Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-04-26
DOUBLE INSPECTION IS
BURDENS0ME 10 PORT
During Seven Months Of the Year
Many Vessels Are Held Up Here
After Having Been Inspected ana
Fumiaated at Old Point-Shippin9
Men Interested.

Captain +. ID. Cock, local agent OF
the Virginia Pilots Association. IN
discussing the quarantine question
yesterday, declared for the establish
ment of q State quarantine station III
Hampton Roads at point near where
the channe 10 this port and Nofiolk
converge into the main channel TO Ola
Point. and for the abolition OF the fed
eral quarantine at Old Point Com
fort Like every other shipping man
in Tidewater Virginia he Is strongly
opposed to the existing dual quaran-
tine system and believes Virginia
should follow the lead of Maryland
IN establishing its own station.
"The present system of quarantine
causes the vessels unnecessary delay
at this port ana it is against this
that the ship captains and owners
are continually protesting. declared
CAPTAIN Cock. The shipping busi-
ness means great deal to Newport
News-m0Te than most OF the people
here seem TO realize-anu everything
possible should be done to encourage
and build up the shipping business.
Comparison Not Fair.
Captain Cock went on to say that
in the figures given Saturday rela-
tive to the number of vessels inspect
cd by the State officer here that had
previously been inspected at the fed
eral station at Old Point. DIR. w. r.
Greasy, the State quarantine officer.
did not draw fair comparison, be-
cause the figures given have TO do
wholly with the open quarantine sea
son. During that season only vessels
coming from foreign ports or from
American ports known TO be infected
with contagious or infectious diseases
are inspected at Old Point by the
federal doctors.
During the closed quarantine sea-
son, which is arbitrarily fixed by the
surgeon general of the United States
and which usually begins on April l
and continues to November !, all YES
sells entering Hampton Roads from g
foreign port or from a tropical port
via a Northern port in the United
States are inspected at Old Point
and. IL the surgeon in charge deems
il necessary, they are held in quaran-
tine for a period OF five days.
Double inspection.
During tae States closed quaran-
tine period, which extends from May
| TO November I. all vesseis coming
from any port in the United States
South of Cape Look Out. n. c.. or
from any tropical port direct 10 this
port or via Northern United States
port, and AL vessels coming from
cat
calling for fuel coai only and which
have been inspected al Old Point, are
inspected by the State quarantine Of
ficer.
While the two closed guarantees
exist, the State officer inspects from
fifteen TO twenty vessels a month
which already have been inspected at
Old Point. The ship owners and
captains do not object to the fee
charged by the State officer, but they
do object to the delay caused by the
second inspection. The ships are held
up here from one TO two hours and
every minute lost TO a veSSei is val
liable.
Many years ago Baltimore estab-
lished a quarantine station ana the
United States government withdrew
its quarantine from that port Vessels
inspected at this station pay a lee Of
one cent per net ton Of their register
and these fees cover all of the ex-
penses of the station. New York also
has State quarantine station with
no federal quarantine. but Philadel-
phia has the double system. However.
there Is no closed season at Philadel.
phia and only vessels coming from
foreign ports and other ports where