Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-05
OUR VITAL STATISTICS
Proposed to Compel the Regis
tration of Births.
GERMAN SYSTEM DESCRIBED
Some Requirements of the British
Laws.
HALF-BREED AT WEST POINT
Size of the Vocabularies Used by the
Average Acknowledgements
Printing Offices.
AT WEST POINT
BY WILLIAM L. CURTIS.

Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
| Herald.
The District government is finally taking
steps to secure law to compel the regis
tration of births as recommended by the
census office. This ought to have been done
loLg ago. but 1t is better late than never.
! The District of Columbis Is believed by
| many to have the best government In the
| world. and it ought to justify that reputa-
1 ton BY setting a good example to the
| states and municipalities of the country.
| We have a good system for the registration
1 of deaths but have never required births
| to be reported as they should be. The new
| law, however. proposes to provide a more
accurate and complete registration of births
| In the District under proper regulations
and penalties.
| 1t would be good thing for the members
! Of the District committee to study the Ger
| man system. which is supposed to be the
best. No can be born, or die. or be mar
| ried, or be sick or do anything IN Germany,
without the police knowing all about 1t,
and in keeping the record he Is not treated
| as unknown and abstract unit of the
| population, but is regarded as an individual
| to be identified whenever necessary. From
| the day he is born until he is buried, his
biography is kept in most minute man.
ner by the registrar OF vital statistics at
| the police headquarters of the precinct IN
| which he lives When he changes his resi-
dence from one precinct to another ne rs
| required to give notice and his biography
| is sent along with him. In this way the
municipal authorities know all about every
| man. woman and child in the community:
| No servant girl can change her place OF
| employment without having the fact re-
| ported by three persons. her old and her
new employer and he~elf, and mechanic
| must give notice when he moves his chest
| of tools from one shop to another
| In Sweden Norway and Denmark per-
sonal statistics are kept with equal exact
| a census of those. countries. If anybody
| wants to know thS population 1t Is only
| necessary to call on the registrars ana they
| Will promptly report so many men, w tiana
| and children with their ages occupations,
| places of employment and all other neces-
| sary information.
The English System.
| In England the authorities do not go into
| such details and perhaps the British laws
would be more applicable to the District OF
| Columbia and to the United States general
| ly. 1 am afraid that the free and indie
| pendent citizens of the United States might
| consider the German system oppressive.
| but they could not complain OF the British
| law regarding the registration OF births
| and deaths. When a birth takes place 1t
| must be reported to the registrar OF the
| parish within forty-two days by % the
| father or mother of the child, or CD the
| occupier of the house, CD physician or mid
| wife (4) or some other person present at
l
! ties named must pay fine of forty shH-
I nngs Deaths must be reported within
| twenty -four hours by "a the nearest rela-
tive, (2) the attending physician. 60 the
| occupier of the house. ca the undertaken,
/ (5) any inmate of the house. II all these
| persons fail to make report within five
| days each Of them must pay penalty OF
/ forty shillings
| There are many curious laws In Eng
| land. II child is not vaccinated within
| four months after It's birth it's parents must
1 an Of ShiIlinGS Dr0dtlC4 a
certificate from reputable physician that
| he conscientiously believes that vaccination
! would be prejudtcial to Its health.
/ Failure to notify the board of health of
/ infectious contagious diseases is pun
ished by fine of forty shillings.
English Medical Fees.
| Medical fees are regulated by law, and
| patients are charged according to their
| supposed incomes a basis of the rental
! of the houses or apartments In which they
| reside. doctor may charge as much more
| as he likes. If he thinks he can collect the
| bill. but minimum is fixed by law for the
/ protection of both the practitioners and
| the public. The lawful fees are charged
| only among the poorer classes. The Brit
! fsh Medical Association fixes rates for the
| patient In a family which does not pay
| more than rs rent per annum he may
| charge two shillings and sixpence; where
| the rate is between G rs and ESQ he may
charge three -and-six, and above ESQ rent
he may charge five shiilings. In addition
| to this fee he may charge one-and-sfx. two
| shillings and two shillings and sixpence,
| respectively. for every mile more than two
| miles Travelled beyond his office or resi-
dence. The charges for night visits are
double those OF the day. The charges for
| attendance at childbirth are 81 So and
/ los shillings, according to rental. which
| fee covers at least one visit after the
| birth.
The fees of the other professions are
| fixed in similar manner An architect
may lawfully charge per cent the cost
/ of building and per cent the cost of
/ repairing; surveyors and similar profess
| sions are allowed similar fees. Auction
| GERS may charge per cent on the proceeds
| OF sales up to the sum of 10000 21a per
cent up to s2o. 900. and on above that u
per cent. Real estate agents get s per
cent on one years rent for letting houses,
| and az per cent per year the remainder
| of the term of the lease.
The solicitors remuneration act'' fixes
| the fees of lawyers In the same way but a
solicitor. unlike the doctor, is not COM
| PEELED to accept case for the lawful re-
| mureration unless he desires to do so. He
cannot compel client to pay any more
| but IL he considers the lawful fee too
small for the skill labor and RESPONSE
] btlity" involved in the case, It is lawful for
him to make an agreement for such COM
penSatfon as may be thought reasona Bile