to fore
close liens for taxes and for the loa
of money, and also to probate will
and estates, but the title is at ever
stage known TO every citizen VIII
, can read-not so with the abstraC
system. BY the method OF abstrac
I ing generally in force in the Unite
/ states. everything Is uncertain and a
) tended with great expense. An
farmer or business man desiring
/. purchase land first demands Of IN
y land owner TO procure an abstrac
d which usually costs Sl-OO page VII
the minimum price of 5000; there
|. one page for every transfer, hent
s in the course OF a hundred years sa
a there may be 20 or 100 or more
these transfers each costing 30 cen
to $l00 a page; every step since n
. beginning of the sale OF that land
q recited in an abstract. A friend
{. mine recently told me of one abstra
d IN The state OF Kansas that cost nj
y 81 10000 There was an abstra
& made out in the City of Mexico a sho
, While ago that weighed 500 poum
4 and cost many thousands OF dollar
The next step of the purchaser Is
present that abstract TO lawyer al
"a retain him to look It over and rend
an opinion as TO the title The la'
yer does SO and gives an opinion IN
.e may be good and IL may be absoioI
n. ly worthless; the man goes upon y
land. (perhaps II Is unimproyed)
builds a home upon Il and after
Is fixed and feels that he Is safe
anchored once IN home. Years roll