New-York tribune., 1912-02-02
FAVOR j. S. QUARANTINE
DR.. Jenkins Only Opponent Be-
fore Academy of Medicine.
CHANGE AT THIS PORT URGED
immigration Commissioner Joins
with Physicians on the
Affirmative Side.

The Academy OF Medicine held a meeting
last night to discuss the advantages which
might result from a transfer of quarantine
regulation at this port from state to fed
eral jurisdiction. DR.. William NJ. Polk,
president OF the academy, who presided, in
troduced as speakers DR.. L. +. Cofer, as
sistant surgeon general of the Public
Health and Marine Hospital Service; Will
lam Williams Commissioner OF Immigra-
tion, and Or. George w Stoner, chief med
iCal inspector at Ellis Island.
The physicians, including DR.. Polk,
strongly favored the transfer. The only
opponent TO address the gathering was DIR.
William r. Jenkins, Or. Doty's predecessor
as Health officer OF The Port and a posi-
BILE successor, who arose just before the
motion to adjourn had been put and asked
to be heard
In the course of a few Introductory re-
marks DR.. Polk pointed out that New York
Boston, Baltimore and Providence were the
only ports of the United States still de-
pendent on state quarantine. that here IN
New York the quarantine administration
cost annually about $4,000, and that II TINS
administration were taken over by the Ma
rine Hospital Service and made part ol
the national quarantine now obtaining
throughout the country's seaboard. with the
exception of the four ports already men
toned all expense to the state would cease
and the 81. .N0O might be turned over To the
health authorities for use in the interior.
Or. Cofer automatically confined his re-
marks to a description of national quaran'
tine regulation I'm detail He explained th'
law of 1893. which created n national guar
antine and empowered its officers to take
over quarantine regulation at the different
norris whenever the state authorities failed
or refused to enforce the minimum or reg
uIation prescribed by il. Otherwise u Wa'
To assist the state authorities IN the dn
ministration of quarantine III lne H''i'',
in which Surgeon General Wyman came t'
Dr Doty's aid i'm the threatened choler5
invasion last summer.
Or. Cofer traced the history of the ma
tional quarantine and its absorption OF reg
uIation at the different ports until only
four remained under state Jhrlshlc'
ton in the matter. Most Of these ports, he
explained. had come under the federal wing
voluntarily. He described the activities OIL
the Marine Hospital Service abroad IN the
Inspection OF vessels bound from foreign
ports to the Urited States and the investi-
cation OF infected areas. He emphaSized
among the good points Of the national
quarantine administration the fact that the
officers in the national service were APP
pointed for Me, were not, therefore, supJe'I
10 the fear Of removal from ONCE ana
consequently were non-partisan In the per-
formancc Of their duties.
Commissioner Williams recited part OF a
decision Of the United States Supreme
Court. which said:
Whenever Congress shall undertake "a
provide for the commercial Cltcs OF lu'
United states a general system OF pu1I IN
tinn all state laws on the subJec'
viii be ahrogated, at least so far AS the two
are inconsistent
This. he said. was the basis for the ma
tlcuaI quarantine law. The Commissioner
continued:
Tho relations az the federal and III" state
governments as regards quarantine Iidtt't ,
arr, somewhat similar 10 thoS" NrcNalllub w
bsrirupfcy matters. Recently. the iedrThl
government enacted a bankruptcy Ia"
which superseded all state laws. h
Tho question whether quarantine shouI'
Ia. managed by the federal or state govern
mont seems 10 me to be a oht-sld'd oI.y'
I have vet 10 hear a valid argument du-
vsucrd whv i'm New York, as almost every
Lcrc else I'm the United states. IL ShouIP
moi bo in the hands OF the iederal Gov, ~ Il,
mcnt. The question mas an duii'''''"
and "A medical side. 49,. ,ho
ANY remarks OF mine presuppoS, ludJ NV
.st.,tr can and will do the medical Wprk -
well as the federal government huI ~ !,
e. the interest of good ADMINISTRATOR 'I"'
II he done by the federal government uc-
cause IT concerns Itself with matters nu,
,innal Ir character. TINS II SHOWN IN many
v.aHs international conventions cNlst con-
g, ruinC quarantine matters ltdttu, WIZ VIZ
ont tho best cooperation Ol otheI ,EoNtlh-
,nnpto the best results cannot ne ODtalhtu'
E',trthermorc the whole country, not SIM
nIy New York state. II Interested In the
rvccutIon of quarantine regulations az our
mort To refer only 10 the ltnlillEtdnlS
mat come through IT, 0f some hO,W VINO
arrived In 1910 more thah Two tnira5 tG. "umSi "unmSi
IN nlaccs outside Of New York state. Ana
s,,ce the question Is national In character
,Iera &c incidentally no reason wly cItlZens
~ the state OF New York should bear the
financial burden OF quarantine WHICH
serves the whole country.
DIR. Jenkins took exception 10 Or. Polks
statement regarding the expense TO the
state of It's quarantine administration say
ing the steamship lines, by the payment OF
foes covered the cost entirely. He cited
the success with which the state had fought
oc the invasion Of transatlantic pests on
different occasions. and he ended with the
prediction that the people would regret
transfer Of quarantine to the federal gov
eminent.
4 resolution was passed to refer the
question 10 the council OF the academy for
consideration.