New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-24
Insurance Mems Brief Calls
Upon Legislatures to Aid
Fight on Conditions.
STATES REC0RDSAT FAULT
Only New England, Pennsyl-
vania and Michigan Have
Systematic Registra-
tion Of Births.

o. tEe association 81 Life Insurance Presi-
ccats appearing in q brief made public
NcSterdav
The brief wa. prepared for presentation
10 so legislatures of stat, which src
negligent in reco.Gine births ard deaths.
, This deficiency Is sci Gus drawback tie
Insurance companies say. IN th,ii pro-
posed war against pr-yo,.alie disesscs
IL is the idea of tie Insurance com
panies ultimately 10 prolong the lives Of
thci; stockholders b. the eradication Of
! the prevoHtsblc diseases. Their first step
IN tie campaign win be to urge the ;ates
- keep better records Of deaths. so that
tn' iaNaees Of the diseases many be a.
3 cu' tt"ly checked up.
, In i's brief the association quotes aI-
Uor.ues 20 show that the elimination of
prererta % diseases Nou,G mean ~ eco
romic sam Of sl.5p0 100000 e year -
! this country. The presidents g. on 70 say
mat Scient.tc knowledge il necessary IN
| order 10 make me prevention possible.
ana that IN their health agencies the
i,,e mo power and machinery 20 pat TINS
| knowledge 70 practical use. Yet the
cannot attacn estimated disease. They
: must have exact fisl:re.s ana data
Further. the brief state. epidemic ard
peStilence are suppressed only ~ tho in
mediaie application O.. preventive meas
ur,s ~ 'he exact time and tie exact piao.
Of the outbreak. The death certificate
oftc1, gives the first int!ustion ~ The in
vaSion OF community by pestilcr.ia, dis
eaes. death registration. not occasion
-.
/ rn,ts hcalc3 officers 70 attsck cTidcmlcs in
l.tAcir ind1iencr.
The brief not only points on; thai PIE
! NcLtab,c diseases are causing undue num-
ocrs Of deaths. but also show the exact
! location Of such undue mortality. the
| aees and classes oc persons affected and
The relation a. tho disease 10 season,
race. social lass. sex. poverty and other
conditions.
! Il cyactlv locat,s 90 eIrW, md casrts
tAc Jsttic n"ld for warfare. Vita. stats
tics" 4 ssVs. point 81 une.Ting finger -
the ssot AZ uhich the rcmed- shOulo tc
applied and rob direase prevention OF
the dangerous ana wss,.rul element OF
guess. !; makes possible the spplice-
ton 81 ou- remarkable scientific kncVl-
eoec at the proper place"
TIE question Why foaistc: births. q
also btoush, Up in III, associations brio.
Death registration without b.rth r'Gistrd-
tion. ~ y stated. Is Tx. an accurate 90
counting of expenditure without cons'd-
! Grafton Of income. THO register - births
would mean thai the birth. Dat OF bit
rarcn.aCc and other essential Information
ror governmental and Identification prr-
poses would be maGc matter OF on "a!
record.
Thcse records tic briei continue.
would make posslhl" the proper enforce
men, az school lavs. % tho ages - SCHOOL
chld-rn would be definitely known. hso,
( Tho laas affecting child labor would Be
made effective ana the children OF the
/ Door thereby protected. Lato- would be-
como safer b. tho clilninatio:. o. children
under LEGAL ego from all hazardous occi-
pations
/ ~ birth registration. fl IS pointed ont
/ that infection and mortality AMONG
vor-en could e prcrcf.tel md babies
saved b. immediate attention on III" part
OF existing agencies for Tire rollef of th"
/ poor. RMndnces also might be prevented
D. D-OElIl iL'NiCri hi'|"''''' ~ '''' 80
/ fcc,ed cves Of the newborn.
.p:rvcrtahic diseases to-d3v % - huge
! economical losses in TWO Va,s" IL" br,rt
/ states Through illness they keep eNpo.'
1 workers at home. thcrr5t rob ing u -."
ana tho world Of pa, oi 'holr ptodIrr
~. death they cGt -hO-t TIC car'~vs g..
] MANI persons who arc 10 tas'f c.ohbiHi'
/ prime
The presen; hnsnc.ai loss 20 THIS coin-
Nv through untimely deaths ~ 9nl} part
~ indicated % the &V0.o"oD paid ot,
In death claims. ctc.. c'cr, yea o. III
! Insurance policies.
| Tho brief quotes D.. Allan J. McIansn-
lin of tho United States i'rSiic Health
! Ser,-ice. that in the matter Of TYPHOID f"'c'
,lore me number OF lrevertahlc cas'
c,rh YEAR n the United state would
u,obablv reach 10 dln. and mat The death
,herr@roro that could lc avoided would
,o,sl SOD Or Mclaughlin estimated
,he eco5omic loss from the orc disease
n, not loss than s.Djrn.tto snnuai.t.
TIE hr,~r refers TO the statement IN tho
r.,o,, Of the National Conservation Com
mission or National vitality that 'he eco
rornic waste from preventabie dca'h
.vorv YEAR in the Un.'cd Statcs - aboni
q, tOo oocoo and that the economic vast"
frnr, nreyentable Hines Is s5".dD|o ever
,.o.. making "A .o;al annual economic los'
n, q 10 90. 90 or more than enough 70
nov N. entire expense NJ the fedora so' -
eminent
! Although this Lation has been ~ "Ns'-
! mr.. rnore than a hundred years and p2o-
/ u, health legislation has been agitated Tor
J r,,,.v-.hre.. vears. the hricf declare that
,bere are only eight states that have noth
h,,,h and death registration. The r"eisra
!. ior o- deaths however. il Appears has
,.rsA better throughout the United St,'ci
, ,..,r has the registration Of BIRTH.
! I, j. pointed out that while only eisE,
,t.tc. have sygtcmatio registration 81
,i,,ns-ft. Now England Stntcs. Prnnsyl-
ems. ana Nchiran-twenty-t~ states
h.,e odop,cd uniform registration u
oaa,bs making In IT. mortuary data avail
4 III. for intelligent comparison NTH those
., o,hcr statFs and Of N@iue in publ"
) health work.
Twelve other state nate new h"iioi"'
i.o.s on trial and give dennuc promise OF
,.,,er conditions. ThIee states have no
,i,s, statistic laws whatever Two states
have adopted. since 49,, now methods not
H. accordance y-.th the uniform standards
,donted o. being seriously consideied by
- ie,si .firty-fOuI states q the tnion.