New-York tribune., 1906-09-07
RUSH FORCERTIFICATES
Parents 7cith WOuld-Be Pupils Be
siege Health Department.

One OF the busiest of the city departments at this
time Of year is the Department of Health. and the
is that the opening of the schools takes
place next week. Three years ago the Department
OF Education made IL a rule that children who had
attained the age OF six years. and only those.
should be eligible for admission. Following this
there tremendous rush. so great that the
number Of part time pupils enormously increased.
and then the schools could scarcely accom-
modate them One Of the consequences was that
the rule of the Department of Education that
parents Of children should present induhitable evi-
dence that the boy girl. the might be.
actually six years old. and that he. She had
been vaccinated. was most strictly enforced.
Each year parents crowd to the Health Depart
ment at Sixth avenue and 55th street. and bring
their children. The bringing OF the children is
necessary. but as rule this is not understood.
This year certificates are issued in temporary
Office in the basement. Here DIR. w. II. Guilfoy.
Register Of Records, and a staff Of assistants sit
from a. m. until about p. m. each day. DR..
Guilfoy's staff is lamentably small for the work.
and this year he has had 10 impress into service
two OF the departments boOkbinders. labOrer and
driver. besides several policemen.
The entrance to the temporary office is on West
18th street and hero the line is formed. Yesterday.
at the height Of the rush. there long line.
tending from the door around the corner and down
Sixth avenue Many We're in line for hours
The schemes that these mothers, anxious 10 re-
turn 10 their household duties, tried on the sea-
Many OF the mothers had babies in arms
As soon as the offics opened the policeman
at the door took the name date and place of birth
of the child who first in order. This informa-
tion he wrote on a slip which sent to a clerk.
who quickly examined two indices-One arranged
according to and the other alphabetically.
If the name was found and the child proved 10 be
of proper age. a certificate issued, which read:
This is 10 certify that John Jones was born on
January ], 1900 according the records OF this de-
1a ~ M Or hat data
10 he.
If there no record OF the child's birth and
the mother insisted that il had been born in the
city she was told to get certificate from the
physician who had been present at birth, and then
20 return in three weeks time In the case Of chill
dren born IN some other country the parent was
told 10 get a copy OF the passport from the Gus
tom! House authorities or in the case of child
born in country like England, where no passports
are issued. 10 get some evidence from the old
country.
Parents try 10 play many tricks on us" said
DIR. Guilfoy. "and this is especially true of the
Italians and Hebrews. AS general rule families
are large among those peoples. and the parents are
anxious 20 get them TO school. where they know
they will be well taken care Of"
In this connection ii is worthy of note that New
York City is lamentably behind come cities par
tlculary Boston, in its method OF handling such
affairs. DIR. GuilfOy said yesterday that taking
the figures for 1900 there were only 200 births re-
own observation. that least 10000 or 1900 more
children were born I'm that year the city whose
births We're never recorded he said. The princi-
pal fault seems to lie with the doctors who fail
10 send report TO the Department OF Health
Efforts have been made punish such deIin-
quents, but the offence IS only a misdemeanor
which expires by limitation in two years. il is
hard 10 reach the guilty parties. In Boston the
recording OF births is in the hands of department
distinct Stln from NJ the health Department. having a
the births recorded. Here. while the recorded
birth rate equals about 80 a loo of the popula-
tlon. Or. Guilfoy is certain that It should be at
least 3 2 loo.
IL Is slow work issuing these birth certificates
cases day.
Upstairs there was another scene being enacted
at the same time II is where certificates that the
children have been successfully Vaccinated are is
sued. This is under the immediate charge of DIR
J. j. CTonin Three nurses stationed at the
entrance OF this department. who take the name
age and address OF the child and whether n is n
primary or a re,va:cination. In small room are
two doctors with their instruments and tubes OP
vaccine before them. The parent presents a slim
which she has received from one OF the three
nurses one OF the twO doctors on duty RAPIDLY vac
cinates the child, the certificate is filed out ana
the mother and her little quickly hustled
out Some 400 or 500 vaccinations are made each day