The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-08-10
TORRENTS SYSTEM
WHICH HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY
THE FARMERS UNION.
1t Simplitie> the Transfer Of Land
from One Owner TO Another and
Lessons the Cost
Lessons the Cost.

Lessons the Cost
The State Farmers Union Il It's
late meeting in Columbia gave the
Torrens sy:tem OF land tenures its
endorsement and vii! ask the leGiS-
la;ure 20 adopt il q; It's next session
The following synopsis OF the law.
which We take from the State. vii!
Civ. our readers good idea OF what
n. system is and how j, would
work
..'he To-rcns system was devised
~ Sir Robert Torrens. and first put
INTO operation in Australia. where
Sc many modern political and leEiS-
la;ive reforms have had their be-
sinai: Ks. The system aoo!iShes
NOS; or all distinctions between real
estate AID personal property. and IT'S
chief object IS 10 remove the dill
cul;ies. delays. aad expenses Incl
den; 10 the transfer OF rea! estate
under the old English system de-
veloped our o. the feuda! tenu7es.
In Australia there IS registrar
| Office with whom the owner o!
,-.c; o: land. held BY the old ten
ure. deposits description OF bis
/ ,roner,v and obtains certificate OF
ownership The registrars office eH-
amines the title carefully and the
certificate guarantees its !eSa!!tE.
whether as absolute or with condi-
lions attached II the ;itle were 10
| a life estate. the certificate would
SO state. Each applican: for GER
| ,iGcaie pays small fee out Of which
! All insurance fund is created From
this fund the State protects itsel!
when title guaranteed by the reg
is,rar is attacked and the State Is
called upon 70 idemnify the holder
OF the certificate.
After the land owner has eIchans-
ed his rlunineats OF title under The
olaer system and received a certih.
cate from the registrars Office. ne
NAV transfer the certificate by en-
dorsenent as he would share IL
bank or cotton mill. OF course
be may pledge the certificate ioi
money borrowed as he would per
sonal security Registration in the
registrars Office with each transfer
OF the certificate is required. 10!
which a small fee is charged. The
necessity for the examination Oh tit
les. il will be seen is eliminated. be
cause the State guarantees the Ctl'
described il the certificate. and th'
expense and delay Of foreclosure pro
! ceedings are removed. because ;h'
certificate may be disposed OF ere
c;seIy as may certificate Of share'
in a corporation. The system. wit!
modification. has been adopted j!
Illinois. Massachusetts,. Minnessot;
tand possibly other state and also il
New. Zealand and several Of the Ca
madam provinces. The argument !!
favor Of the system is obvious. Er
cry borrowing farmer is familia
with the expense and difficulty at
tached 20 using his land as securit.
in a bank. 4 bank. on account o
the expense and delaps il foreclosure
. proceedings. is reluctant TO LENT
more than half or three-fou7ths o
, the value on :. small body OF .ea
estate: and when borrower ha
paid the cost OF examining the it'll
and drawing all papers. his :n'eres
j charges are in effect materially IN
i. creased.
One argument against the plal
al;hor..h based on the weakness o
human nature. is rot without force
: II may be said that he very Difficult
ties Of disposig OF lano. work 10 keel
. !. in possession sometimes o! mel
who would lose i; If they could sci
. i; as easily as they sell horse or :
hog. The manifest answer 10 tni
, is ,ha; ;he removal oc the oos;acle
10 the selling Of land would make /
more valuable. L:wyeTs and courts
, fees under the present system are :
heavy tax subtracting from the rai
ue OF the lind itself There fore a!
the land is made more valuable %:
incentive 20 hold it grows stronger
Besides. the progress Of societ,
ouSr; not 20 be delayed for the SAX,
OF the improvident man who can
not take care OF himself.