The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-05-10

cred sufficient So thnt though the re-
ports of physicians would Boz valuable,
and would ensure accuracy in this IL
rrctiuu. tb, statistics would not bc COM
rlcto by uuy means.
Dr profit does not consider that the
present law sufficiently covers the
ground and be- strovo To- get bill pass
ed by the Legislature which would en-
able the Board to obtain proper statis-
ties. hut like any measure which was
likely to be of practical use, It was very
promptly shelved by the Legislators.
though favorably reported upon in COM
mittee There is nothing surprising in
this Did not the majority refuse to
consider loan bill and then leave the
finances i'm a chaotic state. We shall
have two years of trouble and two
years of set back But this by the way.
The Star does not think as DR.. Pratt
does upon the existing Board of Health
act 1t may be clumsy but it can be
made to reach those who fail to report
The law as to reports by individuals"
seems to be explicit enough. 1t reads
as follows
Section $685. 1t shall be the duty of
the father of each and every child born
i'm the Republic of Hawaii; or If the
father be absent from the country at
the time of the birth, or not living, or
if the child be illegitimate, then it shall
be the duty of the mother of such child
within thirty days after the birth of
such child, to notify the Registrar of
Births, Deaths and Marriages of the
District in which such birth takes place
of the date of birth, sex, name of such
child, If named; the names of the
parents of such child, whether it is
legitimate or illegitimate, and the local
ity of the birth
1t shall also be the duty of every
physician who shall attend, or be call
ed upon in connection with the birth
of any child in the Republic of Hawaii
within thirty DAYS after such birth to
report such birth and the other facts
relating to such child in this section
above set forth.
This seems explicit enough and by
section 81 any one "who shall violate,
or shall fail to observe or perform any
of the requirements" of the act shall be
fined, upon conviction before any Dis
trict Court a sum not to exceed fifty
dollars. This seems to cover both the
case of the physician and of the par
ents.
The Star always argued that if few
prosecutions We're brought under this
| act they would be successful and the
question of getting birth statistics, and
| the proper registration of births would
be settled once and for all. Why no
prosecutions have been made is not
clear. The machinery of the law is
there but it is not set into action. If
| it is never set in action it will never be
respected. 1t lies in the statute book
as King Log, but what is needed by the
| frogs in our puddle is King Stork.
The registration of birth is valuable
not only from the statistical point of
view, but there is a personal side to it.
Every child born in the Territory of
| Hawaii is an American citizen by right
of birth. No matter wha4 nationality
the parents may be, the child has its
American birth right. The certified
copy of such entry would be compe'
tent evidence If citizenship should hap
pen to be challenged. But as no regis
tration is made, it is going to be q
mighty hard thing to prove citizenship
when the child has grown into an adul
and moves away into any state on the
mainland, especially if the child is des
cended from some of the alien races
which are denied the privilege of ac
quiring American citizenship. A few
prosecutions would seen teach the par
ents of children the necessity of regis
tration and the present absurdity o
twenty-four births for a city of 1000
, would cease to exist.