The Springdale news., 1913-04-11
VITAL STATISTICS.
Why Births and Deaths Should Re
 Registered

Registered
 The chief purposes of the regis traitor of vital statistics may be summarized as affording CD legal records for the protection of the rights of individuals and especial iy of the more helpless classes, in fants and women, and for court purposes; f24 sanitary records of the prevalence Of disease absolute ly necessary for the effective work of all public health services, city. state and national; f3) knowledge of the character and movement of population, essential for enlighten- ed legislation and study of the growth of the United States. Here ic some evidence as to the practi- cal uses of such data;
 Dr. Greasy L. Wilbur, chief sta tistician of the U. s. Bureau of the Census and for many years i'll charge of the vital statistics of Michigan. in answer to the question, Why should all deaths in the state be registered2" says;
 Human life is sacred
 When d human being passes out from our life it is important that an immediate record be made of all Of the essential details of that event.
 l say an immediate record, be- cause it is well established by years Of experience that an accurate rec ord i'll all cases cannot or will not be made unless the law requires it to be made at once.
 Such a record should include the facts relating to the exact time and pla1e of death, the full name, age. sex, color, civil condition, otz patton, place of birth, and other details relating to the individual and also, most important require meat, q statement by the attending physician =er by the health officer or coroner. of the cause of death. These fats, evidently, may be of the great test legal importance Certificates Of death or certified cop les thereof are in constant requisi- ton iu courts and elsewhere for the establishment of necessary facts.
 Pensions or life insurance may de pend on proper evidRee of the fact and cause of death. The widows and orphans Of deeeased soldiers must obtain such proofs. Titles and the rights to inheritanees may be jeopardized by the failure of records. The individual citizen of the state, no matter how humble his position in life CT how insgnifi- cant his influence in the affairs of the community, is entitled 10 have an accurate record made of the inn portant, the vital events of his life. If tie state has undertaken 10 do this, then the citizen has a light to expect that the state will perform
 W. with precision and thor
 Is disgrace to ton-
 nh.,. important mat
 e faqufe. year
 Ntion devised for
 Reilly. late assist
 issioner of Chioa-
 the matter in the
 dly relation of lie
 ldIe 10 the grave. in
 |yidenee furnished by
 registration Of births
 prove to be of the great
 he, a., for example, in the
 of descent; in the relations daraiaHs and wards, in the 1abiIities of minors. in fhe admin |$stratlon of estates. the settlement of insurance and pensions. the re- quirements of foreign countries con corning residence. marriage, and legacies; in marriage in our own country, in voting, and in jury and militia service; in the right to ad- mission and practice in the profes- sions and to many public officse in the enforcement Of laws relating to education and ito child labor. as we'll as to various matters in the criminal code-the irresponsibiity of children under 10 years of age for crime and misdemeanor. the determination of the age of con. sent. etc As the country becomes more densely settled and the strug gle for existence sharper, many O these matters which have hitherto been of minor significance will tak' on a deeper meaning and acquire greater importanc. Hence the urg ent necessity for remedy of the de fleets which prevent a proper regis tration of births
 Dr. John N. Hurty, secretary O the Indiana State Board of Health