Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-10-23
WANT CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION

WANT CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATE"
An interesting meeting was held at the East jersey 0i'
tsr5av afternoon which was attended by a
limited States government, T. A. Gillespie, the mayors u w"
and South Amboy and a number of representative c"Aen'
A.u,irod the meeting is not plain, neither is it exactly clear wha'
~ nronosed to be accomplished. The recent explosion anu
phases was discussed but, judging from the conversation o III 'E
-. orw.r II ;s apparent that nothing short of a duly au'hoi
4.d congressional investigation will satisfy the people and se'u'
some of the disputed points.
The one encouraging fact that was brought u a' inc A'
" a the attitude of the government toward Tn paying w
caused by the explosion Assurances were gwen III
Get a. rest in this regard. The government Is going U !"
liberal in making good all losses and once the Ill II" peN'"s =
nnro making a special appropriation for the purpose is passed
the Ordnance Department, provided the matter u
placed in the hands of that branch of the government Is ''''
action realizing the urgent need of quick adjustment
at this particular time of year.
But the adjustment of claims and reimbursement 70 'o u
done is not the only matter that is interesting me people u I'M
community. The Gillespie plant is being reount rapiuhS.
=. as concerned not only in what may have caused the oeS'iu'
ton of the original plant in such a violent manner u tes "a''
surances that such a catastrophe will not happen again.
81 ..nr.nce have not been forthcoming. There does not seem
- east d;spoation on the part of the Gillespie concern OF 'n'
Ordnance Department of the government, under which the pian' ="
-, assen tho quantity of T N T and other high explosives
stored in this immediate vicinity.
With these people the production of shells with all IN speeu
nossible is the main object. The protection of the lives aha proper
Of the people of this vicinity apparently is secondary 3" 'N
the matter purely from a military point of view.
Il is because the Gillespie company and the Ordnance Depart
men are 50 closely affiliated in the construction N mahaee"'n :"
= n,an+ that the neople r justified in not feeling satisfied with the
Investigation that is now under way by the Ordnance par'n %
Hexs.z cause of .rxrxplosion Even before the facts are wholly $
,ertaiped the officials of the Ordnance Department have given ne
c;uosnie a clean bill of health, expressing the utmost conf
denee and otherwise giving the public the impression that a $ a aS
the Gilespies are concerned, they are already vndicated- >
The public is not so ready to accept this conclusion mere Is
n,ainly a close cooperation between the Gillespie officials and repre-
sentatives of the Ordnance Department. We do not say but wha'
these relations perfectly proper and perhaps necessary VI 'e
fact remains that when an investigation is to be made the people OF
tais vicinity, who ire vitality interested, want it conducted in the most
impartial manner.
Congress is elected to represent the people. 1t can re depenoeu
upon to look upon the situation from a civilian point of view as well
as from the military side. We cannot impress upon Congressman
Scully too strongly the necessity of pushing with the utmost v1gor
his resolution calling for a congressional investigation. This is quite
as essential in the eyes of the people hereabouts as is his resolution
appropriating money for reimbursement of the losses sustained
While the people want the damages paid and believe that the gov
eminent should recompense them, they also realize that there is not
much use in making repairs to property already damaged if such a
calamity is likely to befar the community at any time in the future.
A congressional investigation of the whole affair is urgently de-
manded sc that witnesses may be questioned by competent and inn
partial authority under oath that books may be examined and ex-
perts not engaged in government work called upon to testify to the
conditions as they may find them. Unless such an investigation is
held the people are going to lose confidence and this whole section
will suffer a loss that it win take years to overcome.
We look to Congressman Scully, therefore, to exert his utmost
influence to have a congressional investigation covering every angle
of the construction and operation of the Gillespie plant brought
about. In this effort he ought to receive the assistance of the other
congressman from New Jersey, and from New York as well. With
enough T N T stored within twenty miles of New York to blow the
whole metropolitan district with it's 100000 population and with
realty valuations amounting into the billions, off the map, it is rea
son enough for every man in authority to be interested in seeing that
every precaution is taken in the handling of the deadly stuff.
III - IH-Il M~ae-,a D-