Woman's enterprise., 1921-12-16
BIRTH REGISTRATION
Paper Read Before Bastrop Schoo,
Improvement League by Mrs.
Fred M. OdOm.

F~TNA ASAu az lllG
last meeting, one of the most salient
points brought out, was the right Of
each infant to be we'll born. I can
not say what percentage of the in
fants fall heir to this natural her.
itage; but the next step in their ca
reer is IN the reach of each child born
in the state, whether be comes from
a long line of thinking people who
have looked forward to his COMING
with an intelligent provision for his
mental, moral and physical welfare:
or whether his ancestors hace taken
no thought for him, and are them
selves the poorest specimen of hu-
manity.
l speak on birth registration. If
the child lives, having his birth req
istered is valuable to him, in a dozen
different ways, and if he dies at
birth or shortly after a record of his
birth and death is valuable to the
bureau of vital statistics.
In 1914 the legislature enacted
laws, and made all necessary provis-
ions for a complete and methodical
bureau of vital statistics throughout
the state. To be in the the registra
tion area in the United States is to
be on the honor roll, To be on this
roll, at least 900 of the births and
deaths must be registered and there
are only five states in the union that
have not been able to get their names
on the roll for births or deaths or
both. In 1920 Louisiana succeeded
in getting her name on the birth reg
istration roll, and now the plea goes
out from the State Board of Health,
that Louisiana must protect her ma
tional prestige, and keep an accurate
record from the cradle to the grave"
So far, we have not succeeded in
getting in the death registration
area, but the registrars are making a
strenuous effort in that direction. Our
laws are satisfactory, but have not
been enforced sufficiently long, for
the public in general and the physi-
clans, nurses and midwives in particu-
lar to recognize the benefits to be
derived from their enforcement.
Some of those from whom the
State Board of Health has a right to
expect support and cooperation, look
upon the Department of Vital Statis-
tics as a joke. They consider it a
game in which their part is to conceal
all information possible from the
Registrar. They seem to think she
is getting rich so FAST in the office
that she should have to work a little, !
in order to partially earn her large
salary. This said large salary con-
sists of a fee of 25c for each certif-
cate received, tabulated, copied and
filed, and it sometimes amounts to|
as much as $1,000 in a single quarter!
But from that she must deduct such
items as stationery and stamps. She
FREQUENTLY has to copy GER
tifcate invoice, because the one she
received is not legible enough to send
to the State Board of Health for filing.
But to go back to the phase that we
are considering today.
The following are the recognized
reasons for urging birth registrations:
/. It is beneficial in that the
birth, date of birth, parentage and
other essential information for gov
ernmental and Identification purposes
be officially recorded.
2. That the age OF scnool cnlldren
may be definitely known, so that the
proper enforcement Of school laws
may be possible. believe we have no
enforcement of this compulsory edu-
cation law, but we are hoping for
that when we take our next step for
ward.
8. That the laws affecting child
labor may be effective, and young
children thereby protected from I'M
pairing their health.
4. That labor may become safer
by eliminating children under legal
age from hazardous employments.
5. That law abiding employers OF
youth may be protected from decep-
ton on the part Of the eager child
6. That matters of inheritance and
the settlement of estates may be SIM
plifed by definite knowledge OF the
ages of all persons concerned.
2. That American-born children
of foreign-born parents may have un-
DISPUTED evidence Of their American
birth, and thereby be protected from
enforced military duty while visiting
in the mother country Of the parents.
s. That blindness may be prevent
..j;ool o+tonfion to