The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-10-17
Social Service Bulletin

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The Weekly Press Service.
OF the Social Service Commission.
American Federation of Catholic
Societies. by Rev. Peter E. Dietz.
Catholic Communities Lead in Birth
Registration in the United
States. 60
Birth registration means the record
in public archives Of the births of
children. In the Catholic communi-
ties of Europe it has long been COM
plete. It is, of course, the first item
in vital statistics. In the United
States, birth registration has made
progress less rapidly than the other
items of a complete system of vital
statistics. notably, death registration
and the registration of marriages.
While the Importance of such statis-
tics has been recognized in certain
parts of America from colonial days.
namely the Catholics. the country
as q whole is still devoid Of uniform
and complete records of the births Of
its citizens. This neglect is undoubt-
eddy to be ascribed to the lack of a
popular conviction that such records
are dignifed and valuable. Every
body agrees that it is dignifed and
valuable to make public record of
marriages and deaths. Only a mo-
ment's thought is necessary to show
that the public record of births is
of kindred importance. and for the
same reason, to protect individual
and property rights. Moreover, as
q working expedient 1t is coming to
be regarded as indispensable in the
eradication Of three great evils which
affect the children of the country.
There are no important undertakings
at the present day than the reduction
of infant mortality, the preservation
Of the child's right to education, and
the abolishing of child labor. In
serving all three Of these ends. birth
registration is an indispensable
practical aid.
Labor Legislation in the United
States.
The Bureau of labor statistics has
just published as its Bulletin No.
148 a compilation of the labor laws
Of the United States, with brief notes
on court decisions. This is the fifth
such compilation which has been is
sued by the Commissioner Of Labor
Statistics since the organization Of
the bureau in 1884. the last proceed
ing compilation having ended with
the legislation of the year 1907. The
present work is in two parts and
includes the laws Of all the States and
of the United States up to the close
OF the year 1918.
On an examination of the carefully
prepared index it cannot be overlook
ed that railroads have received a very
considerable degree Of attention
within recent years, train-crew laws,
hours-of-service laws, laws requiring
shelters for workmen, regulating the
height Of bridges. etc.. over the
tracks or the distance of structures
from tracks, and numerous laws re-
puiring safety appliances being in
evidence.
The compilation includes also the
orders of the industrial commissions
of New York and Wisconsin, which
have the force Of laws, this kind,
and are confined chiefly to decisions
by the supreme courts Of the var
ious states and Of the United States.
The two parts of this bulletin. con-
tanning approximately 1900 pages
each. furnish a mine Of information
for anyone interested in labor leg
islation the work being practically
indispensable to any student in this
field, owing to the wide distribution
Of the material in the various state
codes, and session laws, which have
been searched page by page to locate
the desired material.
Socialist Peace Doctrines Fail.
Nothing in the Socialist program
seems more promising, more eleva-
ing than its apparent insistence on
the universal brotherhood of man.
the misleading interests to the work
ing classes, however divided by ma
tional frontiers, the folly Of fighting
out the quarrels of kings. capitalists
or other exploiters Of labor.
To give effect to these convictions,
the Socialists had magnificent repre-
sentation in the legislative chambers
of continental nations now en-
br0iled.
In the French chamber Of deputies
they have. or had 259 out of the
397 members. while the cabinet it.
self was led by Viviani. the noted
socialist. But no effective voice was
raised against war.
In the German reichstag they had