Evening star., 1923-10-30
Excelsior Springs, Mo-, Es-
tabIiShment Valued at $780,
600 by Real Estate Man.
FORMER OWNER ASKS
PROPERTY REAPPRAiSAL
Morse. Missouri Politician, De-
clares Willingness to Refund
ANY Excess Received.

QUESTION of a hospital site at Excel
sior Springs. Mo-. today came under
further scrutiny before the special
senate committee Investigating the
aHalrS OF the Veterans Bureau.
T. L. Morse, a widely known figure
IN Missouri republican politics and
manager of the Lowden campaign in
that state in 1920, was questioned in
great detail about the deal by which
the site OF which he was owner, pass
ed under government control He was
cross-examined on the basis of testi-
mony given yesterday by government
employees, who declared the transac-
tion was rushed through on the last
DAY OF the Wilson administration
after there had been a Iast-minuta
increase In the rental price.
onder questioning by Maj. Cen John
r. y Ryan. counsel for the committee
morse went into involved explana-
tlons OF the various transactions con-
nected nee with the hospital plant, with
the result that the committee was
left In considerable confusion. Sem
ator Walsh. democrat, Massachusetts,
nrst undertook to clear up some of
the details; then Senator Reed, re-
publican, Pennsylvania the chair
man. tried his hand, and finally they
decided to let Mr.. Morse make his
explanation in his own way
documents and records from which
Gen. Organ read showed that Morse
received a final payment from the
veterans Bureau of s173.00h Among
the individual items was the $4,000
agreed price for the Morse homestead.
S26,100 for the additional land which
the government, and s66,237 which
Morse had expended in additions
to the original building
These made total of s1S2,337, and
after the rental paid by the govern
sum due Morse In the final settle
ment apparently was s176.S46. He
added that there were no records to
show how the round sum of $173,00O
was arrived at
IT., Morse broke in. They had not
notified me that they We're going to
cancel the lease, and 1 was anxious
to get the sale closed up"
Morse said that of the total acre
age he originally had purchased for
the s26,100 he retained twenty-six or
tWenty-seven lots which the govern
ment did not need. The value of
tnese lots was not determined, but
Morse agreed to furnish the commit
tee with figures showing the tax as
sessments levied against them. Gen.
ORyan then read into the record an
affidavit by j. ]. kendrick, real es-
tate dealer of Kansas City, who ap-
praised the total value of the orig
inal plant at $4,000 and the total
value of the existing plant at not in
excess of $4,000.
Asks Reapprafsing.
Morse then proposed to the COM
mittee that the plant be reappraised,
saying he would be willing to re-
fund to the government the differ
ence between the total of the ap-
praisement and the net total he re-
ceived from the Veterans Bureau
His offer contemplated the appoint
ment of one appraiser by the Vet
erans' Bureau and one by himself,
the two thus selected to name third
Senator Reed questioned Morse
with regard to the rush in putting
the lease agreement through the
Treasury Department.
You are republican, are you
not" asked Senator Reed. land La
Porte Ewing La Porte, then assistant
secretary of the treasury is a dem
ocrat?"
YES"
Then there was no political con-
sideration in the hurry"
No"
Morse recalled during the question
ing that in 1920 he had appeared be-
fore the Senate committee investigat-
ing expenditures by candidates for
IL
tion, and so had had previous expert
ence with Senate committees.
Can you explain, then" asked Sena-
tor Walsh, why democratic official
in view of a memorandum before him
from the public health service de-
nouncing the location for a hospital
was in such hurry to conclude the
agreement"
Il cannot give you any explanation
about that" Morse replied, adding
that he did not know at the time that
memorandum unfavorable to these
hospitals was before La Porte.
Senator Walsh wanted to know how
1t was that Morse placed the vaIua-
! ton of $4,000 on his homestead when
the assessed valuation for taxation
was less than $4,000. The witness
replied that assessments in Missouri
were very low, averaging around 10
per cent of the total valuation.
Under further questions Morse con-
ceded that he later had used his po-
litical influence with Congress to
at Excelsior Springs. In the summer
of 1922, he said, he was notified by
the Veterans Bureau that 1T was the
purpose to abandon the project.
A committee of medical men having
recommended against its use as a
permanent hospital. Morse declared
he asked fifteen senator's to call up
the Veterans Bureau and protest.
On Verge of Collapse.
He also called on the late Charles
F. Cramer, then general counsel for
the Veterans Bureau, who, he under
stood, had charge of the matter Ac-
cording to his story, he told Cramer
the details of how he had had the
people of Excelsior Springs assist in
financing the project and that unless
| the government carried out it's agree
ment for ultimate purchase there
would be scandal and he would be
branded a crook
Senator Reed. republican, Missouri,
chairman of the committee, then put
to Morse a number of questions sug-
gested by counsel for Charles r..
| Forbes, former director Of the Vet
| erans' Bureau. Before he had con-
| cluded the hearings had to be re-
| cessed for ten minutes as Morse ap-
peared on the verge of physical col
lapse. He denied that Forbes ever
| had ordered him out of his office or
that he ever had had any alteration
| with the former director The wit
| ness said he saw Forbes on only
| about four occasions, and told Of how
| frequently he cooled his heels for
| days outside of the directors office
"They kicked me around like / was
| foot ball." Morse exclaimed.