[no source, no date]
MAY CONDEMN LAND FOR
THE ORDNANCE PLANT
Decision Expected
Some Time Next Week After Washington Official Studies Report
[Handwritten: March]
EXPECT ACTION
Land Owners Say
Failure to Receive Payment Indicates Step By the Government
A
recommendation that the Government acquire by condemnation proceedings a part
and possibly all of the 16,000 acre site for the Weldon Spring TNT plant was
made Thursday by United States District Attorney Harry C. Blanton to the
Attorney General’s office in Washington.
Blanton
declined to say what recommendation he had made after a conference with Ewing
Wright, a special attorney from the Department of Justice who visited the site
and assisted in the investigation.
Property
owners involved expect condemnation proceedings because of the failure to get
payment checks, under the options, since February 7. However they point to the
test case from Southeast Missouri which the United States Supreme Court ruled
in favor of the land owner who received the full option price and not the
proposed condemnation figure. Some of the land owners do not seem much
disturbed over the proposed action.
In
Washington John J. O’Brien, War-Justice Department official in charge of land
acquisition, said a conclusion would be reached there Wednesday or Thursday on
the method to be used.
The land
was optioned for approximately $2,600,000 after the Government had anticipated
the tract would cost about $2,000,000 R. Newton McDowell stated.
The three
appraisers will complete their work on the ten tracts today and will file a
report with Blanton in St. Louis.
==========
[no source, no date]
M’DOWELL URGES TNT
LAND OWNERS TO REDUCE PRICES
Agent Who Acquired
Options Points Out Cost of Condemnation Proceedings to Property Holders.
R. Newton
McDowell, Kansas City contractor who acted as the War Department’s agent in
obtaining options on 16,300 acres for the TNT plant at Weldon Spring and
refused to accept any reduction in his 5 per cent commission, today wrote the
owners of 146 parcels of land suggesting that they accept a lower price.
The
Government accepted option on the land, but later said the 146 tracts would be
taken by condemnation because the option prices were too high. Owners of 121
other parcels of land in the site have been paid the option prices.
In his
letter, McDowell inclosed a telegram from Under Secretary of War Robert M.
Patterson asking him to co-operate in negotiating lower prices for land on
which options had not been exercised. McDowell reminded land owners that
condemnation proceedings would be instituted shortly.
“Condemnation
proceedings will impose on you the burden and expense of lawyers’ fees, expert
witness fees, and possible appeal by the Government,” his letter said. “All
this is utterly unjust and a matter for which neither you nor I are
responsible.
”Realistic View.”
“I am not
urging you to do anything. You know the state of your own affairs. It may be
better for you to take a realistic view of this thing and determine in your own
mind whether you can afford to carry on this legal fight, or whether it would
be advisable for you to offer the Government a reduction of 10 or 20 per cent, provided you are paid within 10
days.
”This is
not a trading affair. You will have to determine your percentage and stand on
it.”
Those who
were willing to accept reductions were urged to telegraph McDowell’s St.
Charles office, authorizing him to notify the War Department of the suggested
price.
The amount
of McDowell’s fee would be decreased with any reduction in the purchase of the
land. Options entered into by McDowell totaled about $3,000,000.
==========
[no source, no date]
BLANTON READY TO FILE
SUITS TO CONDEMN LAND
United States
District Attorney Makes The Announcement After A Visit To Washington
149 PLOTS
Three Tracts On Which
Options For TNT Land Not Obtained Included In Group
United
States District Attorney Harry C. Blanton announced today in St. Louis, on his
return from a week of conferences in Washington with War and Justice department
officials, that he was preparing to file condemnation suits in District Court
on 149 of the 270 parcels of land in the 16,300-acre site for the Government’s
TNT plant at Weldon Spring.
The War
Department had announced last week that it was contemplating condemnation
proceedings because of “grossly excessive” prices fixed in option for some of
the parcels.
Blanton
said the Government had exercised its options on 121 parcels and that he would
file condemnation suits on 146 parcels on which there were unexercised options
and on three parcels on which no options had been obtained.
The
controversy over acquisition of the land was touched off two months ago when
United States Senator Bennett C. Clark complained that some of the prices fixed
in the options were excessive and that the 5 per cent commission to be paid to
the Government’s agent, R. Newton McDowell, was too high. The Government
originally expected to acquire the site for about $1,000,000. Under the options
it would cost about $3,000,000.
Blanton
said he did not think the fact that the Government already had placed options
on almost all of the parcels would interfere with the condemnation proceedings.
At the same time that he files the condemnation suits, he said, he will file a
“declaration of taking” and deposit a sum of money with the court, which will
permit the Government to take immediate title to the land.
The price
to be paid will then be determined later, after condemnation commissioners have
examined the land and made their recommendations.
The
following article appeared in the Globe-Democrat Sunday:
“Army
officials say the War Department is [?] of purchase [?] ing condemn [?] force
St. Cha [?] ers to transfe [?] government, [?] dispatch from [?] night.
Maj. C.
J. [?] Lands Divisi [?] partment th [?]
the TNT lan [?] It wants an [?] and represen [?] regardless of [?] he added.
If purchas
[?] on this bas [?] condemnatio [?] at numerous [?]
The Harro
[?] indication th [?] still dicker [?] Spring land [?] of March 8 [?] exercised
op [?] Newton Mc [?] Mo., and wo [?] on the land [?] cised options [?]
Harrold a
[?] percent of [?] has been ac [?] figuring in [?] negotiations [?] land.
St. Charl
[?] week, claim [?] not been pa [?] mately 270 [?] TNT site. [?] them facin [?]
cancellation [?] pealing to [?]
