Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-03
SAYS THERE Is NO CLASH.
DIR. jenkins Discusses His Duty and the
President's Proclamation

DIR. Jenkins Discusses His Duty and the
Presidents Proclamation.
A New York Herald reporter had quite a talk
with DR.. jenkins, health officer at New York
late last evening after the rush and worry OF
the dav were over. He was nervous and weary
'Will you explain to me, DOCTOR" he was
asked, 1.-The clash in authority between your
department and the federal officials of this
port?"
There is no such clash between u.s. am
fully in sympathy with the efforts of the fed
eral officials to prevent cholera from entering
the country"
Then why do you not respect the Presidents
proclamation in reference TO OBTAINING foreign
emigrant ships for twenty days."
Il may detain them forty days if it seems
necessary
Eyes, but in other cases YOU would pass such
vessels at once, would you not?''
Certainly, after proper fumigation, and if
there were no cholera cases aboard and the
ship came from q port where there was no
cholera"
I'm other words. you propose to act accord
ing to your own discretion, without regard to
the Presidents proclamation
IL am the health officer of this port and must
act according to my own discretion. according
to the law OF the state. Ii the President 8
proclamation applied to me / should obey it,
but it does not. am state official
ITO whom does the Presidents proclamation
apply, as you understand it?'
ITO the federal officials the collectors of
ports, revenue officers and so on
And what is going to happen, doctor, if your
department begins disposing Of incoming steam
ers in one way while the revenue officials dis
pose of them in another"
DR.. jenkins shrugged his shoulders and
smiled.
''All there is about it, suppose" be went on.
sis that will hold incoming vessels at auara,,-
tine as long AZ is necessary by the laws Of New
York state. Then l will discharge them. and
the federal officials will do whatever they think
best with them"
Were you surprised when they sent back the
Island this afternoon and refused to let her
come up to her dock?'
NO; am not surprised at anything. / was
not surprised half an hour later when they
changed their minds and allowed her to land
Suppose they had left the Island in quaran-
tine where she dropped anchor on being sent
back, what action would you have taken in re-
gard to her?'
II don't know that should have taken any
action. 1t Is true she would have been under
my jurisdiction from the fact that she Law in
quarantine waters, but 1 should not have con-
sidered 1t necessary to visit or inspect her a
second time unless knew or had reason to be-
lieve that disease had broken out aboard her.
In that case l should treat her Just as l would
any other suspected vessel"
':As matter of fact, DR.. Jenkins. if the
federal authorities continue to send back ves-
sells which you have passed there will soon be
such blockade Of steamers about quarantine
that your officers will be seriously hampered in
your work. What will you do then?'
'In that case l shall be obliged to assign
anchorage ground to each vessel and may have
to send portion Of them further down the
bay or even out to sea-"
"Have you the authority to do that"
81 don't know how the law 10 on that cues
ton, but you can easily see that must allow
nothing to interfere with the discharge Of nv
duties as health officer"
I asked the doctor what his opinion was a. to
the wisdom Of the Presidents proclamation.
but got no other answer than a smile.
lis 1t not possible that the detention of q
steamer carrying thousand or less immigrants
for twenty days might in itself cause disease to
break out even where there had been no dis
ease?'
.'Such cases have been frequent in old-time
ships lacking in the conveniences and sanitary
arrangements Of the modern steamer. At the
best, twenty days is Q long time to shut up a
steerage crowd. and il, on account Of rough
weather, they were forced to remain below, I
have no doubt that disease might be induced
from the urzavorable conditions" DIR. Jenkins
was asked as to the result Of DR.. Byron's
archaeological experiments on bedding from
the Moravia. He said they had been purely
negative. NO cholera germs being found.