The State’s Missing Death Records
A scathing report reveals that county officials across Washington are failing to report thousands of deaths, leaving the state’s vital records in a state of 'gross negligence.'
State Secretary James Armstrong reports a significant failure in the filing of vital statistics by county officials. While about 1,100 deaths were formally reported for the quarter, the Secretary estimates the actual total to be closer to 3,500. He characterizes this discrepancy as 'gross negligence' on the part of proper officials, who have repeatedly failed to supply the requested data. Secretary Armstrong intends to make these failures public and hopes to secure better cooperation from county auditors in the coming year, moving past their common excuses of a lack of help or funds. The report details the delinquency of various counties, showing that even in large counties, the records are consistently incomplete.
“The estimate is 3,500, which is of itself above gross negligence on the part of the proper officials in not reporting.”
This 1893 critique of bureaucratic negligence in recording public health data echoes modern frustrations with data transparency and the difficulty of maintaining accurate municipal records in a rapidly growing state.
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