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ALIENS.
Your Medical Officer was engaged from time to time at the Ministry of Health on
the following Sub-Committee and reference:—
Mr. Haldane Porter Home Office.
Mr. MacLachlan Ministry of Health.
Mr. Gwyer Ditto.
Dr. Beece Ditto.
Dr. Craig Ditto.
Col. Harrison Ditto.
Dr. Willoughby Port of London Sanitary Authority.
To advise the Ministry of Health as to the principles which should guide the
Medical Inspectors charged with the duty of examining the physical condition of Aliens
on their arrival in this country.
Pending the evolution of a scheme for the examination of Aliens the three
Boarding Medical Officers at Gravesend examine Aliens on ships during their tour of
duty, unless with their expert knowledge of shipping the procedure would be useless
because of the difficulties. In addition to want of convenience for examination, with
the utmost diligence the opportunity for examination is not sufficient in the absence
of powers to stop vessels for the purpose at Gravesend and of provision for transport
of the Medical Officer from one ship to another. His Majesty's Customs with the
" Quarantine " Launch are very helpful, but given the greatest goodwill, considering
the duties of the launch, the arrangements for transport must from time to time break
down.
It appears that there are three possible schemes for the examination of Aliens:—
(1) Examination on ship board on arrival at Gravesend, vessels being
stopped when necessary, for the purpose.
(2) Examination on ships in various docks and wharves, on arrival at their
places of berthing in the Port.
(3) That every Alien entering the Port should be landed at some one
convenient point for examination.
Scheme (1) could be carried out by the present staff with the addition of one
Medical Officer detailed for Alien work and with provision of transport. This
arrangement obtained under the former Aliens Act, but the numbers of Aliens that
constituted a ship an immigrant ship were then 12 or 20, and the ships were few,
whereas now every Alien comes under scrutiny, and every ship carrying Alien
passengers is for examination. At present there are many restrictions on free
intercourse which makes the number of ships carrying Aliens small and the work light.
These conditions may not always obtain.
Examination on the ships can be made partially satisfactory from the medical
point of view, but only with difficulty.
Scheme (2) might be attempted with the addition of two Medical Officers, one
spending half his time on Aliens; but it is not yet apparent what the amount of work
would be considering the restrictions on free intercourse that exist. The completeness
of medical examination could not easily be arranged for if made at many different
points. The intervals of arrival of ships are irregular. Means for dealing with any
medical conditions found would need multiplication. Examination would still be made
on board ship. This scheme is the most objectionable of the three.
Scheme (3). During the War Aliens were landed at Tilbury. With the
re-introduction of such a measure and provisions of an office for medical examination,
all difficulties of examination of Aliens in the Port would be met.