Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-12-08

registration form. When man in
spects the plumbing or water pipes he
also inspects the number Of children in
the house, and inquiries if their births
have been registered. II not, he pro-
ceeds to fill out the blank turns it in
at the city registrars office, where it
Is put on file with the births of all 9TH
er New Workers. In New Jersey when
notification OF child's birth is sent in
to the registrars Office, certificate
stamped with the seal of the state is
Immediately mailed to the parents with
a letter explaining it's Importance and
the advisability of carefully preserving
it.
In Europe the various countries
have long since kept detailed accounts
Of every birth. Not long after the
Messina earthquake, an Italian couple
came to this country and settled in
Chicago, where they applied for work
certificates for their two daughters.
One was declared to be sixteen and the
other fourteen. The older one secured
work, but the other was denied GER
tif1cate 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 chill
dren. The earthquake had destroyed
Messina. but 1t had not destroyed Mes
sina's carefully kept birth records. The
authorities Immediately mailed copies
Of the birth certificates of the two lit
tie 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.
nized and birth records scrupulously
kept. Even in the little island of ia
maica the most conspicuous sign Of
government besides the numerous pc.
licemen are the equally numerous Of
fees marked register of births and
Deaths In Ireland birth registration
has not always been in force. The Eng
lish insurance act requiring the regis.
tration of births and deaths did not go
into effect until 1864 and as a conse-
quence many old people are suffering
today, owing to their inability to claim
old age pensions. The pension goes
to every needy person over seventy,
but is paid only on the evidence Of q
birth certificate.
Since the war in Europe. the impor-
lance of birth certificate cannot be
overestimated. 1t means bread and
butter to number of English children.
Every child whose father 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
these days travels without
his birth certificate about his person.
He is likely to sleep with it under his
pillow and his children to wear theirs
around their necks as amulets. While
this may sound absurd to the Ameri-
can, 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 rich American furrier
engaged in the harmless occupation OF
the London fur markets
was suddenly arrested as German
spy. The gentleman had the misfor-
tune to own German sounding name,
which was accentuated by his Teu.
tonic appearance. In vain he protest
ed 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 It was
then that the situation really became
serious. His friends could find no
such record; the doctor who had hand
led the case was dead, as was also the
trained nurse. For while it looked
as if the furrier were going to be shot
At the last moment. however an old
man came forward with letter writ
ten by the furrier's father, giving the
date of the birth of his son and stating
that he was sending the old man box
Of cigars to celebrate the event. The
cigars had been good and the old man
had therefore not forgotten it. Upon
the evidence of this letter the British
the furrier,
Thus the birth certificate is vital
factor in all legal matters. II you
haven't one. the sooner you get it the
better Some one may leave you a
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 furrier. or you may be held up
at Ellis Island on your trip home and
your right to enter your own country
ne challenged Above all see that the
birth of your children lis properly re-
corded. 1t is their right.