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36
Illegitimacy.— Of the total births registered (5546), the illegitimate births
registered numbered 215, i.e., 3.8 per cent.
The number of illegitimate births cannot be ascertained quite accurately
from the notification; as cases which are apparently legitimate on the notification
forms are found to be illegitimate when entered on the Registrars' returns
(as it is easier to evade the truth in the former than in the latter).
Respecting the number of deaths of illegitimate infants it seems impossible
for the Public Health Department to estimate this in any way accurately from
the Registrars' death returns, owing to the ambiguity as to whether certain
occupations are peculiarly male or female ones, e.g.. when in the death-returns
the occupation or status of the parent is obviously that of the mother the case
is obviously illegitimate, and when obviously that of the father such a case is
equally obviously legitimate, but when it may be either that of the mother or
of the father it is not possible to know whether the case should be classed as
legitimate or illegitimate in the absence of anv statement as to the sex of the
parent.
Clerical Work.—As before, complete and current indexes have been kept
of all the Births registered and of all the registered Infant-Deaths.
Further, since March, 1908, the Birth-Notifications coming in each day,
have been carefully examined and copied on to their right district-sheet before
being filed. These notification-sheets are also re-copied weekly by Mr. Ogden
and forwarded to the LC.C. An Advice Card has been sent in each case on
the day of receipt of notification. A careful comparision has had to be made
each week between all the births registered and notified so as to avoid an unnecessary
duplication, both in sending out Advice Cards and in paying visits;
and also in order that cases which had not been notified might be marked for
further action to be taken when necessary.
Weekly reports have also been submitted to you as to the number of notifications,
the titles of notificants and attendants, also quarterly reports as to the
number of births notified, registered and visited, &c.
Each year the amount of clerical work, correspondence, &c., has become increasingly
large, but this year unduly so, on account of the Notification of
Births and the Special Home Office Inquiry, and as a corresponding amount
of regular assistance has not been given this work has had to be supervised and
attended to by myself, to the sacrifice of personal visits to mothers.
Infant Mortality.—The infant mortality rate which (when estimated on the
same basis of infant-deaths per 1000 births, exclusive of still-births) in 1904,
1905, 1906, and 1907, was respectively 152, 136, 131, and 114, was 115 in
1908.
I am, Sir,
Yours obediently,
Blanche Gardiner,
Sanitary Inspector