Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-19
WORSE THAN THE CHINESE
Or. ]. b. McClelland, President of the
State Board of Health,
WANTS A NATIONAL QUARANTINE.
New YorkIs Board of Trade Seeks Informa-
tion in PittSburg.
UNCLE SAN MUST ASSUME CONTROL

The Special Committee on Quarantine o.
the New York Board of Trade and Trans
portation is at work collecting information,
data and opinions from those expert on the
subject, touching the advantages, If any, OF
establishing uniform system of quarantine
in the United States. If the returns are
favorable to such institution suggestions
will be prepared for Congressional legisla'
tIon on the subject.
In answer to a request from the commit
tee for his views upon the matter, Dr.. d. ID.
McClelIand, President of the State Board
of Health, following the line of inquiry
laid out, has written as follows to the COM
mittee:
''My observation OF quarantine admins
tration in foreign countries (extending over
most of the countries OF Europe and North
ern Afriea) would lead me to question their
superiority over our own, with the single
exception of the advantage secured by q
uniform administration, under strong gen.
eral governments.
"In most countries of Europe, notably
England, quarantine supervision is weak
and inadequate, only rising to an occasion
such as q serious cholera outbreak offers
The present status of quarantine admins
tration in the United States is far from sat-
isfactory, because of lack of uniformity
which must inevitably obtain where au-
thority is divided up among municipal gov
trnments
Necessity of Uniform System.
''The system Cor want of system) of quar-
antine existing in the United States leads
to increased cost-an assertion easily sub
tantiated-increased interference and re-
Strictions to travel, each representative of
q separate government having to be salts
fed, and making strong probability of less
security in and owing to misunderstanding
where authority is divided.
"All of which leads me to declare un-
equivocally in favor of quarantine under
National administration. Leaving to others
the discussion of the effects upon imports
and commerce, it would seem to me plainly
and broadly within the province of the
NGti onal Government to deal with a proce-
dure so distinctly International Quaran-
tine regulations and questions arising there
from must inevitably provoke negotia-
tions between foreign powers and home
government, and nothing short of the dip
lomatic and consular service will suffice
for such international dealings 1t seems
almost absurd to ask foreign governments
to open negotiations with this or that mu-
nicipality. There are questions of health,
imitation and even quarantine which may
we'll occupy the attention of State authori-
ties, but any experience have in connec-
ton with the Health Department of this
State only confirms my belief in the neces-
sitv for adequate quarantine regulations
under national authority
Must Be Under Government Control.
''The quarantine laws of the United
States should be administered by the Gov
ernment of the United States.
Finally, there should be prohibitory
regulations against trade and immigration
in toto from the districts permanently pesti-
lential; as, for example. where cholera has
its habitat We legislate against Chinese;
better legislate against pestilence.
Having had control of the quarantine reg
ulations of the State during the recent chol-
era scare, DR.. McClelland was in position
where he was brought constantly into con-
fict with the various governments, and his
opinion on the advantages to be gained by
having a national quarantine is based upon
the knowledge he has acquired by expert
ence in dealing with the difficulties