The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-11

| a,ette, from DIR. s~fuburae, Health
| Qmcer.
TO rug ep,soK os THE HERALD.

| To ruE ep,I;oR 0s THE HERALD
In your ofths dale find report Of the proceed.
ings OF the Ship Owners A0ctstod containing numer.
Gus nisstatoments which DO me gross injustice. TO
reply correct all OF then at length would require
moro space in your valuable journal Than iee as liberty
% ask for Justice myself and 10 the public requires
that should notice thus report in tue following par
oulais:-
Nrt-It speaks Of Generous burhens'' and abuses
growing out Of quarantine regulations. and, while
Cedng that they the fault OF the law, seeks Ia eou
| vey the impression that ! responsible for any
abuses which are the result Of statutory provisions
Ihe Quarantine act In force was IN existence Tue
time entered upon the duties Of my ONCE lad
no hand in its passage and aol simply endeavoflng TO
administer the law tho Of my Judgment, as hnd
it But submit whether II these sbuses do actually
exist 1t IL nh little singular that some effort should
not have been made the part Of ship owners TO cor
recs them by proper legislative enacimen's me pro
tally Us they now ssnd fyron years and vet am DOT
III single effort the part Of merchants 10 have
them an''oded Several amendments "eTc Introduced
into the lie slsiature last winter amending the law 10
other parcuiVs, which discussed In the public
Journals and were submitted to many OF the leading
merchants fun opportunity WAS afforded io' 'ncor.
pcat,ng amendments correcting these alleged abuses,
bus none were proposed &c asked for
sSsyo1d-rhe report charges that the Health Uhcer OF
late years has been for his peculiar adapted
ness for the POSI- rauei for his suserveucy to-
political party amt proficiency in political wire-ruisg
it srsbcicnt realization Of this charge n my case to
say that was appointed ~ the office by democratic
Governor With the unanimous eoocnrrenc. OF strongly
sepnblcan mate
Ta'd-Tir fact that my predecessors may have neg
iacted to comply with the law rela TO boarding
through the Sound, affords justification for my
doing The exphsit that tissy shall he boarded
ana examined. and have no alternative but TO comply
wittbe requirement, and IN jrdgns~nt compliance
il absolutely necessary to- the protection Of the public
beaa Lei il be known THAI vessel cam escape cxami
na,ior,by passing shfougl the Sound and what Is
prevent the introduction Of the Russian plague yellow
fever and cholera ison That direciion' iaet wen
known shat vessels have been sent 10 this port through
the Sound for the purpose OF avong detention
at QUARANTINE when they actually came from m injected
and ought 20 have been detained and ceanscd and
purified before coming to the city. As m tns'ance OF
the consequences which might result from NEGLECT TO
perform this duty may mention the Christopher Zen
detOn last year came from u West India port. having
yellow fever board and, knowing that she would DO
quarantincd # entored here passed on ONew Lon
don thcro poisoned whole port, and then started
with the intention, Informed by her co0stgnee5,
Of coming here through the sound
accordingly ordered that she should at report to
the lower Quarantine if she came here This order had
tho effect to prevent her coming Many OF hse crew,
however. did come, and sckened and ded OF yellow
fever In New York and BlOotlyn, as nm informed, the
only in either city last year, except one or two
which similarly Introduced II IL To guard against
consequences like these that pfes II duty to adopt
tho complained Of and submit that these facts
fjiiy justify action.
Furfs-This report by inference, though not = very
direct terms charges that am accustomed to exact and
receive $40 In addition to tlvs fees allowed ny law Tor
boarding aud examining each vessel and computation
made for the purpose OF showing how much AZ that
rate wiz reciivo on the contract Oh ne AAnuha Uas
Company coal This is utter pervevsion o. the
truth and has not the slightest foundation infact am
not OF fact which can have gwen rise 70 SUCH
statement, that in some instances, before any
arrangement made for boarding vessels 70 the East
river captains OF vessels Subject to quarantine which had
entered tho port through thu Sound, voluntarily went to
deputy and $40 extra compensation Tor coming
the city aud boarding their vessels rather than go
with them to Quarantine This entreiy voluntary
arrangement made without my knowledge, and part
Of the compensation reucvedby me
To avoid tas incon, enence the fe Gate pilots mo
po.e.i that should station a boarding officer the
E,st river SOUND and they would guarantee him "
for each ve-sel boarded by him 70 Vii. asfsagemen,
nsseied aud informed II Will yield ie officer who
performs the ty not exceeding $So00 0di OF wch ie
will have 10 pay ina bos,meD snd other expenses or
this s,m Of course receive nothing. This Is the sim
and substance OF all that sware Of that can have
gwen rive 10 the unfoanded Charge 10 which have re-
icrred r.
Titta-n s also asserted that tho oncrous tho
burdens Of quarantine the shipping ntor
os the greater the pecnnary nensn accrung 20 ts
the gentleman who makes this assertion had taken pans
TO examine tbo history OF legislation rsintve TO qsran
tine nearly all or which orig mated with the health ON
GERS they would have found there has been constant
cfor, to lesson the bnrthens upon commerce by dln
shng tho period Of detention or ~ TO encour
age aud increase The commerce ~ the port And
animation Of the records Of my once viii show that the
average period Of detention OF vessels a. less than one
third OF the Time authorized by law.
S,nh-The report enormously sstcs that ap appeal
comnissoners Of Health Tho at Of 1868 expressly
provides that the appeal shall he taken 10 the Commits
s,oners OF Quarantine ana tue sh ., ne se
cieat guarantee that their decisions would DO Impartial
Az evidence Of the manner In which my duties have
been disc bsrged I may mention that no appeal TO the
board has been taken during my term of ohire " tue
gentlemen who submitted that report had exhibited
force they did In framing their charges they wod
have found their criticisms in regard 10 the right OF
appeal are based spon statute which has no longer any
existence. The remark will apply To nearly all
their references 70 statutes
lS-renh-The statement thai shipo~hers ana con.
signees object 10 rigid quarantine cnniradcicd
by their daily practice, In portuning the Health Omcer
~ relax and remove restrictions whc tho law has rem
dercd imperative that he should Impose upon vessels
and his charge Their captains frequently make state
ncnts under oath for the purpose or having these
restrictions sed which, upon further investgation
have found be utterly nlse; and not unrequently
have they declared their vessels free from injection and
that no sickness occurred during the passage where
rigid examination Of the crew or passengers has as
closed the fact that the statement was wholly untrue
EigtG-Thc charge that my fees smo nj to one hun
dred thousand dollars per annum IN a, youndess a. mo
Others which have noticed Any person Interested In
the question can ascertain the of my Fees except
for cOasting vesses-whch is very small ttem--by ~
plying 10 the Collector OF the Port IT from the figures
there given him he will deduct The salaries Of my depu
ties boatmeu and other employees he will una thai my
income much iess than practising physicisus u
the CITY OF New York Nor they increased, - The
report would lead 10 infer BY the business rms
| iighiermen and stevedores have oaiy concurrent
voice with the Comm ssoners of Quarantine ~ iheit
selection ana have voice whatever In establishing
the rate u their charges have never beeo beneo'ed
20 the extent OF penny by wha, they may haven
ceivod, nos DO expect TO be whatever they caro- Is
their own n their charges exorbitsnt sm not re-
sponsibe for II; and have reason 70 believe they are
| not. a. have heard no complaint about them
There other matters 10 the report winch ough 70
receive notice but have already EXTENDED th's req
beyond my hrsi intention ] have stated enough, y
think 70 show that the report Is full OF errors ana nus
| representations
BY inserting this reply In your widely circulated odf'
nal you will TO extent repair the injury who has
Dc.n done BY the publication Of the report
JOHN SWt>BIRNk. Hesth 90 e.
| QcAaisura q. 7, August 10. 1895