The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-03-07

| The establishment of community
records, such as those resulting from
the registration of births, is one Of
the first evidences that a community
expects to have some degree of per
manency and that the inhabitants dc
not consider themselves as temper
airy residents. This was as true OF
the Greek and Roman civilizations as
OF our own. The necessity for the
registration Of births is felt in many
of the activities of the modern state
Or city. The uses of registration are
legal and social. 1t also may serve
an important function in public heath
administration.
Legal and Social Uses
The registration of a child's birth
forms a legal record that is fire.
quently useful and may be of the
greatest Importance. 1t establishes
the date Of birth and the child's pnr.
entage. 1t may be required to as.
tablish the child's age for attendance
at public schools, or for permission
| to work in states where restrictions
are placed upon child labor; to show
in courts Of law whether a girl has
reached the age of consent, or wheth
er individuals have attained the age
when they may marry without the
parents permission; to establish age
In connection with the granting Of
pensions military and jury duty and
voting. 1t may be important in con
nection with the bequeathing ant
inheritance Of property or to furnish
acceptable evidence Of genealogy
Identification papers for foreign trav
ell, and in fact may be important ant
useful in possible events too numer
Gus to mention.
A Duty to the Child
It is needless to say that the aver
age American community, composed
Of American fathers and mothers
may properly be expected to be NOR
jealous in the care OF its babies Ant
their welfare than in that Of its cat
tic, horses. and dogs, even though tn
animals be Of pedigreed stock. It 4
custom to register the births Of blood
ed animals, that their parentage ma
be authenticated by carefully pre-
served records, and not a mere mat
ter Of neighborhood memory or hea
say. There are many more reason
why a baby's parentage and right
should be safeguarded and protecte
by an official registration OF its brit
than there are for recording brit
and parentage of colt or calf. Res
istration of its time and place q
birth is a duty the community owe
the child, its future citizen.
A Duty to the Mother
! It Is important to a mother that
proper record that will be fully a.
cepted and unquestioned in courts
law shall be made of her child's Dirt
: and parentage. This may be nece'
sary to settle questions Of legitimac
and to determine the legal heirs I
property.
II. Necessary to An orderly and
Progressive Community
III Without official birth records tn
rights Of the individual will be fr'
quently jeopardized, legal procedur
will often be unnecessarily COMP
Gated, child labor laws and school a
I tendance will be impossible Of Ell
forcement, there will be difficulty
determining whether those desirin
to cast the ballot have reached tn
voting age, and other difficulties to
! numerous to mention will arise. The
too, birth records show the addition
made to the population by natural II
II crease. and the elements OF the POI
ulation supplying this increase.
Uses In Public Health Administrative
Registration Of births shows whei
the babies are and makes possib
such observance and protection 6
the health department desires to e
tend. With birth registration 1t
possible for the health authorities
= see that the babies and their mother
: have proper care and attention.