The San Francisco call., 1897-01-21
THE STATE AND
NATION CLASHINC
Rival Quarantine Services
Causing Captains
Trouble.
Passengers From the Umatilla
Allowed to Land by
Courtesy.
Federal Authoriti Had Taken Six.
teen Japan Sc to Angel
Is and.

The question of precedence between the
State and Federal quarantine officers has
at last come to head. For months there
has been friction, but DR.. Chalmers in
variably gave way, until now he considers
patience has ceased to be a virtue.
Last night the Umatilla arrived from
Puget Sound ports, and the United States
quarantine officers boarded her off Fort
Point. After inspecting her bills of health
the physician took sixteen Japanese from
the steerage, and, putting them aboard the
quarantine steamer S ernberg, landed
them on Angel Island for further inspec-
ton. Later on DR.. Chalmers. as the rep
resentative of the State. boarded the
steamer, and finding there were no Japan
ese aboard, and that the captains report
showed that no deaths had occurred dur
ing the voyage, he refused to allow the
passengers 10 land. Then there was
deadlock. Captain Hunter pointed out
that duly accredited United States Off
Ger had removed the japanese. and that
TO hold the other passengers would Work
hardship. Quarantine Officer Chalmers
finally agreed TO lay the matter before j.
| M. Williamson, MD, chairman of the
! quarantine committee OF the Board of
Health, and he and the captain went to
| his office. Finally Captain Hunter was
granted a certificate, with the following
note attached:
The accompanying certificate is granted
under protest and matter of courtesy TO
the detained passengers and to the captain OF
| the steamship Umatilla, who accepted the
| statement OF the Federal Quarantine Officer
that the Federal certificate alone would en-
| title him to dock The action of the Federal
Quarantine officer in removing the sixteen
Japanese passengers 10 quarantine before they
ted hN 10 ia arQ n a
| is in direct violation of the laws of this State,
and will call for protest from the Board of
Health against such action in the future. The
&C ton OF the captain of the steamship Una
tilla in permitting the pass ssengers to be re-
! moved before their inspection by the State
Quarantine officer is also in violation OF the
| law, and for that reason the vessel was de-
| tanned.
1t will be the intention of the Board of
| Health TO resist all such unwarranted assump-
ton OF authority on the part OF the Federal
officials, and shipmasters who proceed to dock
! without the State Quarantine Officers certif-
cate will be dealt with according to the pro-
visions of the Political Code OF the State of
California, section 3014.
JOHN NJ. WILLIAMSON, MD,
Chairman Quarantine Committee.
AS The case stands at present deadlock
is imminent and shipping will suffer.
| The next steamer that comes in and has
not her full passenger list or the missing
accounted for by some other reason than
removed by the United States quarantine
officer" will not be allowed to dock. Dr.
Chalmers will refuse 10 give her bill of
health and the captain will land his pas
sengers at his peril. Then, on the other
hand, he has TO face all the powers
! placed In the hands OF a duly accredited
officer of the United States quarantine
service and thus be placed between Two
fires.
The Umatilla got in about 6 P. NJ. and
it was nearly three hours later before any
of the passengers were allowed to land.
1.-THE whole matter simply amounted TO
this, said DR.. Chalmers last night. The
Umatlla arrived from Puget Sound ports
about sundown, and the Federal quar-
antine officer boarded her off Fort
Point. There were sixteen Japanese
aboard, and these he took away with
him on the tug With these people
bill of health? | refused to do So
ana told the captain his passengers could
not land. 1 then reported the matter to
DR.. Williamson, and he finally decided to
pass the vessel. A Japanese was taken off
the Victoria steamer on the last trip and
| overlooked the matter but in future
masters of vessels will be compelled to
comply with the laws Of the State OF Cali
fornia."
Masters of vessels are worked up con-
slderably over the whole matter With
two sets of authorities to please they are
in quandary as to which to obey. When
the Monowai arrived from Australia, DIR.
| Chalmers passed her, but Dr. Rosenau
! detained the vessel for several hours, and
then he passed the steerage passengers Ill
short order. In fact, he was not ten min
utes all told on the steamer. In the case
ofthe OriZaba, which arrived from Mexico
| last Sunday, the steerage passengers were
! detained for nearly ten hours, awaiting
the pleasure of the United States quaran-
tine officer. AS matters stand at present,
captains of foreign vessels are between
the devil and the deep sea, and steerage
passengers have to suffer in consequence.
The matter was taken up at the meeting
OF the Board of Health last night, and it
J was decided to consult the Washingt ton
authorities in order to prevent further
trouble.
According to the recent census the pop.
ulaticn of Greece is 2. 418.000 souls, or an
increase of 230 600 over he figures OF 1889.