The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-01-18
THE VITAL
STATISTICS
OF COUNTY
HARD TO FIND
LAWS OF COLORADO RELATING
TO THE REGISTRATION OF
BIRTHS AND DEATHS MIGHT
Z BE AMENDED TO ADVANTAGE.

AahO NutlG 10 NO way vi lnt
vital statistics of any county in the
ssate. except by appealing to secre-
tary of the state board of health in
Denver. or making an examination OF
the records OF the registrars of each
acity or Incorporated town in the coun.
~. which is an expensive and incon.
yenient undertaking. The failure OF
the law to provide that the registra-
lion of all births and deaths shall
be made with the county clerk, or
with some other officer at the county
court house. works a hardship on
those whom II is designed to benefit
and to a large extent nulli6es its use
fulness to the public. which is chief
ly concerned in the keeping OF such
records.
The law governing the registration
of births and deaths in Colorado. en-
acted in 1908. provides that the secre-
tary OF the state board OF health
ball be state registrar OF vital statis-
tics and shall have general supervis-
ion over the central bureau of vital
statistics. For convenience In making
the law effective the state is divided
igto registration districts as follows:
Each city. Incorporated town aud
county. exclusive Of such cities or In
corporated towns as may be located
within it's boundaries. is designated
and set apart as a primary registra.
ton district In other words each
Aty and Incorporated town in the
county Is authorized to keep a record
OF the births and deaths within its
boundaries and report the same TO the
secretary OF the state board OF health
once a month. He Is also required by
the statute TO maintain Ole of such
births and deaths In his office
The law seems TO be drastic enough
as far as securing the desired Stats
tics is concerned. but loses its useful
ness TO the people In not requiring
that a record OF all births and deaths
be kept at some central place In the
county. Under the present system
Canon City. South Canon. East Canon.
Florence. Penroee. Portland and other
Incorporated towns In Fremont coun-
ty keep their own registry and II
would be a difficult. II not impossible
task to obtain under tho exist man.
ner OF registration the VIII statistics
of the county as a whoarai The only
recourse left would b-he papply at
the office Of the secretary OF the state
board of health In Denver. which
would be very troublesome matter.
to say nothing OF It's cost to the In
qnIrer.
sIhe keeping Of an accurate registra-
tion OF births and deaths Is very i'm
portant to the public for many reasons
that need not be mentioned in this
connection. The record should be
easy Of access to the public and should
be maintained at the county court
house the same as other records of
general concern An official record OF
ones birth or death In often a matter
of vital concern for upon II may de-
pend the question Of nationality and
individual rights. among which may
be mentioned the right TO the inheri-
tance OF property. The law in Colo
RADIO may be all right in many res
poets. but II certainly is cumbersome
and Ineffective so far as furnishing an
easily accessible and complete record
of births and deaths in the county. A
.copy OF all records OF such character
should be filed in the office of the
county clerk. or at some other well
known location within Its confines
where they would be open at all times
No the public.
Only within the last few years have
any records OF vital statistics worthy
OF the name been kept in Colorado and
much trouble and Inconvenience to
citizens Of tho state has been caused
by the neglect. Because OF the omis-
q sion to keep a record OF vital statistics
n number of men and women born In
9 Colorado have had considerable dlfn.
q Guilty in foreign countries in proving
their nationality and have been sub.
jected to n lot of trouble and embar-
kEsment A case in point occurred
here few weeks ago when an effort
was made by man in Canada to OBJ
tnIn from tho registrar here a duly at.
+ tested certificate OF the birth of his
son in order to show his American
citisenship and thus to obtain his re-
lease from the British army. No rec
ord OF his birth could be found. altho
tho physician in attendance At his
birth was located and was able "a