Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-12
.NEN LAN MUST
Be PERFECTED
No Doubt of Amendment of
Statute Providing For Col
lection ofvitaJ tatistics
REGISTRARS ASKING FOR BOOKS
Estimated That the Record Books Now
Demanded Would Cost Nearly $780,
900 - Reports Should be Made to
County Clerks Instead Of Direct to
State Board Of Health.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Sept II. When the
legislature gets together again it will
be asked to materially amend the new
law for collection of vital statistics.
The law has not got fairly started as
yet, but it is SO very plain that 1t Will
not work that there is no doubt OF
amendr ent. The law is a vast Inn
proven. It over the one abandoned, but
it is very imperfect. At various con-
ferences Of persons interested in the
law held recently the fact has been i'm
pressed on all that the reports should
go first to some county authority, and
then be transcribed and sent to the
state authorities If there Is to be a
record of births and deaths it should
be kept at the county seats as we'll as
at the ST.. e capital. But the present
law provides for all reports direct to
the state board of health.
.The proper plan,' said DR.. ]. F.
Kennedy of the state board, would be
to have the reports made to the county
clerks. and these officials should keep
the records in books prepared, then
send transcript of the record each
month to the state board. In this way
there would be complete record at
two places 1t has been suggested
that we now send to the county clerks
from thisAoffice a transcript of the rec
ords rece ed, but this physical I'M
possibility, and if feasible would be In
fact getting the thing backward. The
place for primary collection OF the rec
ords :. g.sS-s-sbe at the county seat. Then
this z-:would. deal with 80 persons
instead Of three or four thousand and
There are 2,400 registration districts In
the state and in the townships the reg
istrars have. the right to appoint at
least three sub-registrars. we must
keep an account with all of these. 1t
cannot be DONE"
It is estimated that it would cost
upwards of $4,000 to provide the rec
ord books which are being asked for by
the registrars. They feel that If they
are to kes,p records they should have
permanent books which will remain as
records in each township and town.
The law appears to contemplate this
rather than record books for each
county at the county seat. "a great
many of the registrars are writing in
asking to be furnished with record
books" said Secretary Kennedy. But
we procured estimates from book
makers and were informed 1t would
cost about $4,000 to secure these books
and place them in the hands OF the
registrars. There is no provision for
any such expense. In fact there is no
provision for any expense in connection
with the case Some of the doctors
are refusing to make out the reports as
required by law, claiming the state has
no right to require a service of them
without payment direct. But not very
MANY will take this view; since all
ought to appreciate the great value of
such a collection Of statistics as is
proposed. There Is a vast amount OF
work connected with the handling OF
the business here. The correspond
ence is large Many of the registrars
never heard of the law and are sur
prised at it. They get the blanks and
then write in asking all sorts Of ques-
tions which might be answered by a
study of the law and instructions. 1t
is all a new thing to them, and they
will be slow to apply the law. But the
matter is so orl'mportant that having
commenced We must try to perfect the
law and make it what 1t ought to be-"
The real trouble with the legislature
in passing the law was the conflicting
elements and views. The bill was op-
posed by the doctors and by others.
1t was kicked and cuffed about most
numerically, and to get it thru at all
the bill had to be amended and chang
ed until it was almost spoiled. But
the legislators are now familiar with
the law, and when they return will be
the better prepared to consider the
amendments on their merits. 1t will!
be impossible for the state board OF
health, with it's limited funds available,
to properly compile all the information
received and to tabulate results, but as
much of this will be done as possible.
In the meantime the legislature will be
asked to make material changes in the
law.
The weekly weather and crop report
for the past week will show that Iowa
has been wonderfully favored by the
weather, and that the corn has made
wonderful advancement. In fact the
season has been all or more than could
have been expected, and the indications
IRE that the corn crop will all be fairly
we'll matured. Director Sage will be
able to make report on acreage. yield
and quality that has never been excell-
ed in the state.
The coilaleral inheritance law of
Iowa is another that will have to be
amended at the next session of the leg
islature and the proposed discrimina-
ton as against alien land holders will
be stricken out. At present 1t is con-
teuplatad that in the case Of property
descending by collateral inheritance,