LAND TITLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19260, 26 August 1924, Page 5

LAND TITLES.

AMENDING BILL PASSES COUNCIL. The Land Transfer Compulsory Registration of Land Titles Bill was passed by the Legislative Council last week. The Attorney General, Who had charge of the Bill, said it proposed that the land of the dominion, which was not at present under the provisions of the Land Transfer Act, should be brought under it by a process of examination of the title by registrars without payment of the usual fee. •Since tire year 1871 all Crown grants had been issued under the provisions of the Land Transfer Act, except those which were the subject of antecedent, consideration of the Crown. The result was that 70 per cent, to 80 per cent, were under the provisions cf the Land Transfer Act. The process of registration of dealings which had continued since the foundation cf the colony had, Sir Francis Bell said, become exceedingly onerous and cumbersome. The long tracing of documents made the ascertaining of titles a difficult and responsible process. The accumulation of volumes in every registry had become very great indeed, and in each registry to-day there were complaints about safe accommodation, and the facilities for obtaining (ihe volumes from the safe for examination. Tliis difficulty did not concern land transfer titles.

The Bill, ns introduced, proposed that the minutes of the registrar showing what the defects wore should be open to the public, but that had been altered, so that the minutes should not bo open to anyone except the registered owner, unless by order of a court. That would prevent the levy of blackmail. Sir Francis paid a tribute to Mr Nalder, the Registrar, for his exceptional gra-sp of the requirements, and his draft of the Bill.” The Hon, G. J. Garland welcomed the Bill. Sir Francis Bell, in reply to a Question by the Hon. H.. L. Michel, said that far from the Bill injuring a weak title, it would very greatly help a real owner to gain possession of his land.