BIRTHS AND DEATHS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 46, 22 February 1913, Page 5

BIRTHS AND DEATHS.

IMPORTANT REGISTRATION AMENDMENTS. COMING INTO OPERATION MARCH L, SOME NOTEWORTHY CLAUSES. At last session of Parliament an amendment of the Births and Deaths Registration Act was passed, and these amendments, some of which are important to the general public, will come into operation on Saturday nest, March 1. Among other things the amended Act requires that in future the usual address of tbe parents _ to be stated in a notification of birth, which must be endorsed by some person present at tne confinement. The time for notification in a borough has been reduced from the present limit of 72 hours to 48 hours, while outside of boroughs the present limit of 21 days remains in force. It is important also to remember that in future still births must be notified and registered. In the case of registration after conviction for non-compliance with the Act, when in the past many births _aye missed registration altogether through ill-feeling on the part of the prosecuted parents, the amended Act provides that the registration of a birth may in future be effected within 14 days of the conviction by any person authorised by the magistrate or justice

A new regulation, which will be appreciated by parents whose children have secured free places at school, is one permitting the certificate of the'date of a birth being issued in future for 1/ instead of 2/6 as at present. This amendment was probably introdnced at the request of the Auckland office, as it was felt that half-a-crown came rather heavily on many parents. T7_forfcunately. the regulation was too late for the present school term, but will be applied in future. Another important clause in the new Act dea-Is with the registration ot previously unregistered births. It is enacted that such births can be registered within twelve months after the passing of the Act, in other words, up till November 6, 1913. This should be a boon to a considerable number of people of various ages in the community who, so far as registration is concerned, are not at present in existence. In the matter of the registration of deaths, the following important amendments are introduced:—

i The undertaker becomes solely responsible for the registration of a death and registration must be effected within three days after death if it takes place in a borough, or within seven days in any other case. In future, also, the asre of the widow must be given with the notification of her husband's death, this being for statistical purposes. Certificate of cause of death is in future to be given by a medical practitioner forthwith, and the medical practitioner is required to state, to the best of his knowledge, the duration of the illness preceding death. r