Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1924-03-14
FREEHOLDERS
.ORDERRENOvAL
Of EXPLOSIVES
County Board Authorizes
Solicitor Richardson to
Take Necessary Steps
TO FORCE COMPLIANCE
Adoption of Resolution Fol-
lows Flood of Public Sen
timent at Big Meeting
TO FORCE COMPLIANCE

NEW BRUNSWICK, March IL
Demanding that the explosives from
all plants handling the same are in
stantly removed from this county,
| because of the danger to the COM
munity, the Board of Freeholders at
their meeting yesterday afternoon
unanimously adopted the following
resolution introduced by Director
| William S. Dey:
Whereas, This board on Tuesday,
March IL, did hold public hearing
| to ascertain the sentiment of the
county regarding the removal of ex-
plosives from all plants handling the
same, within the confines of Middle
sex county, and
| Whereas, Practically the unani-
nous sentiment at this meeting fav-
! ored the taking of immediate. steps
! for the removal of explosives and the
institution of whatever means may
I! be necessary TO make Middlesex
county, once and for all safe from
this menace, now therefore
BE it and it is hereby resolved,
| that this board constitute and con-
slider itself as committee of the
whole for the further consideration
/ of this matter, and does herewith
| empower and direct the county soli-
/ citor to Immediately take whatever
steps may be necessary. legally or
| otherwise, to see that the explosives
| from all plants handling the same
are forthwith removed from Middle
! sex county, and that he be further
| directed TO inform this board what
means of supervision of other plants
in the county should be enforced
where these plants handle quaisi-
| explosives or other highly dangerous
material, which while not classified
as explosives may by reason of in
! attention or neglect, or misuse of the
same become dangerous to the COM
munity.
Preceding the passage of the reso-
| luton. Coun.v Solicitor Frederick
f. Richardson gave a detailed re-
port on the mass meeting held by
the board last Tuesday night. The
| situation was fully covered at the
meeting. the attorney said adding
| that an explanation as to the storing
! of explosives was also fully given.
| Mr.. Richardson then said:
| There was general sentiment that
| all the explosives should be elimi-
mated from the county. 1t is un-
I questionable that this should be done
| without anv delay. not because Of
| the unsafety alone. but because of
! the state of mind of the people in
| this county which has been agitated
to get the county rid of the destruc-
| tive matter. The principal source
| to eliminate the deadly powder is
/ the Raritan. Arsenal. but the board
will find it difficult to act there. be-
cause of the fact that the govern
( ment controls the arsenal. The
| only way to compel the government
! to do away with the explosives there
I is to take rigid steps in that direc-
! ton and see that the government at
| least reduce the amount Of powder
! to a safe margin"
'The Board of Freeholders has
been pleading with the government
: since 1920 to reduce the amount of
! explosives at the arsenal to at least
| fifty to seventy-flv5, or possibly to
| limit the storage of small calibre
explosives. When the matter was
taken up with the government the
| freeholders were Promised that their
! request would be granted if they
would back the s12. 100000 project
to build other arsenals. The free
nave .OdChEQ II All N4NM u
| that fact. The plan went through
successfully, and the arsenals are
now in the course of the construc-
tion. Nothing, however, was done
to relieve the situation at the Rari-
| tan Arsenal"
Solicitor Richardson then related
that the government is pleading
poverty by declaring that 1t has
no funds to eliminate the explosives.
, After the arsenal question is settled
the attorney believed that the free
holders could amiably adjust con-
ditions in such plants as Dupont's,
Hercules, ETC., by making periodic
inspections of the properties.
At the conclusion of his report At
torney Richardson said that the Nix
on grounds should not be used as
dumping plot for picric acid and
thi. procedure should be done away
with at once. ''We must take ac-
ton at once. first to eliminate the
Raritan Arsenal, get rid of the picric
acid and gun cotton from the Nixon
swamps and finally secure super
vision over the other plants handling
explosives with a genuine purpose
to protect the lives OF the county,
Continued on page 50
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