The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-23
NATIONAL QUARANTINE.
Bavannah's Example Appreciated
and Urged Upon Charleston.

anu urged upon OnarleBtOn.
From the Charleston News and Courier.
At the meeting of the Savannah city
council on Wednesday a resolution was
adopted by vote of to providing for
the abolition of the quarantine fees at the
port of Savannah on and after August l.
A second resolution was adopted provid-
ing for the appointment of special COM
mittee TO confer with the proper govern
ment authorities in regard to having the
national government take charge of Sa-
vannah's quarantine station, through the
marine hospital service.
One of the alderman objected to the
adoption of the resolutions because he be-
lieved that the quarantine was a local
matter and should be attended to by
local agencies. He also objected to ma
tional control of the quarantine because
he was opposed to the policy of centraliza-
tion and did not believe that it should be
carried TO any greater length, The an
swer to this objection was practical
government supervision of the quaran-
tine would be as effective as local super
vision, the government is already
In charge of the quarantine at
Brunswick, which is sufficiently
well guarded, and, besides, as Alderman
Myers. expressed 1t, this is matter of
business and not of sentiment and if
assume charge of its quarantine the move
would certainly be in "the interest Of
economy" The real objection, however
to the passage of the resolutions was
stated by the mayor when he said that
"the adoption of the resolution did not
insure that the government would take
charge of the station, and he very much
doubted If such would be the case"
1t would seem that the special commit
tee should have been appointed to find
out what the government would do before
the first resolution was adopted; but there
is, in our opinion, very, little doubt that
| the government will assume charge. The
protection of Savannah from the admis-
sion of infectious disease is of nearly as
great importance to the rest of the cOun-
try, in these days of rapid communication
| between al parts of the United States,
as IL is to Savannah; and it is one of the
purposes of the government ito provide
for the defense and general welfare of the
United States"
Whatever may be thought of the regu-
larity of the proceedings of the Savannah
city council, it is settled that the Qaran-
| tine charges at that port have been abol-
| lshed, and in this respect Savannah is a
| Tree port What Brunswick and Savan-
nah have done, and what Wilmington is
on the point Of doing in this direction.
| Charleston will have to do. The agita-
ton for the establishment of national
Quarantine at this port should be pushed
without delay. Charleston can not afford
to pursue its present method of quaran-
tine regulation when all the neighboring
ports with which it is in active
commercial competition have shufled
this burden of on Uncle Sam.
Charleston must in all respects be placed
on parity with its neighbors and COM
petitors. If they get the national govern
ment to pay their quarantine charges,
Charleston must do the same If they
reduce their pilotage charges and their
port rates, Charleston must come down
| to their figures. il would be well If
Charleston could be made an absolute
free port. II would make up in the i'm
mediate increase of business more than
II would lose in the way of revenue. It
is time, and the time left is very short,
for Charleston to help itself Superior
natural advantages and moral support"
count for something we think
they count for great deal; but they will
not make Charleston what it ought to be
without intelligent and unceasing work