The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-11-30

! bSSAi X = 'StTIVu' l. uOl, nc plOCS6uS 70
fill out the blank, turns it in at the city
registrars Office, where it is put on file
with the births of all other New York
ers. In New Jersey when notification
of child birth is sent in to the regis
trar's office, certificate stamped with
the seal of the state is Immediately
mailed to the parents with a letter eX-
planning its Importance and the ad-
visibility of carefully preserving it.
In Europe the various countries have
long since kept detailed accounts of
every birth. Not long after the Mes
sina earthquake. an Italian couple came
to this country and settled in Chicago
where they applied for work certifi-
Gates for their two daughters. One
was declared to be sixteen and the
other fourteen. The older one secured
work, but the other was denied a GER
! tificate and sent back to school The
Italian couple raised such a howl of
protest, however, that the Associated
Charities of Chicago sent to Messina
for the birth records of the two children.
The earthquake had destroyed Messina,
but it had not destroyed Messina's
carefully kept birth records. The
authorities Immediately mailed copies
of the birth certificates of the two
little Italian girls, which showed that
the older one was not quite fourteen,
while the younger was only twelve.
In New Zealand the Importance of
birth registration has long been recog-
nlzed, and birth records scrupulousIy
kept Even in the little island of
Jamaica the most conspicuous sign of
government besides the numerous
policemen are equally numerous Offices
marked Registrar of Births and
Deaths In Ireland birth registration
has not always been in force. The
English Insurance Act requiring the
registration of births and deaths did
not 90 into effect until 1864, and as a
consequence many old people are SUIT
tering today, owing to their inability to
claim oId-age pensions. The pension
goes to every needy person over seven
ty, but is paid only on the evidence Of
birth certificate.
Since the war in Europe the import
ance of birth certificate cannot be
overestimated. 1t means bread and
butter to number of English children.
Every child whose fainter is in the army
receives pension, but unless he has a
certificate Of birth to prove his identity
he loses his right to it. No English
man these days travels without his
birth certificate about his person. He
is likely to sleep with it under his pill
low, and his children to wear theirs
around their necks as amulets. While
this may sound absurd to the American
who has never given the record of his
birth second thought, it is by no
means too cautious in England where
any foreigner may be regarded with
deep suspicion.
Last year a rich American furrier
engaged in the harmless occupation of
inspecting the London fur markets was
suddenly arrested as a German spy.
The gentleman had the misfortune to
own a German sounding name, which
was accumulated by his Tuetonic ap-
pearance. In vain he protested that he
was an American. Why did he not
produce birth certificate they asked
him. The furrier at once wrote for a
copy of his birth record. 1t was then
that the situation really became serious.
His friends could find no such record;
the doctor who had handled the case
was dead, as was also the trained nurse.
For while it looked as if the furrier
was going to be shot. At the last
moment, hewever. an old man came
forward with letter written by the
furrier's father, giving the date of the
birth of his son and stating that he was
sending the old man a box of cigars to
celebrate the event. The cigars had
been good and the old man had there
fore not forgotten 1t. Upon evidence
of this letter the British released the
furrier.
Thus the birth certificate is a vital
factor in all legal matters. If you
haven't one, the sooner you get it the
better. Some one may leave you
million dollars overnight and you won't
be able to claim it; again, your veracity
concerning your age may be questioned,
or worst of all, you may get into the
same unpleasant situation as the fur
rier, or you may be held up at Ellis
Island on your trip home and your right
to enter your own country be challeng-
ed. Above all see that the birth of
your children is properly recorded. 1t
is their right.