New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-03
A CLASH AT QUARANTINE
DIR. JENKINS RESENTS FEDERAL MEASURES
OF PRECAUTION.

OF PRECAUTION.
THE ADMINISTRATION CIRCULAR APPROVED,
HOWEVER, BY STEAMSHIP AGENTS AND
oTuERs-No NEW CASES OF CHOLERA
ACTIVELY GUARDING AGAINST
THE DANGER.
There was no new cause for alarm in this city
yesterday about the cholera. Unfortunately for
himself, DR.. Jenkins, the Health Officer of the
port, chose to make some noise about the Admin
istration circular regarding the twcntydays quar-
antine OF vessels from foreign ports. There was
no need Of that, for the circular distinctly
recognizes the powers of State auhorl-
ties in these quarantine regulations. There
was no reasonable excuse for clash of authority,
and yet n disposition shown at Quarantine
which might be productive of serious results
But, whatever the opinion of DR.. Jenkins may nc
regarding the circular of SurgeonIeneral wy
man, there only one opinion regarding II III
shipping circles and that was that 1t was
wholesome and timely order made necessary oy
the exgences of the situation. While Or. JENKINS
was unhappy at Quarantine, the steamship agents
were busy making arrangements to comply with
the provisions of the order. Not one OF them
They realized, as Mr.. Schwab, Of the North German
Lloyd Line. said, that the final authority 10
which they must appeal for the passing oil theh
shipe by Quarantine was the Federal Government d.
Am01G all sorts and conditions OF men III 'io
city the order of the President came Win co,.
forting and reassurng guarantee OF the P"oii'
welfare The Stock Exchange rallied from ."o
scare which had dcmoralized its members the uas
before business was better and brsker thah IL
had been for several days, and the ieelhg Vi
uneasness at the neaTress of the terrible dicaSc
OF cholera which has Been depressing the people
wao almost entirely removed. Seldom mas al
order been issued by the Executive of the Nation
whose beneficial effects have been immediate
and far-reaching.
The usual course Of inspection and fumigatioh
which Dr. Jenkins has put in force at Quarantine
WAS gone through with yesterday, and 1t was al
+ooether a busy day there The city authorizes
continued their good work OF the day Dcioie.
and filled many long-ielt wants III prOVinihs ior
tho cleanliness Of the city. When n pcstllehcc
knocks loudly at the city's gates. that inst law
Of nature, self-preservation, seems to awaken ''o
Tammany officials and they realize III some degree
their sins of omission regarding the sanitary coll
dtion of the city. Even Commissioner brennan
-. ,.oi, 60 his nost of duty Yesterday. ihe
Board of Estimate gave the Board oi heaiu'
SlO. 600 70 fit up the floating hospital which mas
been lent 20 the city by the St Johns Guild, anu
Mayor Grant issued an cdict that the city em-
Moves should not have holiday to-day, but
SHOULD work.
The steamship lines have been prompt in their
action. and immigration into this country j.
practically stopped for the time being. Every
thing in the way Of precaution SEEMS TO be AS IL
should be. and cholera will have hard time N
gettina past the official barriers which have been
erected. .
DEMOCRATIC POLITICS HERE.
DEVELOPMENTS at Quarantine. however. pretty
well established the highly unfortunate iact 'hh'
poIitics has been followed 10 mlnglc WIN uie
discharge Of the vitally important duties oi 'he
Health Officer Of the Port of New-iork As soon
as the twenty quarantine circular l'u'"
by the Treasury Department. under the uHec'ion
of President Harrison, had been published 'he
Democratic officials saw that the popular ieeilhS
in favor of the President had been greatly III
creased by the prompt issue OF this Important
timely and valuable document. MA, VI
Grant went to Quarantine THURSDAY
in the steam launch ihSPco'"i
Of the Dock Department. and Dr. jenkins went
off with him. J. Scrjeant Cram acted az guide,
philosopher and friend. They disappeared INTO
the ohscrrity of the lower bay, and the opIcct
~ the visit of Hugh j. Grant e. Quarantine De
came an interesting mystery. Several people "i
not more than ordinary penetration now think
that thpy know the reason. In the evening ol
that day Dr. Jenkins who is the brother-ih-
law Of Richard Croker, made his first announce
mcnt regarding the twenty-days quarantine crcu-
lar. and he has made substantially the sam" an
nouncemcnt several times since then. FROM Ms
remarks and actions it was easy to see that IL
was intended TO arrange things 30 that the piahc
for anything that goes wrong might pc thro"h
bv his friends the Federal officials II th'y
should try TO hold ships passed by the Quarantine
officials. while the credit for good work, II was
boDed would be given to the health officers. llle
circular is referred to with hostiNy and sarcasm,
and it is easy to see that the men know that
they are expected by their supcriors 10 disregard
il utterly The hostility which they manifest
against the measure is strangely out OF keeping
with the Doctors remark that only the frendlicst
feeling is felt by him for the Federal Govern
ment in this case.
DIR. JENIKNS's STATEMENT
A Tribune reporter said TO him yesterday " IL
has been reported that you do not intend TO pay
any attention to the circular from Washington
regarding the quarantine of twenty days is 1t
true that you will disregard II?
Or. Jenkins answered Il will hold vessels III
Quarantine as long as think it is necessary. 1t
depends on the port each ship halls from. the state
Of her passengers. etc. | do not think that the
President intended to prescribe any rules for the
health officers of the port Of NewiOrk. At any
rate. under Section %, Of Act ri. of The laws oi
tbe State covering Quarantine. | have full an-
tboritv, and | can hold vessels one day or six
months, according to my own judgment But l
dent believe that the circular was intended In any
way to interfere with our office here. for there
has been perfect understanding between the
Federal Government and the Quarantine Commis-
sioners OF the State of Ncw-fork i'll regard to the