The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-21
THE QUARANTINE QUESTION.
DR.. Drake of Georgia Presents an
Argument 10 the Committee.

DIR. Drake of Georgia Presents an
Argument TO the Committee.
Washington, Feb 2O.--Dr. c. NJ. Drake
of Atlanta presented his argument to the
House committee of foreign and inter
state commerce on the question Of quar-
antine regulations Saturday afternoon.
Proceeding him several distinguished ply
sIcians Of different parts Of the country
appeared before this committee and ar
eued on one side or the other Of this i'm
portant question, which Is now before Con-
gress.
Nearly all of the speakers favored ma
tional quarantine law. Among those VINO
spoke were Surgeon General Wyman OF
the United States Marine Hospital Ser
vice; DR.. Doty. New York's health officer;
and Dr. Horlbeck, the heath officer OF
Charleston.
DIR. Drake was last on the list OF speak
ers. He presented a strong written argu-
ment favoring the Caffrey bill, which pro-
vldes for a national quarantine. In the
beginning of his argument, DIR. Drake
pointed out the many troublesome and
vexatjous delays and incidents
caused by the peculiar local
quarantine regulations in some OF the
Southern towns and cities during the epi-
demic Of yellow fever there last fall. He
called attention TO the utter disregard Of
health certificates OF state authorities by
local health officers in numerous instances.
The destruction OF United States mail, ow-
ing TO the refusal Of the local health off,
GERS TO accept 1t from New Orleans and
Mobile was also called to the attention OF
the committee. Atlanta had thrown open
her gates to the yellow fever refugees, DR..
Drake said and had thereby suffered
greatly in a commercial way. After At
Ianta has acted thus generously, Charles
ton and Alabama cities unjustly discrim-
mated against her In the matter of ship
ping merchandise.
DR.. Drake said that the politicians and
health officers who were on salaries were
the only ones opposing national quaran-
tine. The people, the manufacturing and
commercial interests. were IN favor of It.
He called attention to the importance of
early action by quarantine officers in the
event Of an epidemic breaking out. With
national regulations under charge of the
marine hospital service an epidemic could
more likely be checked at once and pre-
vented from spreading.
Dr. Drake was in favor Of the govern
rnent defraying all the expenses of quar-
antlnng, as proposed by the Caffrey bill.
The Mobile quarantine convention, to
which DR.. Drake was, by the grace Of
Mayor Collier. a delegate, was fully dis
cussed by the doctor. He virtually charg-
ed that there was an effort on the part
of its promoters to pack it with local
quarantine advocates. and supporting this
charge, he read from the Constitution of
Jan 20 a local story containing letter
addressed to Or. McRae by DIR. Saunders
of Mobile one OF the callers of the con-
vention, which asked DR.. McRae's infiu-
encc in having men appointed as delegates
whose views were moulded in favor of
local quarantine He showed that the
majority report Of the committee on reso-
lutions, favoring the Spooner bill was de-
feated, and a substitute adopted, which
declared for neither bill
The Spooner bill. Or. Drake said, Great
ed third House OF Congress. II proposed
to create commission OF ffty-two men,
bers to be composed OF men selected by
the boards Of health of the various states
and territories. In times Of epidemic.
when prompt action would be demanded,