Evening star., 1926-12-18

| perts who have been conducting a
| survey into the administration of the
| Office of the Recorder Of Deeds of the
| District during the last several weeks,
a bill providing for a sweeping re-
organization of that office was intro
duced in the House yesterday by Rep
reSentative Zihlman of Maryland,
chairman of the District committee.
Details of the survey and the condi-
tions creating such congestion in the
office of the Recorder of Deeds that 1t
takes 1112 months at the present time
to have a deed copied there and re-
turned to the property owner were
outlined by Chairman Gibson of the
House subcommittee investigating To-
cal governmental affairs at the sub
committee hearing last night.
The provisions of the Zihlman bill
do not enumerate all the reforms list
ed in the recommendations of the eX-
merits wh@ made the survey, but 1t
applies general and broad reorganiz-
ing influence in the office. which VIII
make possible the execution OF most
of the improvements outlined, 1t was
said
CORPORATIONS organized outside the
District and engaged in business with
in the District, it is provided, snail
within so days after approval OF the
act file in the office of the Recorder a
COPY of its articles or certificate OIL
incorporation, with other formal docu-
ments The bill would prohibit any
corporation organized outside the Dls-
trict and not now engaged IN business
in the District from operating untll
after such articles or certificate OF
incorporation had been filed. Notice
as TO change of name, capital stock or
status of any corporation in any man
ner must be given to the office OF the
Recorder within 80 days after such
change. according to the proposed law.
The bin follows out the recommen-
dations Of the survey by placing H. SO
far as its finances are concerned, uii-
der the District government by proVlo-
ing that all receipts shall be deposc
tied in the Treasury to the credlt OF
the District of Columbia, ana tnal
annual estimates of appropriations Tor
tba government of the District of Co
hlmhia shall include estimates or ap-
nropriationsS for the operation ana
maintenance of that otfice
Three positionS for the office are pro-
yided in the bill-a Recorder, 10 pe
appointed by the President, pv anu
With the advice and consent or the
Senate. and two deputies. The record.
er's bond is set at $1,000 and that OF
the second deputy, who has charge
Of finances, at $4,000.
Mr.. Gibson declared that the survey
authorized by the subcommittee. ana
now complete, disclosed that the sys-
tenn in use there is about as anti
u,Iated as any that could be devised.
"Tbe office" he said, was on July
more than a year in arrears OF It's
work. At present 1t is now 1lH2
months in arrears. AT the present
rate II would take three years for II
10 reach a current rate OF procedure
with business.
No Record of Errors.
There is no record kept of error by
convists. The system used in COM
pairing is not up to date. After the
deeds are ready for presentation they
are returnable to the owner only upon
surrender of his original receipt for
the deeds and not otherwise.
This committee has had survey
made into the workings of this office.
Experts have been sent to Chlcago,
Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New
York. Philadelphia and Baltimore.
The systems there in use have been
studied. Certain recommendations
have been made to cover defects found
existing here.
"If carried into effect, these recon-
mendations will result in bringing the
work up to current rate and will save
$4,000 the first year and $30,000 an
nually thereafter.
"It is recommended that the section
Of the statute placing the office under
the Attorney General be repealed and
that it be put on an appropriation
basis. with civil service for employees.
Accounts at the present have to be
certified by the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia. It is recon-
mended that this be repealed and the
accounts be settled through the Gen
eral Accounting Office"
Further recommendations Of those
making the survey included installa-
ton of separate and continuous Sc
ries OF numbers for land records, chat
tel records and for miscellaneous pa
pers. Although recording of chattel
mortgages has already been done