The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-11-11
DR.. Porter on Federal
Control of Quarantine


uniform system of sanitary supervi-
sion which shall in a scientific, intel-
ligent and reasonable manner admin
lister needful and necessary restric-
tiOns on both commerce and travel be-
tween states.
Florida through legislative enact
ment in 1901, on advice and request Of
the State Board of Health trans
ferred the management Of its mari
time quarantine to the United States
through the Marine-Hospital Service
and sold the states quarantine sta
tons to the United States Treasury
Department.
The state has been entirely salts
fed with subsequent results, there
fore the only interest which Florida
can now have in the present agita
ton of federal control of the Quaran-
tine question relates solely TO inter
state regulation during epidemic pre-
valence and this / heartily endorse
and advocate.
The federal government by the Pub
lie Health and Marine-HOspital Ser
vice in addition to having absolute
control and management of Florida S
maritime quarantine. acts also i'm an
advisory capacity I'm all health and
sanitary matters in Florida through
the State Health Officer who is in
vested with requisite governmental
authority to enforce United States
quarantine regulations. thus the
national health authority at Washing
ton, ADVISES. directs in a measure, and
cO-Operates with. in all important sam
itary undertakings and emergencies
occurring in Florida: a system which
works smoothly. tremendously and eff
deiently.
do not think that, to effect fed
eral control of maritime quarantine, It
is absolutely required that congress
shall be impOrtuned to obtain this
feature of sanitary government,
because the federal act Of 1898 gives
authority to the Treasury Department
Marine Hospital Served to accept
a transfer Of quarantine management,
from any state whenever the state au-
thOrities decide so to do, and to rent
or purchase at a fair valuation on ap-
praisement the quarantine property of
the state It would seem therefore
that the only thing necessary TO OBJ
antine is for any state to legislate au-
thOrity to the proper State Officials to
perfect the transfer
Section three of this act likewise
provides that when any $ lie does not
enforce quarantine regulations in con
f0rmity with the prescribed and pub
lished maritime quarantine regula-
tons of the United States Treasury
Department, then the president has
the right and power to assume control
of such quarantine service of any
state and to appoint and detail on
GERS. for that purpose.
When public opinion crystalizes to
the extent of belief that federal con
troll of maritime quarantine is better
for a state than local management
either by reason Of expense or through
dissatisfaction of previous cOnduction
it would seem to be a better plan that
the individual state desiring such a
transfer should without appeal to con
gress- to force others into a similar
compact. surrender its quarantine
functions to the federal government
A uniform maritime quarantine can
be conducted throughout seaports of
the United States in the several states
now operating their own maritime
quarantine system viii adopt and
faithfully execute the national quaran-
tine regulations.
JOSEPH Y. PORTER,
State Health Officer.