The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-09-05
Minnesota Bulletin States
Advantages of Birth Record

ga birth certificate for child is
like drivers license to an automo-
bile owner. To operate car with
out a license will lead to arrest; to go
through life without properly reg
istered birth certificate only leads to
trouble at times when least expected.
A birth certificate has become a per-
sons drivers license through life"
There were approximately 50,S79
children born in Minnesota last year.
Their births have been registered.
There were 24,689 deaths in Minneso-
ia last year. These deaths have been
registered. The educational commit
tee of the Minnesota State Medical
Association in bulletin this week
advises people Of the advantages of a
birth certificate.
"No document of greater value to
child's future will ever be issued" de-
clares the bulletin. without it others
may cheat the child out of property;
he may be barred from work because
of his youth and he will be barred
entrance to another country because
there is no official record of his birth
state.
"The proper registration of births
and deaths is of the greatest impor-
lance not only to individuals but also
to the public at large" declares the
bulletin "Such records are necessary
in determining questions of parent
age, heredity, legitimacy, personal
identity, property rights, inheritance
and citizenship. No child labor law
is of much value unless it rests on
system of birth registration and of
birth certificates issued by the state
by which the parent or the child can
produce at any time positive proof Of
birth, paternity and age. During the
war, the operation of the selective
draft act was greatly hampered by
the fact that in the service in which
the age of the registrant was involv-
ed no legal evidence could be pro-
duced or existed by which the age of
the Individual could be positively
proven. In almost every relation Of
life an official record of the first and
most important event in the life of
each individual, namely positive
record of birth with all of the ac-
companying circumstances, is not
only of the utmost value but is prac-
tically indispensable.
Equally important is the proper
registration of deaths. No civilized
community should allow human be-
ing to die and be buried without an
official record being made of the
fact. Such records are indispensable
In determining cause of death, rela-
tive death rates, ratio of deaths to
births, duration of life, rates of life
insurance and relative healthfulness
of different states and communities.
They are also of great value in pre-
venting and detecting crime, in con-
trolling contagious diseases, in regu-
lating management of cemeteries, In
shipping bodies from state to state,
etc. They are necessary in proving
death for probating wills, settling
estates, establishing claims for insur-
ance and pensions and proving an
cestry and heredity.
Registration of births and deaths
by the state as a part of the legal
and official records of each individ
ual has been required for centuries
in many of the older European
countries. Until recently this subject
has been neglected in this country.
1t is only in the last sixteen years
that there has been any awakening OF
public interest in passing and enforc-
ing better laws for the registration
of births and Deaths