[St. Louis Star-Times, January 31, 1941]
CLARK SAYS U. S.
STOPS PAYING BIG LAND FEES
Contends He Was
Informed of War Departments Change in Policy When He Sought Explanation
“MANY HEADACHES”
Senator Estimates
Weldon Springs Land Purchaser Will Make Upward of $50,000 Commissions
WASHINGTON,
Jan. 31.—The War Department has advised Senator Bennett Champ Clark it has
discontinued the practice of paying big commissions to private individuals and
concerns for acquisition of land necessary for expansion of national defense
facilities.
The
Missouri senator told the Star-Times today he was informed of the department’s
change in policy when he sought explanation of the payment of 5 per cent
commissions to R. Newton McDowell, Kansas City contractor, for contracting with
farmers and landowners for purchase of 18,000 acres of land in St. Charles County
for a big TNT plant, and a 1 1-2 per cent commission to the Kansas City Title
Insurance Co., for title examinations of the land, in the vicinity of Weldon
Spring.
Senator
Clark said a colonel in the real estate division of the quartermaster corps
indicated the practice of paying commissions for land acquisitions was
discontinued because “there were too many headaches involved.” There has been
criticism of the policy other than that made by Clark.
Estimates
that upwards of $50,000 in commissions were paid McDowell and the title company
on the Weldon Spring project were made by Clark. However, if an average of $100
was paid for the land, McDowell’s commission amounted to approximately $90,000
and the title company was paid more than $10,000.
==========
[no source, March 31, 1941]
SENATOR CLARK COULD
NOT SPEAK AT FARMERS’ SESSION
Circuit
Clerk Earl R. Sutton, member of the Land Owners Committee which represents
unpaid farmers from the TNT area, today received word from an attorney in St.
Louis that Senator Bennett Champ Clark would be unable to attend a mass meeting
of the farmers at Weldon Springs this afternoon.
Sutton was
told that Clark had suffered an illness and was under the care of a physician.
The doctor forbade Sen. Clark to speak at the meeting.
