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10
ALIENS ACT.
The Aliens Act, 1905, came into operation on January 1st, 1906, and I
have been responsible for the carrying out of the medical inspection in the
Port of London under that Act, with the aid of the Assistant Medical Officers
at Gravesend.
According to the Act, any ship that brings more than 20 alien steerage
passengers, or such number of those passengers as the Secretary of State may
fix, is an immigrant ship.
The number was at first fixed at 12, but in the early part of March this
order was withdrawn, and the number now remains at 20.
The work of inspection has been carried out between the hours of 6 a.m.
and 8 p.m.. and arrangements were made so as to have constantly the services
of two medical officers available for the work of medical inspection, whilst the
medical officer on boarding duty could act in case of any emergency.
The alien immigrant vessels arrive—in the majority of instances—several
hours after the expected time of arrival, and this unpunctuality has necessitated
many hours of tedious waiting on the part of the officers concerned in the work
of inspection, no information respecting them being available between the time
of departure from the Continental port and the arrival of the vessel in Gravesend
Eeach.
The medical inspection was carried out at the same time as that performed
by the Immigration Officer, a private cabin being usually placed at the
disposal of the Medical Officer in order that the medical examination might be
carried out decently and in order.
A certain proportion of the alien steerage passengers were found to be
"undesirable" on medical grounds, and were refused leave to land.
In nearly every instance these persons appealed to the Immigration Board,
which met at Brunswick Wharf, Blackwall, and a certain number of the
appeals were allowed, and the appellants permitted to land.
I have personally attended the majority of these meetings, after a careful
examination of any alien passenger who had been rejected on medical grounds,
so that any alien passenger who has had to return to his own country on
account, of medical grounds has been rejected on the opinion of myself as well
as that of the medical officer who examined the passenger at Gravesend.