Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-03
PENALTY FOR
not RECORD
Ing BIRTHS
and DEATHS.
Secretary Of State Board Of
Health Gives Details
Of New Law
Records Of This Kind May
Have Future Value
to Heirs Etc.

The last legislature passed Senate
Bill No. 222 creating bureau of vital
statistics. This made an entire rev.
olution in the manner of collecting
and reporting births and deaths. The
necessary blanks for putting the new
law into effect are under preparation
and will be placed in the hands of
the county auditors for distributing TIC
the local registrars early in jan
uary.
The system heretofer in force in
which all reports were supposed to be
made to the county health officer and
by the county health officer to the
state health officer was found wher-
ever it was tried to be failure. The
bureau Of the census, Washington, D.
c., after careful consideration prepar-
ed a standard form which has been
adopted by many states. Our North
Dakota law is framed after this mod
ell. The Importance Of complete, ac-
curate and uniform records of births
and deaths have long been recogniz-
ed by statisticiann and students of
sociological problems as well as by
those directly interested in the cause,
classification and cure of disease.
That people generally do not so fully
appreciate the value Of such records
is amply demonstrated by reference
to past returns. The registration Of
it's birth is valuable inheritance to
| which every child is entitled and
some Of it's most valued rights and
privileges may be placed in jeopardy
or entirely lost If this is neglected.
Upon death record nay hang very
weighty problems of inheritance or lit
igation. AS our country grows older
these will increase in Importance. 1t
i devolves UP on the state, therefore, to
devise methods by which the interests
OF it's dependents may be protected.
That the public may know the prin-
cipal provisions Of the act and have
a proper conception of what is requir.
ed of them, the following may be of
interest and value.
. Each incorporated village, city or
township constitutes a primary regis.
tration district and the clerk Of each
shall be local registrar, with authority
to appoint a deputy who shall take
charge of his registration duties dur
ing his absence, illness or disability
He is also authorized to appoint suit
able persons to act ais sub-registrars
who are subject to the supervision and
control of the state registrar. In an
unorganized township the state regis.
trar may appoint someone who is
capable to act as local registrar The
duties of the local registrar are as
follows: He must carefully examine
each certificate OF birth and death
when they come back and see they
are made cut strictly in accordance
with the provisions Of the act and the
instructions of the state registrar. II
any certificate Of death is. incomplete
or unsatisfactory in any way 1t shall
be his duty to call attention to the de.
feet in the return and he shall with.
hold issuing burial or removal per.
NIT until the errors are corrected. II
the certificate is properly filled out
he will then issue burial or remov.
al certificate. Provided that in case
| the death occurred from some disease
that is held to be dangerous to the
| public health no permit for the dis.
position Of the body shall be granted
except under such conditions as may
be, prescribed by the state and local
boards Of health. II the certificate
| Of birth Is incomplete or unsatisfac.
tory he shall Immediately notify the
/ informant and require him to supply
| the missing items if they can be OBJ.
tadned- He is required to number
the certificates OF births and deaths
consecutively beginning with No. /
for the first birth and the first death
in each calendar year and sign his
name as registrar. On the fifth day
Of each month he shall send to the
state registrar all the original certif-
Gates registered by him during the
preceding month. II no birth or
death has occurred during the month
It viii be his duty to report the fact
to the state registrar on the blanks
provided for that purpose. When a
child is born It shall be the duty Of
the attending physician or midwife to
fi,e q certificate Of birth properly and
completely filled out, giving all par