Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-06
Our Quarantine RegulatiOns.

our quarantine heguiAtlOhS'
For some time past there has been a
good deal of complaint as to the enforce
ment of the quarantine regulations at this
port, and, in conversation few days
since, with Mr.. Louis Marinas, Vice
Consul for Spain in Savannah, and
also with one of our leading merchants
on the Bay, the causes of these complaints
were fully explained. The chief grounds
of complaint are two: First, that there
are not sufficient quarantine facilities at
the port; and secondhand as a conse-
auence of the first-the quarantine regu-
lations cannot be properly observed.
The regulations provide that from
May LIST to November 1st vessels from
infected ports, having no sickness on
board, shall remain at quarantine at
least fifteen days, and shall, during that
time, discharge their ballast at the quar-
antine wharf, and be fumigated and
cleansed at least twice This is admitted
to be a wise regulation, and one to which
no one has, or can raise, the slightest OBJ
lection. In fact, it is conceded by all
that the health of the city is of the very
first importance, and were it deemed
necessary to make the quarantine
regulations four times as stringent as
they are, no complaint would be made on
that account. But the trouble seems to
be that these regulations are not Justly
carried out for the following reason:
The present quarantine station has only
one small wharf at which to discharge
ballast, and it takes from six to ten days
for each vessel to do so. In consequence,
if several vessels arrive at the same time,
they have to tske turns at the wharf,
and so, though the first may not
be detained at quarantine more than
fifteen days. the second will be detained
from fifteen to twenty, the third from
twenty to twenty five, and so on. 1t is
thus seen that if a number arrived at
quarantine at once, (and this is frequently
the case at this season of the year,, those
arriving last might have to be detained
from two to three months before they
could comply with the regulations and
get free.
1t is this uncertainty as to the time
of quarantine which causes all the
trouble. Mr.. Marinss, in his report to
his government regarding the port of
Savannah, speaks Of our city and her
commercial facilities in exceedingly com
plimentary terms and in manner well
calculated TO attract trade hither-
ward. He alludes at length to
our railroads and their connections, and
also to the improvements made in our
river and harbor, by means of which
our city is placed in direct, rapid and
easy communication with all sections of
this country and with all the ports of the
world. But he says despite these great
and unexcelled advantages, the commerce
of the port is injured by the uncertain
manner in which our quarantine laws
are enforced, since when a vessel from a
foreign port comes here expecting to re-
main only fifteen days. and-although
entirely free from all sickness and with
a clean bill of health-fnds herself, from
the causes above noted, compelled to
stay perhaps two or three months, her
owners naturally make efforts to avoid
our port in future and seek other local.
ties where they are not subjected to this
annoyance What a serious drawback
this is to the commerce of Savannah can
be readily seen. Vessels arriving from
infected ports during the season fire.
quently disburse here, from two hundred
to three hundred thousand dollars, be-
sides purchasing cargoes worth from
50, $50, OCo to 50, 100000 The expendi-
ture of such sums as these in our midst
must be of great benefit to our city,
and the permanent withdrawal of every
vessel from our port on account of the
| inconvenience to which they are sub
jected at quarantine, must be felt to our
detriment.
1t is plain, then, that the causes of the
complaint against the quarantine regula-
tons should be removed. This can be very
easily done. The city can certainly at
ford to build wharves at the quarantine
station which will furnish ample accom-
modations to vessels arriving here from
abroad, and enable them to discharge
their ballast and comply with quarantine
regulations without delay and the addi-
tional expense required for this would
be as nothing compared with the benefits
to be thereby conferred on our commerce.
1t must be borne in mind that we herein
allude solely to vessels from infected
ports which have no sickness on board,
and which are perfectly willing to COM
ply fully with the quarantine regulations,
whatever they may be. Al that our
foreign Consuls, our merchants and the
owners of foreign vessels ask is that they
NAV know before their vessels start ex
actly how long they will be detained
when no sickness is developed, and that
they may be provided with needed facili-
ties for complying with the quarantine
regulations. This is a subject well
worthy the attention of our city authori-
ties, for it is one in which the most i'm
portant interests of our port are involved.
---- =
Hon. Emery Speer has been heard
from at last He has written letter to
Mr.. Allen Gambler, his Democratic op