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of three members, one of whom at least is a magistrate, and by virtue of that
position acts as Chairman.
The appellant, the Medical Inspector and the Immigration Officer have a
right to be heard by the Immigration Board, and after making the fullest
enquiries the Board decides whether the appellant shall be allowed to land or
shall be deported.
With the approval of the Committee, Mr. Hancock, one of the Assistant
Medical Officers at Gravesend, has been appointed to devote his whole time to
the work of medical inspection under the Aliens Act. He will be assisted each
day by one of the other Medical Officers in rotation and in case of emergency,
and if the duties of the Medical Officer on boarding duty permit, he will be
available also for this work, so that in the unlikely event of three vessels
coming up at one time, the services of a Medical Officer will be available for
each.
This has necessitated the appointment of another Assistant Medical Officer
at Gravesend, namely, Dr. J. E. Sandilands, who is an M.A., M.D., D.P.Ii.
of Cambridge University. He has had considerable experience in the
Metropolitan Asylums Board for Infectious Diseases, and has acted as Plague
Inspector in India.*
I append herewith short reports made by Inspector Romeril on two alien
steerage passenger vessels which arrived during the month of December, 1905,
which will give a good idea of the conditions under which alien steerage
passengers are brought to this country in some vessels, and of the
accommodation provided for them on board:—
" The s.s. ' WOLOGDA,' of Windau, from St. Petersburg, arrived in
" London on 6th December, 1905, with 40 first-class and 305 alien
" steerage passengers, the latter consisting of 80 males, 95 females and
" 130 children.
" It was not possible to make a thorough inspection of the aliens'
" quarters on the arrival of the vessel owing to the filthy and offensive
" condition of the same. Food stuffs (including fish) and filth were
" scattered about the whole place, on the bedding, in the bunks, and
" on the deck, which was damp and dirty. Straw mattresses, many of
" which were soiled, were lying about the quarters.
" On a table in the after part of the fore 'tween deck were piled dirty
" dishes, plates, discarded food, &c.
" The men's lavatory and closets could not be approached owing
" to their offensive condition, even human excrement was noticed in two
" of the lavatory basins.
* Since writing this, Mr. Hancock has been granted six months' leave of absence in order that
his services may be at the disposal of the Local Government Board as temporary Medical
Inspector.
Dr. Willoughby has been appointed to perform his duties, and Dr. A. H. Hogarth, B.A.,
M.B., Oxford University, has been appointed temporarily to act as Assistant Medical Officer at
Gravesend.