Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-08-05
REGISTRATION
OF BIRTHS
Has Your Baby's Birth Been
Reported?

The State Bureau of Vital Stats
tics received during the month OF
March 2,071 birth certificates, as COM
pared with S64 in January and 1,155
: In February, an increase of 5000. The
March report shows 158 more boys
than girls, there being 1,0997 male
and 999 female births. Fifteen hun
dred and fifty-six births were report
ed in white families, AT in negro
families In the 2,071 births, there
were SO sets of twins, 80 white and
6 negro: 2 sets of triplets, one white
and one negro; l set of bankruptcies,
white. The report shows Sc illegiti-
mate children, 10 white and as ne
gro.
The bankruptcies were reported from
Walton county; Decatur and Camden
counties reported the triplets, while
Cobb, Floyd, Fulton, Glynn and Pike
counties reported two or more sets of
twins.
Twenty-three certificates did not
show the date of birth, 256 did not
bear the signature Of the local regis
trar, and without these items a GER
tificate is illegal and of little value.
The justices Of the peace and city
clerks og Bacon, Calhoun, Catoosa,
Chatham, Chattahoochee, Coffee, Co.
lumbia, Douglas, Echols, Jones, Nc
Intosh, Quitman Richmond, Schley,
Treutlen, Twiggs and Wilkes counties,
made no reports.
The physicians, midwives and I'M
dertakers of Georgia are required by
the state statutes to file birth and
death certificates with the justice of
the peace or city clerk in the districts
where the event occurred under a
,penalty of a fine Of not less than
$500 for the first violation and a
$1,000 fine or Imprisonment for each
subsequent violation. Many physi
and midwives are laying themselves
liable to prosecution by ignoring this
State Statute.
Unless the individual states secure
complete records, the Federal Gov
eminent will be forced to take over
the matter of birth and death registra-
ton. on account of the enormous ex
tense involved in securing such data
as shown by the recent craft The
Georgia Law was suggested by the
Federal Census Bureau and the United
States Public Health Service. If the
Federal Government enacts such a
statute those who violate the provi-
sions thereof will be hailed into a
Federal Court which is generally con-
sidered a cold-blooded proposition by
those who have fallen into its clutches.
Georgia believes in loca self-gov-
eminent. The physicians, midwives
and undertakes must register their
births and deaths, the justices of the
peace and city clerks must make a
local record Of such and forward the
certificates to the State Bureau of
Vital Statistics, and the prosecuting
attorneys of every county and the
police departments of this State must
enforce this statute as they would any
other act of the Georgia Legislature,
otherwise complete birth and death
registration will be secured by the
Federal Enactment
While the Federal Constitution guar
antees to each individual state its
right to local self-government, when
any condition becomes a matter of
national import, States Rights and
personal liberty must of necessity be
abridged or set aside TO rthe good Of
the nation. The registration of ev-
cry birth and death has become a
matter of national importance. The
infection of Venereal Disease has be-
come so widespread that the health
of the nation is imperiled and unless
the State and municipalities enforce
State and local measures to the ex-
tent that results are secured, Federal
measures must be adopted.
- GEORGIA STATE BOARD OF
IA HEALTH.