The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-05-12
ToRREMs, sYsrEM.


Speaker MURRAY win never do a
greater service TO The state than to
insist upon the adoption OF the Tor
rens system OF land tiiiing In re-
cent issue The Leader trsred the HIS
tory of this Australian system Of pre-
serving titles. aud Speaker Murray
in his speech to the bin then before
the house OF representatives for con
alteration. showed the working OF the
system in detail In one particular
the system is peculiar where Il was
ever IN force no one mas ever asked
for It's cessation or made an intelli-
Gent criticism OF its workings.
Ia brief the speaker gave several
splendid reasons for It's adoption IN
the state al oklahoma, aud one might
be added--over IN the hidian country
where leases and land grants to tribes
are misunderstood. and where dishon-
est men have caused innocent inves-
tors to lose their holdings, the Tor.
rens system, established. would re-
move all danger, doubt and make a
title to land there the same as in
those states where the land was grant
ed direcf 10 the settler by the United
States
The speaker declares the Inaugural.
tion OF the T1rrens system would
place US where the titles would he as
good aud IN the same class as those
oi New York county the state of Mas.
sschusetts, os the province Of Ontario.
Canada And he Is right He is cor
rect again in stating the system has
no draw backs, save those who seek
70 adopt a portion of Il and try to
make IL conform with the old abstract
system. That is Impossible. for the
system was the creation 0i an idea 20
do away with the absiracting manner
20 handling titles II Is said. and The
Leader IS sure u is trne. that when a
certain valuable lot IN This city was
sold there were almost an hundred
transfers or liens TO look np. and the
services Of the very ablesl attorneys
were required 90 perfect the abstract.
20 say nothins Of weeks work by
one OF the best abstracters OF the
Southwest ia 1prrens' deal ten
minutes would have suificed. aud the
title would be SO plain ten.year-old
school boy could read and know It
was perfect.
So burdensome does the abstract
aystem become in large cities that
fiile Companies are formed, 10 simply
guarantee titles. and the one we have
in mind Is that OF Chicago, More than
300 attorneys are employed there each
dag. doing nothing save examine titles.
The company guarantees the purchas-
er. and he accepts same, never stop
ping 20 realize what a lax Il Is placed
against his title. Il IS estimated the
great guaranty companies 1f any city
are responsible for VI least a half
billion dollars worth of titles. and
when ore pays out as much as $4,000
it IS thought 10 be remarkable. and
can always be traced TO lack OF abill.
iy on tke part of one of the title ey.
perts, Tor they never guaranty a title
not good aud showing chain wen de-
fined
The speaker calls aiteniionto a title
in Mexico that weighed almoG 900
pounds, and 1t cost a fortune What
would be the result II, after prepar-
ing one like that Il was aseertained
the chain was Imperfect and title not
.aerchantableg2
Down in the sand grant part Of Tex
as title 10 iome OF the seven dollar
land cost fonS dollars per acre, and
Tie adoption of the Torrens system
was Imperative But they use only
such as they are compelled TO do. with
the result that the old system is in
reality IN vogue and the new only
misunderstood by the laiU
ln The making of progressive laws,
the state of Oklahoma mas been prom
ineni aud there should be no dissenter
Ia the making INTO statutory law the
use Of the Torrens' system Those
who preferred tho old manner cCNld
have the right TO DO so. bnt there
would be- 80 few An Year who would
think OF t lhat they would pass from
Tie contest without murmur Con.
Guiding. AIR Murray has stamped him.
self npon the history OF Oklahoma and
The Southwest. bur II he win be spon.
sor f9r the Torrens' system. he viii
haze accomplished his greatest good
to he people Torrens Is dead and is
hofifd ln the antlpodes, but his nane
is linked With commerce for an time.
As said before. he was great because
he wrought that which was good for
iufuntf