New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-08
NATIONAL BOARD or HEALTH

President UarrisOns suggestion that inc
whole subject of quarantine regulation be taken
into National control was easily foreseen. 90
far as appears. il is everywhere approved. Last
summers cholera fright taught several lessons
but none more effectively than that an immense
danger to tho public health lies III the present
system of State supervision, with It's differing
regulations. inexperienced officials, impractl-
cable methods and insufficient establishments.
Not much argument can BE- needed to persuade
an intelligent person, however indsposed he
NAV be 10 enlarge the functions Of the Fed
cral Government, that il there Is any subject
which should be, in the gcnclal interest com
mitted to central authority 1t is that OF
quarantine arrangements. This would be true
even if the work OF the local officials at THIS
port last summer had been all that could be
dcsired When il is considered that the en-
trance OF postcntial disease may be de-
fcarcd here but effected at Charleston, Phila-
dephia, Baltimore or New-OreanS, and that
It's spread. when so effected, may not only
desolate the city from which it obtains start,
but may render III, superlo: sanitary methods
employed at other ports OF no avail whatever,
il must lie conceded that the situation demands
that uniformity, authority and resource which
cannot possibly be secured for all our ports
except through the General Government.
The Presidents ideas have already been in
corpolatcd more or less completely in a bill
which Congressman Raynor has n,roduc into
the House Of Representatives establishing
National Board Of Health as a bureau of the
Treasury Department. Tho officers of the
bureau are to be Commissioner of Quar-
antinc. a Commissioner Of sanitation and
a Commissioner of Vital statistics, cJmpos-
in. an Executive Commission; and the sur
gc0nS- General Of tho Army and Navy and of
the Marine Hospital, together with an officer
# the Department OF Justice composing IN
Advisory Commission. Tho duties 10 be per-
formed By each Of those officials are readily
suggested by the title assigned b. him. Mer
chant ships from foreign ports arc forbidden
under the penalty Of heavy fine 10 enter any
port Of the United >tateS except in conformity
with the rules fixed by the Commission. All
vessels clearing for an American port arc re-
quired to provide themselves with Il consular
bill Of health, which is made a part Of the
ships papers.
The scheme embodied in these provisions is
'od one, clsily pu, into operation and likely
II prove rs effective in preventing the i'm
p0r,ation of plaques u any other OF the several
suggested But the measure as il passes Con-
grcsS should leave no doubt Of the complete
supremacy of the Federal authority. Indeed,
4 should leave nothing for Stltc quarantine
officials to do. Tho National Beard f Health
should be directed 81 establish it, agents ut
every port of entry throughout the country,
equipped with all tho powers and all tho tools
necessary 10 the erection and maintenance Of
perfect quarantine bar. \ bureau of theory
with offices at Washington engaged in col
Letting Information and in making regulations
is only part of The necessary outfit. But its
inf rmati,n must be utiliz and lis rcgula-
tons enforced. and the persons to whom these
duties appcrtain should be it, own employees,
responsible g. It's executive. A law thus COM
plctc. creating machine thus efficient is the
cnly measure worth enacing, and it should be
enacted at once. The two subjects which can
be dealt with al thi, session of Congress most
- the satisfaction Of the country are quaran-
tine and immigration. The people want pro-
lection against p,stilcnco without distinction
Of party