[no source, no date]
FARMERS “COLD” ON
TAKING CUT FOR TNT LAND
Eight of 146 Inform
Land Optioner They Do Not Intend to Reduce Price Of Option
MAY VOID OPTION
One Farmer Studying
the Possibility of Taking Ten Per Cent Cut In Price
Eight
landowners in the TNT area have replied to R. Newton McDowell, Government land
agent, that they will not accept a cut from the price they optioned their land
to the Government, D. M. Bolton, stated today at the McDowell office here.
McDowell,
acting upon the suggestion of a War Department official, explained a possible
way to reach a quick settlement with the Government, but told the people he was
not making any suggestion and anything they did was entirely their own
responsibility. McDowell mailed letters to 146 land owners and asked all those
who were willing to take a cut in the price to wire him collect, stating their
terms.
So far eight
farmers answered McDowell and not one offered to take a cut. Some merely filled
out the blank space in the telegram with a big “Zero,” while others replied by
letter, stating they believed they had made a valid contract with the
Government and expected the Government to live up to its agreement.
Members of
the land owners committee quickly told the farmers not to jeopardize their
options by making such a commitment. It was learned one farmer was studying a
possible ten per cent cut but had not informed McDowell of his intentions at
this time.
==========
[no source, no date]
ONLY TWO OF TNT SITE
OWNERS REDUCE PRICE
McDowell Inform U. S.
Office 144 Others Have Refused to Accept Less.
Only two of
the 146 unpaid landowners who sold their property to the War Department for the
TNT plant site at Weldon Spring will accept a reduction in the price previously
agreed on, R. Newton McDowell, Kansas City contractor who acted as the
department’s agent in obtaining options for the 16,300-acre tract, yesterday informed
J. J. O’Brien, chief of the real estate section of the Quartermaster General’s
office at Washington.
McDowell,
in a telegram to O’Brien said he had sent letters to all of the landowners and
had seen most of them in person or reached them by phone and that all except
two refused to accept reductions.
The owners
were consulted by McDowell after he received a telegram last week from
Undersecretary of War Robert M. Patterson in which Patterson said the
department had decided to start condemnation proceedings on the land on which
it had not exercised its options.
“The War
Department will welcome any offer on your part to cooperate on re-negotiation
of options at prices which will warrant closings on acquisitions by direct
purchase,” Patterson said, “and will consider any offer from owners prior to
conclusion of condemnation proceedings.”
==========
[no source, no date]
FILING OF SUIT IN TNT
FIGHT EXPECTED SOON
Word From Washington
That Action Against the Landowners Near Weldon Springs is Under Way
FARMERS OPPOSE
Meeting of Landowners
Who Are Affected Expected To Be Some Time Next Week
From
Washington, D. C. it was announced the War Department had started condemnation
proceedings to acquire the land for the Weldon Spring TNT plant. The
announcement failed to reveal if the court suits will cover all unpaid options
or only those on which the government has not accepted deeds. It was also
intimated the government will not attempt to recover money already paid under
options with some land owners.
One hundred
and forty-six owners have not been paid for their land and face condemnation
action if the Government orders a blanket one.
A radiogram
indicated the government may pay off on existing options within ten days.
Payment in full on land optioned for a similar plant near Elwood, Ind., was
ordered.
The Elwood
and Weldon Spring project are parallel and some land owners are of the opinion
that a blanket decision would be made on both plants and payment would be
resumed within ten days.
Earl
Sutton, a member of the farmers committee, said he was instructing property
owners not to sign any agreement to cut the price of their land. Sutton said to
do that would probably invalidate the option and give the Government a loophole
to break its agreement.
Sutton indicated
another meeting of the owners of land on which unexercised options had been
obtained, would be called next week to work out some plan. Sutton himself could
see no reason to sign any agreement as he said an effort might be made to break
that also.
