The Somerset reporter., 1909-04-29
New Laws Relating to Births Mar,
riages and Deaths.

The Legislature the past, winter
made number of changes in the law
relating to marriage and the registra
tion of vital statistics. Among the
additions to the law is one permitting
non residents to the State to be given
certificate of their intention of
marriage on the same day the inten-
tions are filed or recorded. Until this
amendment to the marriage law was
made, there was no provision in the
statutes in relation to the marriage
of nom residents, and in Portland,
where most of the non residents are
married, the city clerk has given the
certificate on the same day the appli-
cation was made. This practice was
not contrary to the law because there
was no law covering these cases, ex-
cept it be by intimation. The law,
prior to its amendment, provided that
where both parties were residents of
the State or when one person was a
residential application must be made
five days prior to the issuance of the
certificate.
Portland is the Gretna Green of
Maine. Most people, from out of the
State, who come to Maine to be mar
ried, come to Portland because ii is
the nearest large city to the border
line. Very few stop at Biddeford or
Saco or any of the towns along the
line of the Boston and Maine. They
come through to Portland because the
city clerk or his deputy are always in
the Office and the certificate can be
of OF MT
tions are filed, the certificate issued,
city clerk within a few minutes of the
making of the application. Persons
from out of the State, who desire to
keep the marriage secret from their
friends or for any other purpose fire.
seldom that the secret is kept. The
law requires that the book in which
the intentions are recorded, be open
to public inspection at all times, and
newspaper reporters watch the book
for these cases. Frequently good
news stories are obtained in this way.
Two years ago the reporters, who
make it practice to examine this
book every day, were given "a hours
hard work running down what looked
to be an interesting story and then
lost it. Mrs. Leslie Carter, the act
tress, came to Portland on an auto
mobile tour through New Englao&
In the party there was an actor na0reo
Payne and on the day of their arrival
in the city there was recorded in this
book, the intentions of marriage of a
Mr.. Payne and a Miss Dudley The
initials of the Payne in the book were
the same as those of the actor who
was travelling with Mrs. Carter but
upon inquiring of him, he denied that
he was the man. The following day
he was married to Mrs. Carter in
Portsmouth, N. III. The fact that the
reporters did not know that Mrs. Car
ter's maiden name was Dudley threw
them off the track and they lost a
good story.
The Legislature this past winter al
so increased the penalty for failure of
residents OF the State, who have been
married in another State, to record
their marriage with the clerk of their
respective towns of residence, from
$40 to $40.
The provision of the statutes re-
quiring the registering of births and
deaths has also been made more
stringent. Parents are required to
report the births and deaths of their
children within six days of the occur
renee; householders are required to
make similar reports, the eldest per-
son, next of kin, is required to report
the death of his Kindred, and the
keeper of workhouse, house of cor
rection, prison, hospital, alnshouse
or other institution, and the master or
other commanding officer of ship are
required to report all births or deaths
happening among persons under their
charge.