New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-21
FOR NdTION4L QCAR1NIiNE.


The New-York Chamber OF Commerce has
done the whole country great service ny "S
investigation of the quarantine proDiehi' an"
its public declarations on that snbIect. us
unanimous adoption Yesterday AT "e',-
attended meeting Of the report made last week
bv IFS special committee will confirm inc oP'"-
ion in which we believe the most competent
iudges are agreed. that the great task oi Keep
inc disease ont of our ports ought 10 De 'iiuei
National control The Chamber OF Commerce
spcalS with authority on this subject. through
q committee of >agacOus and broad mih"cu
men of affairs aided by medical experts oi the
first rank, it has been put in possession o' al
tba facts necessary 10 a complete understand
mo of the subject and tO a sound conclusion.
This investigation was in no sense an al'acN
ON any individual or organization. II was m
spired simply by the patriotic and altogether
laudable desire to obtain and disseminate a
Thorough knowledge of the present system ana
admin stla,ion-their defects, whatever thcy
were. and their merits if they had any. Inc
report of this committee was submitted week
AGA but the Chamber chCS" 10 allow an inter
val sufficient for calm consideration to elapSe
before bringing it 10 Il vote. Dr. jenkins ana
his friends in Tamnany Hall have not been
idle during thi, time, but their activity has
been unayailing. The action taken yesterday
hv several hundred intelligent. experienced
and influential citizens is As decisive a. II l.
>alutaiy
The Health Officer has published reply 10
the condemnation under which he ana his de-
Iar;ment lie He expresses the conviction that
quarantine management last summer was eA-
,rcmelv efficient and S!,ilful in spite OF many
difficulties. and pays hearty tribute 10 the
force Of assistants whom he controlled ana 70
the city authorities who co-opclatcd with him.
And he apprchcnd> unfortunate consequences
IN case a transfer % his powers ana dAiieN ID
the General Government Is made We nave
no DISPOSITION To cXaggcratc the shortcomings
Of DE- Jenkins Nobody denies that he worked
very hard last summer and II Is unnece>>al!
to assume that he was consciously dcrhc' III
anv particular. But though we think he has
proved his mnoSS for the responsible an"
cuerous place he holds he is really very small
part of the case which i now engaging pubic
attention. If he Health Ofcer AZ TINS pN
welc now. and were always sure to be. thor
ouch master Of his business the fact would re-
main that quarantin" hele and everywhere else
uuoht to he in charge Of The Nat onai anihoIl-
ties. II ha, repeatedly been pointc, ont. but
cannot be too urgently insisted on. that the
defcuccS against pcStilcnco in order to he thor
ouehlv efficient. must be universally and NM
formly adequate. such deicnceS can be pro-
yidcd and maintained only by the General
Government. IT has been said that the quar-
antine chain is no stronger than ltS weakest
link. and if this statement is not exactly aeon
rate il nevertheless forcbly describes the weak
ness Of a system which necessarily involves
loo,c. ignorant and conflicting rules. methods
and operaiioIs cent al administration, con
trolling every branch OF the york. Is the only
uoS>ihlc means ana guarantee Of reasonable
security.
This would be the obvious truth if there
were nothing II consider beyond our own Dor
ders. But an extremely important part Of the
work needs to be done in foreign lands through
agents who can be employed and controlled
only by National authority. 1t is doubtful IT
Dr. Jenkins is authorized u establish one OF
his deputies in Hamburg a. an Official inspector
If immigrants, responsible 10 the state ana
supported ont Of IL treasury. as he has an
nounccd hi, intention of doing forthwith. But
even if he has the power 10 do this he can
exercise it only on very limited scale and u
little effect. Authority and facilities for in
stituting comprehensive measures Of National
protection on foreign soil are. and in the nature
Of things must be, possessed by the Federal
Government alone There is little doubt that
the conclusions Of the Chamber Of Commerce
will be generally adopted by the people Of the
| / nii cd states They ought TO be embodied in
| legislation without unnecessary delay. There
is NJ more important duty before Congress than
that to which lis immediate attention has been
| called in this impressive manner.