St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-10
State Boards OF Health Fail
to Recognize the Ma
tional Government
They Will, However, Permit
Assistance From the Ma-
rine Hospitals.
DR.. Hewitt Gives Some InfOr-
nation Regarding the
Minnesota System.
The North Star Health Board
Has It's Eye Constantly
on Immigrants.

New YORK. April S.-The failure of
the conference OF delegates from the
state boards of health. which has just
finished its session in this city, TO recOg-
nize the national government as a factor
in enforcing quarantine regulations has
left many of the members i'll an UNI
happy frame of mind. The proposition
to place a portion OF the inspection
service between state lines under the
United States marine hospital service
failed of adoption, the disappointed
ones say, because there was not time to
make the fight for it against compare
lively small portion of the conference
which opposed it.
Il believe that large majority of the
conference was in favor of sharing the
responsibility with the general govern
ment, said DR.. II. B. Baker, of Michi-
gan. the treasurer of the national organ
iZation, to a reporter. 1T is something
which is in perfect accord with the law
recently passed by congress. and, unless
the state authorities maintain quaran-
tine provisions which are considered
ample, the national marine hospital
service will assist anyway"
"Why, then. did the conference vote
not to recognize the national govern
ment?' he was asked.
because a few of those present made
such a hot fight against it," he said
'Some of the delegates were very much
afraid that the rights of the states were
to be infringed on. We had SO many
other things to do that there was no time
to fight it out"
"Do you think the resolutions passed
by representatives of states i'll the Mis-
sissippi valley will be carried into
effect?'
81 do. Secretary Carlisle will be asked
to appoint a commission to visit the
European countries from which cholera
seems most likely to be imported, to
ascertain what are the conditions there.
and what is the apparent danger to this
country from it. l do not think Mr.
Carlisle can refuse to do this when he
considers that fifteen of the great states
OF the interior are represented III the
request"
do you consider the results of the
conference satisfactOry?'
with the exception of that part
which had to do with the question of
recognizing the national authorities,
do. 1t has some value in that it has
brought the health officers of so many
states into direct consultation with the
surgeon general of the marine hospital.
DR.. Wyman was contemplating con-
ference of this nature. and had not our
conference met at this time, he would
probably have issued call for one SIM
liar to it.
1--WE want barricade against infec-
tiouS disease drawn from the Canadian
line to a point far enough south to in
clude the Baltimore 81 Ohio railroad.
We want an inspection service OH every
transportation line, and we have it es-
tablished for considerable portion of
the distance. 1t begins at the Sault Ste.
Marie and extends as far south as De-
trolt.
I'VE have inspectors at all points
where an immigrant may pass from
Canada into the United States between
these points, and ever since last Sep
tember all immigrant baggage has been
inspected. We ought to have the line
projected far enough south to catch
every immigrant who is headed for
Chicago"
DR.. Charles n. Hewitt, who has been
executive officer of the health board of
Minnesota for twenty years, said that
among the most important precautions
to be taken was a system OF notification
from the health officers at the port of
New York to the health boards in the
interior.
whenever an immigrant lands from
an infected port or an infected ship we
are notified whether he intends to come
to our state" he said. minnesota was
the first state to adopt a system of this
kind, and it works satisfactorily. DIR.
Jenkins sends us by wire the time or
departure Of the immigrants, the num-
Der in the party, and the disease with
which they may possibly be cOntami-
mated. Our state pays the telegraph
tolls, and is glad to do it,
''Is hot this eXpensivew
1--WE have cipher which enables
great deal of information to be sent in
ten words"
''How many such cases have been re-
ported to yOu?'
Since the system went into effect.
many thousands. Within two years, |
think about 5000. We had reports of
immigrants that arrived on seventeen
steamships in 1891, and on slXty-SiX in
1892. These were reported as destined
to 32S different places in Minnesota"
"Can you trace these immigrants on
their arrival in Minnesota?'
1--WE can trace great many. When |
receive the information from New
York | at once notify the officers of the
local boards at the places to which the
immigrants are destined. Some of them
do not come to these places, but decide
to go elsewhere after leaving the immi-
grant station in NewYork. We received
l20 separate lists of persons last year,
and the secretary sent out 1928
lists to the health officer and chairmen
of township boards. Six hundred and
fifty-three have acknowledged the re-
ceipt Of this information with respect to
2,42l persons, of whom l, 290 did not ar
rive"
Have you prevented the spread of
contagious diseases by this system?"
I'VE can prove that we have. OF
those that came last year there were
sixteen cases of sickness on arrival.
They had measles or diphtheria. They
were at once isolated and placed under
the health regulations, and no further
spread of the disease resulted"
DO you receive these notices from
other portS?"
1--WE get them from Boston, and have
also somewhat similar arrangement
with many of the interior states"
CONSTnUi.v. .A-4 LAW.