Evening star., 1944-09-15
Pentaeon Land Cost,
Justify Investigation,
Enge| Tells House
Owners Vastly overpoid,
Congressman Charges
In Speech on Floor
BY DON S. WARREN.

BY DON s. WARREN.
Writing another chapter in his
serial attack on alleged waste" and
"ouija board" methods in the con-
struction of the mammoth Pentagon
War Building, Representative Engel,
Republican, of Michigan yesterday
called for a formal congressional lin
vestigation of land purchases for its
40O-acre site.
Taking the House floor to recite
some details he had gathered con-
corning acquisition of the Pentagon
site, Mr.. Engel obtained permission
to insert in the Congressional Rec
ord data to show that in some cases
property owners were paid from 10
to rs times the amount of the as
sessed value.
Wants Investigation.
He said it should be noted that in
Virginia the assessed value is re-
garded as being only 80 to 40 per
cent Of the actual or ma:ket value,
but he could not understand that
this would justify prices running
from 10 to 26 times assessed value.
"It is my opinion and recon-
mendation," he told the House, that
some congressional committee make
a thorough investigation into the
purchase of these lands.
II am satisfied that the taxpayers
obtained value received for the vast
Of the smaller tracts.
believe, however, that we are en-
titled to have the reasons why some
owners received as high as rs times
the assessed valuation"
Got 10 Times Value.
Summing up his survey of land
costs, he said he found eight owners
were paid more than 10 times as
sessed value; nine owners from
seven to 10 times the assessments;
nine more from six to seven times;
10 owners from five to six times the
assessments; 20 owners were paid
between four and five times, and the
remainder up to four times the as
sessments.
He submitted data on 118 of the
tracts on which comparative data
were available, this showing the as
totaled $338,135 whereas
the total award price was 81 ,802 BIT
or five and one-third times the as
sessed value. In addition he offered
another table for 10 tracts for which
he said he was unable to find the
assessed values but for which the
awards totaled $1,347,013. The
awards for the two groups of tracts,
he said, aggregated $3,14s 800.
Cites Details.
Giving some details of his findings,
he told the House the data he was
inserting in the Record included the
following:
Tract No. So was owned by Mary
]. Norris. Assessed valuation was
s240. Final award was $6,250 or
2 $40 per cent of the assessed valu-
alton or more than 26 times the
assessed valuation.
Tract No. 50 was owned by Luther
Edwards. Assessed value was $24O.
Final award was $3.50 or 2,563 per
cent OF assessment, or nearly 26
Times assessed valuation.
Tract No. $40 was owned by R. E.
Cline. Assessed value was $3.50.
Final award was 1884 or 2,435 per
cent of assessment. The Govern
nent paid 241s times assessed value.
Tract No. 1873 was owned by Pearl
Mitchell Willis. Assessed value was
$50. Final award was 81, ITO or 1850
per cent, or IS times assessed value.
IL Times Value.
Tract No. Isl was owned by Louis
A. johnson (also assessed as Jack
SOM. Assessed value was $3.50. Final
award was $500 or 1,125 per cent,
or more than II times assessed value.
Tract Nos. "a and 95 were owned
BY Max lyman. Assessed value was
3, $50. Final award was $35 900 or
more than 10 times the assessed
value.
Tract Nos. 30 and 30-A were owned
by the West Bros. Brick Co. As
sessed value not available but the
appraised value was given as $542,-
$40. Final award was $1,100, 900 or
twice the appraised value.