Evening journal., 1914-05-14

Health is the custodian OF the death Ger
ftiiicates for your city, but these records
are public-not private property. How
ever. it viii be necessary for Mr.. Spring
er to have authority from you in order
to obtain access to the records for the
purpose Of making the transcripts fol
the Bureau Of the Census.
! feel that | must bring to your at
tention the fact that your refusal to
grant access to these records to the per-
son whom ! have designated as tran
scriber would result in the omission OF
the City of Wilmington from the report
/ on Mortality Statistics for the year
l9l4, and OF course an explanation Of
the omission would have to be made in
the report. These statistics are Of great
interest to the country. and. as the peo-
! pie OF Wilmington would be entitled to
know the facts in the case, the Bureau
might be obliged, in order to protect it,
self to explain to them. through the
newspapers OF the city, that Whining
ton was omitted from the report bv
reason OF the fact that you refused the
Bureau access to the vital statistics rec
ords because the Bureau had designated
another person to make the transcripts
and to receive the compensation former
y received by you, an official of the
City Of Wilmington.
This Bureau is at all times willing to
cooperate with the officials Of the Board
of Health of the City of Wilmington and
would appreciate your cooperation in
return. ! realize the Importance of this
work and the responsibility Of my Blu
reau in connection with ii, and / trust
that upon reconsideration Of the cues
tion, Won viii be entirely willing to
grant Immediately the Bureaus repre-.
sentative access to your records Of
deaths. Please advise me at your earl
lest convenience with further refer
ence to the matter.
Very truly yours.
William J. Harris,
Director.
Mr.. J. Austin ellison,
Registrar Of Vital Statistics.
Wilmington, Delaware.
City Of Wilmington. Delaware, Board Of
Health.
April 10. 1914.
Mr.. William !. Harris Department of
Commerce, Washington, D. c., Dear Sir:
IN reply to your letter of April o, in re-
CARDS to your appointment of Mr. Bald
win Springer.
| do not question your authority in
making the appointment, even if it does
impair the accuracy Of the transcripts.
J still maintain that unless Mr.. Springer
shows me some law concerning his ae
cess to the records OF this office. / GER
talnly viii not allow him that privilege. /
Wilmington not being represented in I
the Mortality Statistics for the year
1914. rests entirely with you and II you
desire to give it the publicity You sug-
gest ! have no objection. as it will give .
me an opportunity TO show the public |
that You are more concerned in the 1
handling Of politics, than in The duties
OF your office.
Very truly yours,
J. Austin Ellison.
Registrar
Department Of Commerce. Bureau Of the /
Census. Washington.
April 20, 1914.
Dear Sir; IN reply TO your letter OF
recent date, ! wish to state that / have /
advised Mr.. Baldwin Springer to call on
you at am early date. / have also in
structed him that he must conform TO
the rules Of your Office and that YOU are
not expected to make any changes in
your Office hours, OF otherwise. to suit
ais convenience. am sure YOU reeog-
ME the fact that this Bureau has the