The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-06-22
Quarautine-How the Merchants Want u 20
be Administered.

Dc Administered.
The clamor against the Health Officer OF the
Port is mainly on these points he subjects
to quarantine vessels that have no sickness on
board; he compels vessels to discharge their
cargoes in the stream and by lighters, when the
merchants would like them to come up to the
wharves; he requires merchants to employ only
lghtermen and stevedores licensed by the
quarantine authorities and If at any time be
permits vessels to come up out Of quarantine
he exacts previous assent to the condition
that they shall discharge their cargoes at desig-
mated points. This is the sum of the great in
dctment of the merchants, who deal with in
fected ports and the owners of warehouses
against the Health Officer, and the head and
front of the offending for which even the Coilec-
tor of the Port proposes to test his authority.
Indeed, it is the Collectors appearance as an
opponent of DR.. Carnochan that gives
the case against him any responsibility,
and makes it worth serious argument;
for this class of merchants, we are sorry to say,
are always the same in matters like this. With
honorable exceptions they have ever the most
acute perception Of their own private interests
and the loftiest disregard to the public welfare.
Indeed, if 1t were otherwise there might be no
use for the expensive establishment that
quarantine necessarily is. If merchants would
respect the law upon its mere publication
we might dispense with the machinery devised
to administer it; but they like to interpret it
little bit in their own favor always, and
hence not only is the machinery necessary, but
they as a rule are always more or less In
conflict with it, From these merchants, there
fore, we expect opposition to restraints upon
their trade, however wise or necessary the
restraints, because such opposition is only
natural expression of their impatience or
cupidity; but the Collector we accredit with
better motives, for of course we do not for
moment listen to the whisper that MIR. Grim
nell in his official action remembers his rela-
tons to the firm Of Grinnell, Minturn & Co.
that he cares more for the trade Of that emf
nent firm than for the proprieties OF his place.
We are sure that he has in view the interests of
the port and the fair Interpretation of the law;
and this being the case, he would not II well
advised, appear in his present attitude of hos
tilty to the properly constituted authorities in
their enforcement Of laws that are wise and
just, though, like all laws, they bear more
heavily upon some parties than upon Others
The defence of the Health Officer from the
points made against him is simply that he ad-
ministers the law as he finds 1t, or enforces
regulations that are absolutely and impera-
lively required in its letter or spirit. AS to
the quarantining of vessels that have no sick
ness on board, Mr.. Grinnell certainly cannot
be ignorant that an actual case of disease on
a ship is not the only danger that her deten-
ton is expected to provide against. 1t is the
law that vessels sailing from ports at the time
of the prevalence Of certain diseases there shall
be detained whether they have or have not
cases of that disease on board From neces-
sity the Health Officer is generally guided by
the bill of health of vessel in determining
whether she is from an infected port, and in
no case has vessel yet been detained by DR..
Carnochan having clean bill Of health. This
requirement of law is eminently reasonable;
for it is only after the expiration of certain
periods, of variable length, that diseases
make their appearance in persons whose sys-
TENS have taken in the poison; and thus the
fact that sailor has Lot the yellow fever at
the time of his arrival here is not guarantee
that he will not spread that plague in Cherry
street. Nor is it certain in all cases that the
hold of q vessel is not infected although there
is no sickness among her passengers or crew
on arrival She may develop disease after the
discharge of her cargo. Compelling vessels
to discharge in the stream is only a
necessary part of the detention that
the law requires; for of course if they
are to be kept below they cannot come up to
the wharves. The requirement that they shall
employ certain Iightermen and stevedores is
also quarantine necessity. Ships in quaran-
tine must be unloaded only by men whom the
Health Officer can control, and he can control
only those that have his license and have
given bonds that the men in their employ
shall act upon certain sanitary regulations.
But for this the complete defeat of the pur-
ship below if men working on her all day
are scattered through the city at night? II
these lightermen charge higher rates than
others they perform special and peculiar SER
vice and are under bonds for its faithful per-
Torrance, and, risking pecuniary loss, it is
according to the general order of trade that
they should make higher charges. The re-
quirement that ships permitted to come UP
before the expiration of their quarantine shall
discharge at certain designated places
is, Of all the quarantine regulations
the most necessary. The Health Officer
gives permit to save time for the
cargo but, to save his duty to the city, hi
sspermits" the ship only for specified isolated
place. Is it tyranny to require a ship K
unload at place that is safe for the city