The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-03-09
er of infection impossible.


Public notice Of the location of such
station or stations shall be given and
the rules requiring infected vessels to
repair to such station or stations be-
fore proceeding to any port of the
United States shall be published Said
station or stations shall be fully
equipped for taking care Of vessels and
of the sick persons who may be on
board Of said vessels.
The surgeon general shall have full
control and direction Of all Quaran-
tine stations and anchorsges estab-
lished by authority of the United
States.
A, penalty of fine or Imprisonment
is provided for any vessel, officer of
vessel, or other person, except state
health or quarantine officers, who shall
enter the limits of any quarantine
grounds or anchorage or depart from
them in disregard Of quarantine regu-
lations or without the permission of
the officer in charge; also a penalty
for disregard of any Of the Quaran-
tine regulations set forth in the act
of February Is, 1898.
state quarantine stations and plants
exist, the surgeon general shall ex-
anime them, before designating places
for Quarntine stations, with the view
of obtaining "a transfer for the said
state stations to the United States
and whenever the proper authorities
shall be ready 10 transfer the same or
surrender the use thereof TO the United
States, the secretary Of the treasury
is authorized TO obtain title thereto
and pay a reasonable compensation
therefor, if, in his opinion, such pur.
chase or use will be necessary to the
United States for quarantine pur.
poses
The salary Of the surgeon general
is fixed at $1,000 per snnum; and $500,
600, In addition to any sum available
for the purpose, is appropriated "a
carry the provisions Of the act into
effect, 'as well as for the purpose gen
orally Of preventing the importation
Of yellow fever into the United States
and for the further purposes, in CO
operation with the state health ali.
thorities, of graduating il, should il
from one state to another, and of des-
trOying its cause wherever the same
may be found"
The bill has been much improved
by treatment; il has been made OF
general application, and, of course, il
leaves the states to act as they please
in dispOsing of their quarantine sta
tins: but the Dry TOrtugas refuge sta
ton paragraph remains. True, il is
modified by the provision that other
refuge stations may be designated
but will they Be designated? ShiT
Island has served this coast well and
safely as a refuge station for many
years. That island or some other an
prOximately as near ought TO be nam
ed in the bill Dry Tortugas is TOO fan
away 10 serve, and the sending Of
ships there would prove a burden al
most too great TO be horne Conse
Quently, we should lose commerce
without any guaranty of safety better
than that which would be afforded by
a refuge station on an island nearer
TO our ports.
Modern science has demonstrated
that It is not necessary to the safety
Of the people on this coast to send in.
fected vessels to distant places for
distinction and the treatment of the
sick, but that there is perfect safety
Afforded even at hospitals on shore
where the scientific protective meth.
DDS are in force.
The last paragraph. from which we
have quoted, needs explanation. What
sort Of cooperation will the maritime
quarantine offer in preventing the
spread Of yellow fever from one state
10 another Is il contemplated that
this maritime quarantine force shall
also be a sort of land quarantine force
TO join the state health authorities in
maintaining camps of detention and
quarantine cOrdOns? And if so. how ?
The bill SAYS this, or something like
It. is the purpose had in mind, but IL
makes no provision for doing il and
designates no person or official to do
II. 1T may be a general welfare
clause, under the authority of which
marine hospital men will help the
states fight yellow fever on land. If
this Is what is meant, We have no OBJ
lection 10 Offer; but the language of
the bill should be more explicit.
An amendment that applies 10 land
quarantine and not TO maritime was
onered Tuesday BY Congressman Viii
liam Richardson, OF Alabama, and was
incorporated in the bill, 10 prevent
the shot gun" quarantine procedure.
like that which prevailed in certain
quarters during the recent epidemic.
The intention back of the amendment
IS laudable but We see dimculties in
the way Of its Enforcement Some
times there are obstacles that even an
army cannot cope with successfully.