Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-10-11
THE NEW LAW IN
VITAL STATISTICS
LOCAL HEALTH OFFICERS Be
COME THE REGISTRAR.
Reports viii Go to Them-DedthS.
Marriages. Births. Accidents and
Divorces Must Be Registered
Other Details in Connection With
the New Law.

The new law relating to the ccm-
plete aud proper registration of births,
deaths, marriages, divorces and acct
dents has just gone into..etfect. These
statistics heretofore have been filed
with the register of deeds of the
county within thirty days after they
had taken place.
Under the new law, register of
vital statistics is provided who shall
be associated with the state board
of health and shall have his Office
at the capitol. All such certificates
shall be filed with him. In cases of
death the attending physician is requir-
ed to make out complete record of
the case. upon blank giving details
as the age, condition and health of
the deceased, cause of the death,
place of burial, name of undertaken
and ether information. The health
officer 10 required to receive such
certificates before issuing a burial
permit and to receive from the sexton
within five days the return of the
burial permit. Undertakers. physi-
clans and midWives are required to
register their names and addresses
with the health officer, who is desig-
mated the local register. They are
required to file with him, within five
days, every birth. death or still birth,
together with all information
All ministers or magistrates are re-
quireu to file three days from the date
OF performing the marriage ceremony,
all data concerning the parties
included in the blanks to be filled
out. The county clerk is required to
preserve upon special blanks, the
names and addresses of persons to
whom licenses are issued, which shall
be delivered to the state register of
vital statistics.
If the persons go out of the state
to be married, they are required to
secure from the county clerk a blank
certificate which they shall file with
| the register of statistics, or health
officer, within ten days after their
return,
All physicians are required to re-
port to the register all accidents which
incapacitate person from performing
his usual duties OF life for peruld of
two week. Or more. All divorce courts
are required to file a complete state
ment OF each action on or before the
thu tieth day of September of each
! year.
This data is required in all details
to comply with joint resolution of
congress asking that the state pass
such a law. Accurate and complete
reports could not be obtained under
the old system, and the federal census
bureau states that: 1.-The county
system of collecting vital statistics is
an utter, absolute failure, and any
system that employs it can be known
from the start, before even the law
goes into effect, to be worthless in
it's results. There is not a single
exception In the United States Any
law that undertakes to collect the
statistics of births, and deaths
through county officials is foredoom-
ed failure from the start -
Under the new law, the register is
required to make complete reports On
deaths, births, marriages, and ac-
cidents for each month on or before
the seventh day of the following
month and it there be no deaths, he
is required to make such report.
Each year the state will file COM
plete report with the federal govern
menr for use in complication of the
census bureau and as stated in the
prospectus issued by the state cite
United States will have for the first
time in its history an accurate system
of vital statistics.