The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-01
The Health Omcer 81 New York-Ths
Quaraatine Laws Of tho State.

Quaranfine Laws Of tho state.
A great deal Of fuss has recently been made
over the management of quarantine matters
under Dr. Carnochan, who now retires from
the position of Health Officer of New York,
and legislative committee has been spending
several days over protested investigation of
the subject. The inquiry has been of tho
usual Character. Discharged stevedores.
iightermen and boatmen; rebe llious Staten
Islanders, who regard the firing of a quaran-
tine station as perfectly legitimate method
OF getting rid of the offensive institution shin
owners who occasionally indulge in the prac-
tice Of slipping quarantine, and have been at
some time or another caught at the game, were
ready in numbers to testify to the enormites
of Dr. Carnochans administration, az they
would be prepared to bear evidence against
any Health Officer Of the port of New York,
whomsoever he might be. On the other hand,
prominent ship owners, the managers of
the great steamship lines, and professional
gentlemen of skill, experience and high repu-
alton, were willing to bear witness that the
affairs of quarantine were efficiently, honestly
and courseously administered under Dr. Car
nOchan, as they would doubtless maintain in
the case of any other Health Officer who
simply discharges his duty under the Quaran-
tine laws, without being responsible for their
character. The testimony taken by the COM
mittee was no doubt one-sided. All such in
quiries are made to represent the sentiments
of the majority. and their absurdlty is shown
in the fact that in ninety-nine cases out of Q
hundred the majority and minority of an inves-
tigating committee draw precisely opposite
conclusions from the evidence given before
the Quarantine laws were ON trial, rather than
the Health Ofi,e
The crusade against DR.. Carnochan was, OF
course, of a political character. The large
quarantine fees authorized by law have made
the Office of Health Officer of New York .
political one, just the same as the enormous
emoluments of the Sheriffs Office render it i'm
possible to separate that position from politics.
The party in power expects to draw from Sta
ten Island a good share of the expenses of q
campaign; and as DR.. Carnochan is no politi-
clan and does not care straw for the exigen-
cies of party, he was felt to be very i'm
proper person to monopolize the profits of
quarantine. The fees for lighterage, steve
dorage and cooperage are lower now than
they were in 1869, yet they are sufficiently
large to excite the longing of general
committees, ward committees and all the
riff-raff of political organizations. These
gentry have been successful in getting rid Of
DR.. Carnochan, but they will scarcely be ben
Gifted by the appointment of his successor.
DR.. vanderpoel, of Albany, comes of an old
and distinguished family, and both in his
private and professional character will do
honor to any position he may fill.
Now, that abuses do exist in quarantine
affairs at this port, no person will deny; but
they are of the laws and not of the admins
tration. The facts that the Office is made
political one, and that party cliques and
factions assume to rule or ruin the in
cumbent, are of themselves sufficient to
prove the existence of radical defect
in the system. The large fees received
by the Health Officer lie at the root of the
evil. The extraordinary emoluments of the
position are regarded as legitimate fund for
political expenses, and the officer, finding him.
self stripped of large share of his legal
profits, sets to work to discover how he can
make money, if not illegally, at least by
sharp and excessive Interpretation of the law.
If the State Legislature really desire reform
at Quarantine, and be not bent only on con-
trolling the Office for political purposes, law
should be at once enacted cutting off all the
fees pertaining to the position and making the
Office salaried one. Every dollar collected
should 60 to the government, and the Health
Officer and all his subordinates should be paid
sufficient and even liberal salaries for their
services. That OF the Health Officer himself
should be fixed at sum sufficient to
induce O physician of the eminence of DR..
Vanderpoel to accept the place and abandon
his private practice, and the appointment
should, for the same reason, be for ten years.
1t should be made an offence punishable with
immediate removal for any officer or employee
connected with Quarantine to accept fee or
present for any official service whatsoever,
and the fees levied upon the commerce of the
port should be cut down to the lowest point
consistent with the expenses of the service.
The Inauguration of DIR. Vanderpoel would be
a good time for the adoption Of such reform,
as he will be Indifferent to the compensation
he may receive, and certainly will not be
likely to lend himself and his Office to the
purposes of the politicians. If quarantine
reform be really desired by the Legislature it
can be secured alone in this way. If the laws
be suffered to remain as they are the abuses
complained Of will still exist, without any
fault of the Health Officer, and before long we
shall hear the political hounds who have
hunted down Dr. Carnochan bowling at the