Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-18
WEEKS WlNDUP.
Another Vital Statistics Bill Presented. Also
Several Petitions.

Last weeks windup was like that of
previous Saturdays, much for the presid-
ing officers and clerks to do and but little
for those of the members who remained
over from Friday.
The voice of the grange in remon-
STRANGE to any form of repeal, partial or
otherwise, of the oleomargarine law was
heard, Saturday. Mr. Briggs of Auburn,
presented these circumstances which rep
resented 27S6 names
There are now two bills before the gen.
eral court, each of which would provide
for amendment of the law relating to
vital statistics. DR.. A. G. Young, whose
work in the collection Of these statistics
has suggested several changes in the
present law, embodied them in a bill
which was presented several weeks ago.
City Clerk Dyer of Portland has now
drafted another bill which was put in
Saturday, by Mr. Whclden of Portland.
One of the provisions of this bill is that
physicians shall not return any causes of
death as heart failure DR.. Young's
bill provided for record of births, mar
riages and deaths in unincorporated
places. This provision is omitted from
the new bill along with other provisions
of the Young bill.
DR.. Young was seen by Journal re-
porter. He said: Il make no objections
to the amendments of sections 4, 5 and
but there are serious objections to allow
ing town clerks the discretionary author
ity as regards the transportation of the re-
mains of persons, who have died of infec-
tious diseases. That would be all right
in Portland whore the city clerk is
member of the local board of health, but
in the State generally the local boards of
health are much more competent to de-
eide as to what infectious corpses hould
be transportable and under what sanitary
precautions the transportation should be
permissible.
AS the law is now the town clerk issues
the burial permit but it is said to be an
open question whether the local board Of
health could not interfere Under the
last proposed bill DIR. Young evidently
thinks absolute power will be conferred
upon the town clerk to decide what infec-
tious corpses are transportable, and where
they shall be buried. The railroads
regulate the transportation pretty well.
their regulations in this State being strict
and effectual. AS regards the provision
to prohibit physicians from returning
heart failure as one of the causes of
death, DIR. Young thinks it would prove
imperative; that either specific cause
would be given, which would be incorrect
or that some other general term, as non
committal of ignorance as the term
heart failure would be used.
The judiciary committee, it is said, will
report the Carleton bill for a general fish
and game law, with but few slight
changes, the principal one of which will
be the provision that the forestry commits
sioncr shall be a member of the commits
sion of three under the law. This COM
mission is to have authority to fix the
time. place and manner Of fishing in the
inland waters of the State, and shall also
have control of the wardens, who shall
be licensed. The incorporation of fish
and game associations is to be placed in
the hands of this commission, each mem
Der of which is to have $1,000 salary, with
the exception of the forestry commits
sioner, whose salary is to be increased to
$1,000