The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-10-23
State Question No. 2 4
The 7onens Systems
M M "a Sc ass * M M 4. 80 81 s. s @ aA M aa Sc 81 rs &.


Now lha, voters are beginning to
study state propositions to be voted
IN November 3. the speech OF lion.
Wm. II Murray or TIC TJ>rens lana
system, siate question No. 2. vii. be
Il Intert,i
Gentlemen: / desire 10 explain that
system Of land registration known as
The Torrens Land system" sys-
em Of registering titles as distin-
uished from registering evidence Of
.ltle such as deeds. which system
brings about our cumbersome, eXpen-
siye and uncertain abstract system.
rhe Torrens' system had It's origin in
Australia In 1854. II first came to tie
United States and received official
aotlce by Governor Russell OF Mnssa-
,husetts, where 1t is in force in its
ullest vigor of any state in the Amer
lean Union: although It is in force ia
modified form IN the states of Caa-
ornia, Colorado, Minnesota, Ore
gon and Washington and by the
Philippine commission and acts OF
congress has been adopted in Hawaii
tilu Aut IHlilDDlnt loA0AAo0f a WY Va
which last laws l have in my posses
zion. II was extended Throughout. the
German empire by the code Of 1900.
is also in Denmark. Austria ana
Hungaria and most of the oantons of
switzerland, the county OF London,
England, and in most of the provinces
VI Canada: in fact in my opinion The
law as it Is in force in the province
II Ontario is the best on this conti-
rent. 1t Is in force In some form
n all OF these states Notwithstanding
he stubborn opposition With which it
las been met by the abstract con-
anies and by land attorneys. When
lnce understood it is Irresistible, be-
ause It Is the one law, and the only
ne with which ! am acquainted, upon
Which the richest man IN the state as
yell as the poorest in the STATE unite
heir endorsements II Is true il is
lurtful to the abstract system and
hey fight It, Il is hurtful to the
and lawyer. and of course, he fights
{; however for the first generation
t will assist the land lawyer and give
i'm an increased amount of litigation
hat is, until the system is complete
installed. after which a land suit
INVOLVING title is practically unknown
suits, OF course. will occur to fore
lose liens for taxes and for the loan
4 money and also 70 probate Wills
md estates, but the title Is at every
tage known to every citizen who
an read-not so with the abstract
ystem. by the method of abstract
ng generally in force IN the United
States, everything is uncertain and at
ended with great expense. Any
armer or business man desiring to
purchase land first demands of the
land owner TO procure an abstract,
which usuually costs Sl.OO a page with
the minimum price of $500; there Is
one page for every transfer, hence
in the course of a hundred years say
there may be 20 or 100 or more of
these transfers each costing 80 cep..
10 Sl.0D a page; every slep since The
beginning of the sale OF that land Is
recited in an abstract A friend OF
mine recently told me of one abstract
in the state Of Kansas that cost him
$l,i0000 There was an abstract
maui Dhl III tue AilA Nt htNIAe "A oNhll
while ago that weighed 500 pounds
and cost many thousands of dollars
The neNt step OF the purchaser is TO
present that abstract 20 a lawyer and
retain him to look il over aud render
an opinion as to the tile The law
yer does so and gives an opinion that
may De good and il may be absolute
Is worthless; the man goes upon the
land. perhaps II is unimproved) he
builds a home upon Il and after he
( Is fixed and feels that he is safety
anchored once In a home Years rolled
by; a defect IN the Title Is discovered;
the real owner sued him for posses,
sion be goes into court. Is defeated
in the first trial he sells some of his
personal property and appeals the
case and hires additional counsel; he
loses again and goes to the supreme
court whore he loses not only the per-
sonal property which he had to spend
for attorneys fees and court costs. bnt
loses his case and his home This Is
/ NOT overdrawn. huadreds os occur
rences Of this kind have happened, !;