1080 HEALTH. [ART. 43

1904, art. 43, sec. 14. 1898, ch. 312, sec. 6H.

15. Parents shall give notice to the registrar of their city, town or
county of the births or deaths of their children; every householder
shall give notice of eveiy birth and death happening in his house; the
eldest person next of kin shall give such notice of the death of his
kindred; the keeper of a work-house, house of correction, prison, hospi-
tal, reformatory, almshouse or other institution, and the master or
other commanding officer of a ship or vessel shall give notice of every
birth or death happening among the people under his charge.

Ibid. sec. 15. 1898, ch. 312, sec. 6J.

16, The records of births and deaths shall be preserved by the regis-
trar, and shall be open to inspection by all persons for proper purposes
by all city, town or county officials by the state registrar or his accred-
ited representative; provided, that such examination shall be made in
such a way that the contents of the registers shall not be subjected to

risk of damage or alteration, and the prompt registry of the births and
deaths received by the registrar shall not be interrupted. The registrar
shall promptly inquire into the facts when any omissions or discrep'an-
cies in the personal or statistical facts are called to his attention, shall
truly ascertain such missing facts of record, and make a certified state-
ment thereof to the state registrar, and enter the correction in red ink
over his official signature upon his record. The contents of the register
or ,a copy thereof, duly certified by the registrar, shall be prima facie
evidence in all courts, and for all purposes of the facts relative to any
birth or death therein recorded, and shall be verified in case of dispute
by a certified copy of the original certificate of birth or death from the
state registrar.

Ibid. sec. 16. 1898, ch. 312, sec. 6 K. 1900, ch. 431.

17. The local registrar shall receive for performing the services
required by sections 9 to 13 the following fees: For each full record
and return of a birth or death, twenty cents, to be paid by the county
upon warrant of the county commissioners; for a permit to disinter a
human body, except when required for the purpose of legal investiga-
tion, . twenty-five cents, to be paid by the person to whom such permit
is-issued.; for a copy of the record of a birth or death, twenty-five cents,
together with payment for time of search, if over half an hour, at
the rate of fifty cents an .hour, to be paid by the person to whom such
copy is furnished. The state registrar shall certify to each local regis-

trar quarterly, or oftener, if it shall be considered expedient, the number
properly executed certificates of births and deaths received from such
local registrar for the year or portion of year included; provided that
cities having a population of five thousand inhabitants or over shall
have power to fix the compensation of local registrars for the duties
required by this article.