Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-06
Law as to Marriage
And Vital Statistics.
Delinquent Town Clerks Made
To Feel Its Meaning.
Peaks Island Water and Light Co.
Files Certificate.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council
Friday, Aug. 20, at 10 A. NJ.

From information given out at the
Office of the State registrar of vital sta
tistics it is learned that while as a gem
eral rule that portion of Chapter 81 OF
the Revised Statutes, the law relating
to marriage and vital statistics which
REQUIRES town clerks to keep chrono-
logical record of all births, marriages
and deaths reported to him or known
to him and to report the same to the
State registrar at specified times, there
Is a laxity on the part of some of the
town clerks in attending to that duty
which is not only a violation of the law
but also a source of no small amount
of hindrance to the work of the office
Section 80 of the law, as amended by
Chapter So, Laws of 1907, states in part
that 1.-The clerk of every town shall keep
q Chronological record Of all births
marriages and deaths reported to him.
or known To him, and shall, between
the 10Th and 18th of May, 1907, send to
the State registrar a copy Of the record
of all births, marriages and deaths Oc-
curing during the four preceding
months of that year, and thereafter
shall between the 10th and 18th OF every
succeeding month, transmit to the
State registrar a copy of all births,
marriages and deaths which have oc-
Cured within the month next proceed
ing, together with the names resi-
dences, and official stations of all per-
sons who have neglected to make re-
turns to him in relation to the subjec,
matter of such records, which the law
required them to make. all to be made
al ,p,1-S l,n .n1 ND F,,r
nlslled by the State registrar; and If
no births, marriages or deaths have &C.
cured in the aforementioned period OF
time or month, for whish returns are
to be made, the town clerk shall send
tine State registrar statement to that
effect"
1t would seem in the face of the fore
going section that the duty of the town
clerks was plainly enough expressed,
but nevertheless there are in the State
quite a number of them who neglect to
send in their monthly report while
others have allowed it to run over two
ana three months, although they have
been notified by the registrar of their
failure TO comply with the law. There
is remedy, however. and this consists
of the placing of the case by the State
registrar in the hands of the county at
torney of the county in which the de-
Hnuuent town clerk resides, and which
action may be followed by prosecution.
Several town clerks, who have persis-
family neplected to meet the require
ments ot the law have within the past
few days found themselves in this posi-
ton ana some delayed records were re-
ceived at the registrars office yester-
day morning, having been secured by
the county attorney of one of the cOun-
ties of the State. The penalty for vio-
laton of the law by neglecting to send
in monthly records is given in the fol-
lowing section:
Section 81. If any person shall
Wilfully neglect or refuse to perform
any duty imposed upon him by the pro-
visions of section ten or of the nine
teen last precf ding sections, it shall
be a misdemeanor, and he shall be
fined not more than one hundred dol
lars for each otfense, for the use of the
town in which the offense occurred, and
the state registrar shall enforce this
section MS far as comes within his pow
ee; when the state registrar knows or
has good reason to believe, that any
penalty or forfeiture hereunder has
been incurred he shall forthwith give
notice Thereof. in writing to the county
attorney of the county in which said
penalty of forfeiture has occurred.
which notice shall state as near as may
BE- the time of such neglect. the name
of the person or persons mourning the
penalty or forfeiture, and such other
facts relating to the default of duty as
said state registrar may have been able
to learn, and upon receipt of such no.
tice the county attorney shall prosecute
the defaulting person or persons
Among the corporations which We're
chartered under special act of the
last Legislature and have filed their
certificates of organization at the
office of the secretary Of State is the
Peaks Island Water and Light Co.
which was organized at Portland on
Thursday, July 80. under charter
which was approved March IA. 1907.
The purposes of the corporation are
to supply Peaks Island, in the city of
Portland, Cumberland county, with
pure water, and to that end to acquire,
purchase and hold real and personal
estate necessary and convenient there
for, and to erect and maintain reser
voirs and lay in and through the ways
and streets of Peaks Island and to
maintain and keep in repair all pipes
and aqueducts necessary for the
purpose of accumulation. conduct.
discharge, distribution and disposition
of water and forming proper reser-
voirs thereof, all to be done in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the
charter
The capital stock of the corporation
is 10000, of which the sum of $500 is
paid in. and the par value of the
shares is 800 each. The names and
residences of the shareholders. to-
gether with the number of shares
subscribed for by each, are as follows:
Edgar f. Rounds of Portland, one
share; Emma Rounds of Portland. one
share: Walter s. Crandall of Port
land one share.
Edgar r. Rounds is president anC