The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-02
Why the Quarantine Of This Port
Should BE Under Federal Control.

With It's characteristic wise watch
fulness OF the health interests OF this
city and country the New York Acad.
envy Of Medicine has directed Gov.
ernor wHIrMAN's attention to the i'm.
portance, even necessity, Of placing
the Quarantine station of this great
est port Of entry under the control
Of the United States Public Health
Service. A Governor whose record
guarantees that political plums will
he regarded as secondary to public
welfare cannot fail 10 perceive that
the saving Of taxes demanded for
maintenance and the remuneration by
the Federal Government for taking
over the station alone are sufficient
rea sons for this transfer which THE
SUN has long advocated. Rut au-
other and FAR more cogen' rca o for
the assumption by the Federal au-
thoritics Of the Quarantine Station is
the certainty Of greater efficiency in
administration.
The Quarantine station fulfls pre-
cisely the same function with regard
to repellinC i%nvasions Of deadly
diseases that is discharged by the
forts that guard our harhor against
%invasions of shot and shell. Would
the State for one moment cntrust
SANDY Hook and other fortifications
To its militiaf Can any II doubt that
the trained officers and soldiers Of
the United States army are more
capable of operating these forts than
the best militial And yet the lives
and property Of this city have been
FOR years jeopardized by placing the
defences against disease and death In
the hands OF absolutely unframed
men. whose term OF office expires just
when they have begun 10 learn some
thing OF their duties. Moreover. the
Health Officer has the privilege OF Sc
Letting the personnel Of his command
pursuant 10 his own sweet will, politi-
cal or social. On the other hand
the officers of the United States Pub
lie Health Service are trained under
military discipline. their grade being
In accordance with their proved ca
pacity, trained in some fifty stations
in all parts OF the world. They may
he rapidly assigned to duty wher-
ever dinicu,t problems in sanitation
must he quickly solved. whether II
he bubonie plague, yellow fever, ship
fever. cholera or other less menacing
disease. The lives sacrificed among
these officers in pursuit Of their duties
attest their courage, and their I'm
cheney has been demonstrated on
mGny fields. The intimate connec-
ton OF this service with the Treas
ury Department and all Its custom
and revenue activities enables the
officers to discover early the outbreak
Of menacing diseases In distant for,
eign and domestic sections. These
are cahled 10 rho central Once In
Washington. where Surge0n-Genernl
nuE controls the situation completely.
The only reasonable objection that has
been urged by the political nppointees
was the delay incident to appeals n
Washington, This may have been rea-
sonable before the days OF the tele.
phone, 1t Is absurd now.
The State Quarantine once has al
ways depended for Information upon
Washington. and when II has been
found impotent to cope with the stu
alton the Federal authorities were
forced to step In, az for instance
when the cholera stricken Normannia
lay in nj waters nm alleged menace
to the community several years ago,
When the saving TO our State of
S1OO,NO annually for maintenance
(above fees reccived) IL considered,
besides the saving Of fees aggrpgat-
Ing more than this amount to our
shipping interests. and the willing.
ness OF the Government 10 pay for