New-York tribune., 1886-01-18
THE QUARANTINE SYSTEM.
DEFENCE OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
ex-senator PLATT DECLARES THAT HE is Ihh
VICTIM OF MALICIOUS ATTACKS.

EX-SENATOR PLATT DECLARES THAT HE is llib
VICTIM OF MALICIOUS ATTACKS.
To the Edttor OF The Trtoune.
SIR: 1t seems proper that should no longer
submit In silence to the malicious attacks made upon me
in connection with the administration OF u "nas VI
the State quarantine establishment
The present crusade against the quarantine system ana
officers Systematically engineered ana persist
entity pushed by combination OF interested parties lot
their selfish purposes, the CHIEF OBJECT peng ho To-
mova OF Incumbents in order to he
restrictions imposed upon foreign rags. The prime
mover I'm this raid has been Mr. Augustine Smith, q
wealthy manufacturer OF paper and shareholder In
The Ne,o- York Times aided and abetted by the proprie
tors OF The Times and HdrpoS Weekly (and their echoes
to whom Mr. Smith sells his products, aud
by some of the rag importers OF lnis
otv. The cause for this rag-newspaper
crusade ia based upon the action OF the Health Officer
who in harmony with tho policy OF the health author
ties OF Boston, Philadelphia and all the leading ports OF
entry country and IN view OF tho threatened ap
proach OF Asiaic cholera. made ruling which required
all imported rags, and especially rags from the VIC
siums of Egypt Italy. Japan France and Spain. to be
satisfactorily dsinfected, either before shipment or
after arrival here. and the action OF the Quarantine
Commissioners as q Board OF Appeal sustaining his
policy. 1t should be said here that In the writteh
opinion affirming the action OF tho Health ohcer the
stated their conclusions and the reasons
therefor and attempt has Decn made by the rag COLD
this ruling they compelled to disnfect by one pro
cess only-hat of injecting superheaed steam into the
bale-wLich process is patented and q monopoly ana
that the price charged for dsinfecton, yz 80 ton Is
exorbtant. They also charge that the Quarantine
authorities are interested In the concern or It's pr0nts
To this last slanderous charge dosiro first OF all
to record q most positive and emphatic denial
assert for myself. and know that l
can speak for my associates that 1t
is most nalcousy false and that one connected with
the Quarantine establishment in any capacity has now
ever any interest direct remote in the stock
profits Of this any other disnfectng process OF
company The process of disinfection which was ar-
proved by the Health officer Is practically the only one
which has offered for the dsinfecton OF rags
in bale 1t property OF Mr.. f. b. Bartlett one OF
prominent and reputable citizens OF the city OF
Brooklyn and merchants OF New-York. Another
method known as the suphur-vacuum process, was
thoroughly tested by the Health Officer and experts, and
its adoption sanctioned. but 1t never put into prac
ca use because the owners stated they discovered
that the quantity OF DO disnfected was likely to
be limited and they would not be warranted In making
the necessary outlay for plant or IN HIKING less price
for the work than Bartlett figure Certain rag I'M
porters came before the board Mt various times
aud stated iheir opinion that efectual disn-
fecton ought be and could be performed
at various pr from sixty cents TO one dollar and
half ton but not OF them ever produced. or at
tempted To produce responsible party or process mar
would do the at price Although not "a part OI
duty. the Commissioners made diigent but inei
fec,uai search for some plan which would sn,rd Ihe
before the board aud made oath that II had cost nm
rags he had treated, without taxing into account
his large investment In plant ana exhibited MIS- hBures
in detail to substantiate his affidavit
few figures from official statistics VIII go FAR
TO expose depths OF mendaelty ana malicousuess
developed by newspapers IN their representa-
tions OF this case For tue year ss5 just closed tho
total importation OF rags Into this port amounted %
1GO29 bales. orabout 10000 tons of which only 2'sOO
bales or about 1000 were disnfccted here Ihs
balance di'niecte abroad and permitted to eater
without restriction. Al nvo dollars ton the gross
amount paid by tue importers TO the dsnecof ooud Dc
Hrpers WeeSIvi is responsible for a statement. which
ina. gone rounds OF the press that tho actual cost
sixty cents per ton. yielding prohi OF - 4o per to
This sum-" they say, upon au annual importation
of 10000 toms would be S77O.OOO." The !
utter absuriity OF THIS statement 10 shown BY
the ngures aud facts I have already given. An
make $40 900 profits actual payments for dsihce
ing agEegang only $4,000. requires no further a1ten
The Nsio- YORK Times which has been especially vru
lent IN its attacks on the Quarantine authotiIle IS
ample In order make out case OF ettraYagsnce
figures In statement OF the appropriation OF
$50 for swnburue Island Improvements from $1,000
$4,000 IL also lays at our door private b whlch
IL desgnaes as rider in which the Quarantine authOr-
ties had 40 and OF wHich they had not
the Al ghtest knowledge assert without oar OF con
trAdicton from any that there Is no de-
pnriment OF tho state Go'ernuent that has been adj
minis with greater economy or with more rcFupu
lous honesty than the affairs Of the quarantine Depart
ment No appropr iaton has been asked that was
not absolutely necessary for the work OF tho Com
mission the care maintenance or pro |
lection OF tho property OF the state. In |
every OF late years the Governor has been re-
quested send pert 10 verify the necessity of the
al the personal expense OF tho Comms'oh-
ers.
The exposed position OF tho artificial islands with their
costly supersructures, require extraordinary ehPohIi
almost annually 10 preserve them from utter de
structlon, and, but for ths appropriation which was
made winter for the protection OF HOLMAN Island
The opinion Of tho engineer In charge OF tue repairs
that portion OF the island ANA buildings would nave
been swept away Dy rocont storms.
No contracts for repairs OF magnitu le nave ever
made except by advertisement for proposals ana
acceptancs Of the lowest responsible bidder.
Tho largest expenditure for repairs IN recent years.
Il 700 for SwnDlrne Island was made u1dor tho |
supervision of AN engineer degnated at the request OF
the Commissioners by Controller James ". Waiswurth
cOurt myself and associates the most searching
Innuiry into ALI our transactions. 4. &. PLATr.
Board OF Commissioners Of Quarantine.
Aetc-l York, Jan. II, 1856.