Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-11-08
WIDESPREAD INTEREST

nj ..atanro5 interest manifested in the senate investigation into
the explosion at the I. A. Gillespie shell Loading piam AZ norsan
f,u, i,stifcs the attitude Of the Perth Amboy Council OF Derense ID
;rrst;,y that the matter be gone into thoroughly so a to safeguard
the interests of this community in the future. II Is doubtful II 1e
GILLESPIE concern realized how much the people are aroused concern
ing this matter. Judging from the statements made at te opening
session Yesterday some very important facts ar going to be brought
out in the testimony that is to come and much light is to be shed on
how the plant has been conducted.
When such men as Murray Hubert, director Of the port and dock
commissioner of the City of New York, John Kenlon, chief of the
New York fire department and Thomas V. Underhil, a police In
spcctor of New York, will take the time to come to Perth Amooy
MIR. Hubert representing Mayor Hylan himself, it is evident that
the metropolis of the country looks upon the matter as serious.
In addition to these men from New York were the mayors or
representatives of the mayors of Matawan, Red Bank, woodbridge
PIainfed. Atlantic Highlands and other places in this section OF the
state, all here in the interest Of their respective communities n 10
the protests of the people whom they represent. They are
unanimous in their demand that sufficient assurance is given the
people that such a catastrophe will not happen again.
The remarks of Commissioner Hubert, the personal representa-
tive of Mayor Hylan, of New York, were particularly foreeful
Speaking for the 100000 people who make up the Greater City OF
New York, he said "New York wants to cooperate with the govern
ment in all lines, but we don't want our people to be in a position
similar to those of France and Belgium" And the New York
spokesman is quite justified in his protest. The scenes witnessed
in this vicinity o the morning of October . were 81 similar TO n
scene of Belgium and Northern France that a Red Cross doctor
who had just returned from Europe and who came here o. renei
work declared that he never dreamed of seeing such sights in America
What has happened once can happen again unless radical
changes m made in the reconstruction of the plant and its manage
ment after it is again put in operation. 1t is to see that tense
changes are really made and not merely promised or assured eha he
hearing is being held.
If the Gillespie people thought that this agitation for an investi-
CATION of the construction and management of the shell loading plant
was fathered merely by a lot of weakened fanatics and alarmSs
who were showing themselves up as traitors to their country, they
must now realize that they have been poorly advised. In fact, the
representative to look after their interests. They have mistaken a
lot Of f. bluff huff s Sosn 9 IsSsaft tGr r sfatf ;...' i5sr s i'd P Pop %asrs To- drive the she'll
loading plant away from this vicinity, although there is no doubt
sistent demand that assurances be given from a source IN winch the
people have confidence that the plant is being reconstructed and will
argmost serious in this demand is evident from the representation at
the opening session OF the investigation yesterday.