The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-13
VIEWS OF DR. PORTER
FLORIDA HEALTH OFFICER ADvO-
 GATES FEDERAL QUARANTINE.
Believes However. That End Can He Attained Without Act of Congress. States simply Delegating
 Auth0rfty.

Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 12--In the recent conference at Chattanooga on quar- antine and immigration the States of Alabama and Georgia were represent cd prominently by Dr. w. H. Sanders, State Health Officer of Alabama, and pr. W. F. Brunner. Health and Quar- antine officer of Savannah.
 Fforida's representation lacked the presence of pr, Jos. Y, Porter. Health Officer Of the State, who was detain- ed at Pensacola by the emergencies of the yellow fever situation there. His views on the quarantine question. however. were filed among the rec ords of the meeting as follows:
 T heartily endorse the proposition of federal control of maritime quar- antine and also to regulate interstate commerce and travel in times of epi- demic, prevalence of either yellow fe- yer. cholera or bubonic plague, that there shall be uniform system of sanitary supervision which in a scientific. intelligent and reasonable manner shall administer needfuI and necessary restriction on both com merce and travel between States. Florida, through legislative arrange ment in 1901, on advice and request of the State Board of Health, trans- ferred the management of it's mari time quarantine to the United States, through the Marine Hospital service, and sold the States quarantine sta- tions to the United States Treasury Department.
 The State has been entirely satis- fled with the subsequent results Therefore the only interest which agitation of federal control of the 0r Va0ffna nlfeafinn ralafAG GnInlxy ta interstate regulation during epidem- ic prevalence. and this I heartily en- dorse and advocate.
 T do not think that to effect feder- al control of maratime quarantine 1t is absolutely required that congress shall be importuned to obtain this feature of sanitary government, be- cause the federal act of 1893 gives authority to the Treasury Department (the Marine Hospital service), to ac- cept a transfer of quarantine manage ment from the State whenever the State authorities decide to do so, and to rent or purchase at fair valuation on appraisement the quarantine prop erty of the State. It would seem therefore that the only thing neces- sary to obtain federal control of mari time quarantine is for any State to legislate authority to the proper State officers to perfect the transfer.
 Acts As An Adviser.
 ''The federal government by the Public Health and Marine Hospital service, in addition to having abso- Iute control and management of Florida's maritime quarantine. acts also in an advisory capacity in all health and sanitary matters in Flor ida through the State Health Officer, who is invested with requisite govern mental authority to enforce United States quarantine regulations Thus the national heath authority at Wash ington advises direct cooperation in all important sanitary undertakings and emergencies occurring in Flor ida-a system which works harmoni- ously and smoothly.
 section three of act of 1e93. like wise provides that when any State does not enforce quarantine regula- tions in conformity with the prescrib- ed and published maratime quarantine regulations of the United States treas ury department, the President nas the right and power to assume control of such quarantine service of any State and to appoint and detail officers for that purpose
 when public opinion crystalizes to the extent of belief that Federal con trol of marstime quarantine is bet ter for a State than local management, either by reason of expense OF through dissatisfaction with previous condi- lions. it would seem the better plan that the individual State desiring such q transfer should without appeal to congress to force others into simi- lar compact, surrender Its quarantine functions to the federal government. A uniform maratime quarantine can be conducted throughout the seaports of the United States if the several States now operating their own mara time quarantine system will adopt and faithfully execute the national quar- Iantine regulations"