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BIRTH REGISTRATION.
Paper Read Before Bastrop School
Improvement League by Mrs.
Fred M. Odom.
In the excellent paper read at the
last meeting, one of the most salient
points brought out, was the right of
each infant to be well 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
wvith 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 s of hu
manity.
I speak on birth registration. If
the child lives, having his birth reg
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 90% of the births and
deaths must be registered and there
are only five states in the union that I
have not been able to get their names I
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 I
out from the State Board of Health, I
that "Louisiana must protect her na
tional prestige, and keep an accurate
record from the cradle to the grave."
So far, we have not succeeded ind
getting in the death registration
area, but the registrars are making a
strenuous effort in that direction. Our
laws are satisfactory, but have not I
been enforced sufficiently long, for I
the public in general and the physi
cians, 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 E
expect support and cooperation, look <
upon the Department of Vital Statis- I
ties as a joke. They consider it a 1
game in which their 'part is to conceal '
all information possible from the '
rfegistrar. They seem to think she o
is getting rich SO FAST in the office a
that she should have to work a little, I
in order to partially earn her large 8
salary. This said large salary con- i
sists of a fee of 25c for each certifi- c
cate received, tabulated, copied and I
filed, and it sometimes amounts to e
as much as $10.00 in a single quarter!
But from that she must deduct such c
items as stationery and stamps. She t
FREQUENTLY has to copy a cer- I
tificate invoice, because the one she r
received is not legible enough to send C
to the State Board of Health for filing. *
But to go back to the phase that we t
are considering today.
The following are the recognized
reasons for urging birth registration:
1. It is benefiicial in that the
birth, date of birth, parentage and I
other essential information for gov
ernmental and identification purpose's
be officially recorded.
2. That the age of school children t
may be definitely known, so that the
proper enforcement of school laws
may be possible. I 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.
3. That the laws affecting child
labor may be effective, and young
children thereby protected from im- i
pairing their health.
4. That labor may become safer I
by eliminating childret under legal
age from hazardous employments.
5. That law abiding employers of
youth may be protected from decep
tion on the part of the eager child.
8. That matters of inheritance and
the settlement of estates may be sim
plified by a definite knowledge of the
ages of all persons concerned.
7. 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.
8. That blindness may be prevent
ed, by prompt medical attention to
the infected eyes of the new born.
9. That infections and mortality
among mothers and infants may be
prevented, and the infants be saved,
by immediate attention from those
agencies for the relief of the poor.
10. That the Children's Bureau of
the U1. S. Government may become
effective and may carry out the du
ties imposed upon it by congress.
11. That the millions of dollars
from public and private sources ded
icated to the protection of infants
and the welfare of the young, may be
wisely and intelligently spent.
IRS. FRED M. ODOV,
Local Registrar.
COMMUNICATED.
Baton Rouge, Dec. 15, 1921.
Dear Miss McGrath-Regarding
the suggestion about which we were
speaking the other day, that was
made by a writer in a recent number
of the "Woman's Enterprise," namely
that the present L. S. U. be converted
into a girls' school, when the Uni
versity on the new site is complet
ed. I am not surprised that this sug
gestion brought -forth several spir
ited replies as well as the resolution
passed by the Federation of Women's
Clubs at the recent session here.
Many of us felt rather confident-in
this age when so few things are sure
-that the policy of co-education, at
least as far as State schools are con
cerned, was pretty firmly established.
Now, lo and behold, in the midst of
all the problems and perplexities
which are generally recognized as real
in this troubled time-up pops the
idea that our country's achievement
of educating men and women togeth
er, is all wrong; and that we should
revert to the old system of the man's
university and-I suppose, the "fe
male seminary."
Although this question, like every
one under the sun, will probably find
some merit "on the other side," the
man who would convince a modern
audience against the "principle" of
co-education in university, would have
a difficult task. Not that he could
not find in our colleges plenty of de
ficiencies and weaknesses. The at
mosphere of our educational institu
tions is in large measure, flippant,
careless, lazy and "sporty"; and a
good number of students are wasting
their own time and their parents' and
the State's money. But the champion
of segregation would have to search
far for proof that these conditions
are due to the system of co-education
and not to general social tendencies
of the day.
The fact is, as I see it, that the
trend toward co-education is but one
manifestation of the whole woman
movement. Its existence corresponds
with, or has been preparatory to co
operation of woman with man in the
economic, industrial, scientific, artis
tic, political and social fields. Co
education has become the logical kind
of education in a world in which the
present idea of womanhood prevails.
It is a platitude that the old idea of
woman's nature and woman's place,
which reached its flower in the ideals
of chivalry, is dashed to pieces, and
all the king's horses and all the
king's men cannot put it together
again. Although there is a tendency
in this age of jazz to restore a cari
cature of the old conception in the
popular "baby" ideal for the mod
ern young lady.
As the woman of today is a citizen
of the world, so she will insist that
her education must be the education
planned for "people" and not for "fe
males," and that she get that edu
cation in the most natural and help
ful method, availing herself of the
best instruction and equipment, side
by side with man.
Is it not possible that the sugges
tion that the present University be
converted into a woman's college is
prompted not really by preference for
segregation of sexes, but rather' by
sentiment for the old site and desire
to retain it as an educational insti
tution? Such sentiment is admirable.
We need not go far to see the build
ings of the once proud old Centenary
College falling to decay. The sight
of it sends a pang to my heart, though
I never even knew the place in the
days of its flourishing. The thought
that such could some day be the fate
of our present University, or that it
should give way to stores and factor
ies, is an offense to our feelings.
These grounds, about which cluster
good traditions and sweet memories,
should, in so far as may be practi
cable, be preserved. A splendid build
inig, such as the Hill Memorial Li
brary should stand for generations,
and always be used for purposes like
that for which it was built. I do
believe that when the time comes,
means 'jill be found to accomplish all
this. So many wants are to be ful
filled. Surely, for all this sentiment,
there is no necessity to take the back
ward step of re-establishing a sepa
rate women's college.
With best wishes for the continued
success of your paper,
HAROLD F. REINHART.
p
WOMAN'S LABEL UNION
In spite of inclement weather a
large attendance was present Friday
night at the Red Men's Hall when
the Woman's International Union La
bel League and Trade Unions Aux
iliary went into permanent organiza
tion about 100 strong. The follow
ing officers were elected and installed:
Goldie Costley, president; Maude
Altazin, first vice president; Flora
Gillingham, secretary; Blanche Bone,
treasurer; Georgie Yauns, sargeant
at-arms; Mary Page, door keeper.
Each local union was represented
and splendid talks were madt by the
representatives.
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