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other Government Medical Officer settles the diagnosis and this would be equally necessary whether the Port Health Officer were a Government Official solely or not.
I am afraid I have entered into this question at very great length but I have done so (1) as it is an important matter (II) as I differ in my views so much from others (III) as it has not been dealt with before from a practical and local point of view and (IV) because until His Excellency, with or without advice from Chamber of Commerce or others, settles what kind of and how much quarantine we are to have in this port, it is impossible, I think, to say how many or of what kind the Port Health Officer or Officers are to be.
Port Health Officer.
The number of these required would vary according to the system adopted.
System I.
Under this system every steamer, river boat, launch and junk entering the harbour would have to be inspected previously to landing anything or anybody, save mails and mail Officers. Needless to say, I am against this system, but it has been seriously entertained by others and I therefore allude to it. The delay to shipping and the friction resulting therefrom would be enormous and the results would scarcely justify the loss incurred.
To carry this out I think would require 4 Port Health Officers and 3 launches, the Officers to be entirely under Government. Two if not three would have to proceed daily at 3 A.M. to the West anchorage to meet especially the night river boats but also any other vessels which may have arrived since 7 P.M. the day previous, and the other one to the Eastern anchorage for a similar purpose.
It is quite easy to find 1,000 or 1,500 passengers waiting at this hour on most mornings of the year. This done they would have to inspect boats arriving after 8 A.M. on the same day, the Macao boat at 11 A.M. or earlier, meet the Harbour Boarding Officer at 10:30 or 11 A.M. to inspect passengers leaving under the Immigration Act (America, Canada, Mauritius and the Straits) and be at their Office between 11 and 1 P.M. to sign bills of health. In the afternoon 3 would be required on duty to meet incoming vessels and especially the afternoon river boats (sometimes over 800 coolies on board) and to inspect vessels leaving (though most of this is done in the morning) and be in attendance occasionally at the Office to sign late Bills of Health.
I do not think the work could be done with less of a staff, if indeed an extra one were not required as a relief as the work would be heavy.
I am well aware this system is in force in many other places but then none of them are in Hongkong.
System No. 2
This is the one at present in force here. All vessels enter when they like and land their cargo and passengers as long as their port of departure has not been declared "infected" or there...
354
!
:
1
other Government Medical Officer settles the diagnosis and this would be equally necessary whatber the Port Health Officer were a Government Official solely or not.
I am afraid I have entered into this question at
as it is an important matter
very great length but I have done so 。(1) a (II)
as I differ in my views so much from others (III) as it has not been dealt with before from a practical and local point of view and (IV) because until His Excellency, with or without advice from Chamber of Commerce or others, settles what kind of and how much quarantine we are to have in this port, it is impossible, I think, to say how many or of what kind the Port Health Officer or Officers are to be.
Port Health Officer.
The number of these required would vary according to the
system adopted. System I.
Under this system every steamer, river boat launch and junk entering the harbour would have to be inspected previously to landing anything or any-body, save mails and mail Officers. Needless
to say,
I am against this system, but it has been seriously entertained by others and I therefore allude to it. The delay to shipping and the friction resulting therefrom would be enormous and the results would scarcely justify the loss incurred.·
To carry this out I think would require 4 Port Health Officers and 3 launches, the Officers to be entirely under Government. Two if not three would have to proceed daily at 3 A.M. to the West anchorage to meet especially the night river boats but also any other vessels which may have arrived since 7 P... the day previous
and the other one to the Eastern anchorage for a similar purpose.
It is quite easy to find 1,000 or 1,500 passengers waiting at this hour on most mornings of the year. This done they would have to inspect boste arriving after 8 A.M. on the same day, the Macao boat at 11 A.. or earlier, meet the Sarbour Boarding Officer at 10.30 or 11 A.M. to inspect passengers leaving under the Immigration Act (America Canada, Mauritius and the Straits) and be at their: Office between 11 and 1 P.M.. to siga bills of health. In the afternoon 3 would be required on duty to meet incoming vessels and especially the afternoon river boats (sometimes over 800 coolies on board) and to inspect vessels leaving (though most of this is done in the morning) and be in attendance occasionally at the Office to sign late Bills of Health.
I do not think the work could be done with less of a staff, if indeed an extra one were not required as a relief as the work would be heavy.
I am well aware this system is in force in many other places but then none of them are in Hongkong.
System No. 2
This is the one at present in force here. All vessels enter when they like and land their cargo and passengers as long as their port of departure has not been declared "infected" or
there
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