The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-14
STATE OR FEDERAL CONTROL.
THE QUESTION OF QUARANTINE be
J.OBE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

It's special Committee Reports In Favor OF q
national Establishment. hut the Chamber
Refuses to Act llaatiiy-Dr. jenkins Ne.
frrs TO the Report ms y Political Document.
Tho Chamber OF Comm cree held n special
meeting Yesterday to receive the report OF the
Special Committee on Quarantine. which con-
sists Of Alexander II. Orr. Seth Low. :. H. Bah
cock. i. Ficrpont Morgan. and Austin Coro,n'
This with the correspondence OF the commit
tee. had been printed 10 q pamphlet OF forty-
eight pages.
The committee demand national duaran-
tine. 1T should be stated at once says the
report. that tho committee are inclined TO
admit the contention that the Health oflicer OF
the port is not to be held wholly Responsible
for the inadeauacy Of New iork's prepara-
tons to cope with tho cholera when II APP
reared in this port on the Moravia, Aug. 80.
1882: though they are bound to say tho
plea would be stronger II there were
any evidence to show that he had
made persistent effort TO increase the
equipment. and had failed because OF
his inability to arouse either the authorities
or tho community toa sense OF the danger anu
the need. lie might not have succeeded. but
II seems to tho committee that II was clearly
his duty to have tried. 1t is not unreasonable
however, 10 claim that the equipment actually
on hand should have been in q state OF utmost
readiness"
The report praises Gov. Flower and Secre-
tary Foster. and asserts that the national
Government has forces and equipments avail
ablo which enable It to establish speedily
much moro satisfactory 1uarantinethan cou'd
DO otherwise secured In n short time
The committee offered tho following resolu-
tions for adoption
pr,,f he Commerce memorial
lie the rtsdsnt and The Congress q The United state.
Ss s" ssnfo u iOr, and
other places under national control: .. -os,,c..
fully ' directed e to the niuroS. inaense. iha.
Sestss,ion i relative thereto may be promptly had.
Mr.. Low moved tho adoption Of the resou-
u. Edward Simmons thought the members OF
the Chamber SHOULD be allowed to examine
u see in the report" he said u reflection
or, the ability Of the Empire State to take care
Of her Affairs T. seems to me t that ts
hasty action should be taken. 1move that
action be postponed to the next monthly meet
F. b. Thurber seconded Mr.. Smmons's mo-
y. MIR. Low saia he thought it proper to give
Inc ks'i next a": TUESDAY. This SUGGESTION was
HEALTH oHcer Jenkins. after reading the re-
port OF tho Cham Der of Commerce committee
last night. said to a sun reporter: think
that this is a political document. instigated by
craftsmanship. The proof Of my work at Quar-
demic Of cholera in New York. The, agents Of
work. and feel that / did the best l could
with the means at my command. Tho Advis-
ory mmittee OF physicians is the same COM
mittee. with one exception. that suggest:
cd the improvements on Holm Island
in 1887. These suggestions have been carried
out so far as tho APPROPRIATIONS for them have
permitted. With ali their skill and ability tho
members Of this committee did not oresee an
emergency like the recent cholera invasion.
In their report thcy made no recommended
tions for tho accommodation Of cabin nassen-
gers who might be detained at Quarantine.
This committee refers to the work OF DR..
John Is. Hamilton at Camp Low. Secretary
I had been fully posted asto Secretary Fns-
Hamilton's character. Ostensibly this was
done to aid tho Quarantine service.
but as matter Of fact believe 1t
was done to prevent q Democrat from receiv-
ing credit Cor work the at.Camp Low. was or
posed to receiving the services Of DR.. Hamil.
seemed to me that IN effort was being made
to place a subordinate above his chief.
1t IL necessary that the Health Officer Of
the yort should have absolute authority. He
must act quickly at times. and this would not
be possible under nationa! quarantine.
There would be the delays of telegraphing to
Washington for instruction and II certain
trouble last fall was directly tracenblo to the
negligence OF national Government ap-
pointces."