The Prescott daily news., 1914-12-01

munity to reach thorough conviction as to the great importance of com plete and correct registration of vital statistics. The practical question Is as to what form of law shall be enact ed and what are the essential re quirements for the successful opera tion of such a law. Some of the worthless methods that have been em ployed may be mentioned as a guide to what should be summed in the en actment of future legislation:
 1. Enumeration failure fo- births and deaths.-It has been sup posed that births and deaths could be enumerated, after the close of the year, by assessors or census enumera- tors. Experience of many years, in many states and by the United States Census Bureau, has absolutely demon strated that this method is worthless for collecting vital statistics. Imme- diate registration is the only method for securing complete returns. Deaths should be registered before interment and births within a short time, not over ten days, after birth.
 ?. The County System" worth less.-The county system of attempt ing to collect vital statistics, in its various guises, is responsible for more worthless statistics" and more wasted energy than other obstacle to efficient registration. 1t seems so plausible for county health officers, county clerks, or other county officials, to be made county registrars and thus "col- feet vital statistics" that this may be considered the favorite method for amateur legislation on this subject. Local Registrars, sufficient number, reasonably compensated, are absolute ly necessary for an effective law. County officials cannot perform the service of local registrars, nor is any system of transmitting returns through them effective.
 8. No Registration without burial permits-The burial or removal per- init is the absolutely necessary check on effective registration of deaths. The responsibility for filing the certi- ficate of death must be fixed and penalty imposed for interment or re- moval without evidence of registra- tion, as afforded by the burial or re- moval permit issued by the local reg istrar.
 i. Voluntary registration of no value.-A law without penalty to be enforced in case of it's violation is worthless and many good laws have become useless in practice because of neglect of the authorities to enforce such penalties. Reasonable penalties should be provided and it should be made the duty of the state and local registrars, under penalty, to enforce them. The registration of births and deaths is a duty to the state and to the citizens thereof, and it should not be made the sport of politics or fla voritism. A registrar by condoning plain cases of violation of the law, can soon make the registration of births and deaths a farce.
 The Main Point to Bear in Mind is
 That Certificates Must be Filed.
 Let us have accurate and complete vital statistics of births, deaths, and infant mortality. The best statistics are none too good, and it is the right of every citizen, of every child, or every town and village, and city in the state, to have the complete and correct and satisfactory vital records which the law attempts to provide.
 We ask the cooperation of the County and City Health Officers in this important work, and would urge that you help us by getting behind the registrars of your County and by mak ing recommendation whenever called upon by the Bureau. Why should we not run our government on the same efficient plan that good business men have found necessary and profitable. Discover where there is disease and check it. Learn where there is loss of human life and provide facilities for saving it.