Evening star., 1955-07-07
ROADS

SCOcK exchange, Cne way Cney
were manipulating"
He said he saw the State Roads
Commission official several times
IN the Washington Offices of the
real estate operators. On a num-
ber of visits, he said, the official
went into the "inner sanctum"
of the combine and spread maps
out on a table.
Tells of Photostats
On one occasion, Mr.. Alexan-
der said, the spectators had
photostats made of the maps the
official had given them. "Ie Zone
of the speculators) took a set of
maps the official had given him
and took them to a photostat
place on Twelfth street." the
Washington man added.
During May and June, 1852,
Mr.. Alexander said, the specu-
lators made maybe so calls" a
month to the Office of the roads
commission In Baltimore. He
said he was positive the calls
were made to the official who
showed the speculators the maps.
Mr.. Alexander also told of a
second SRC employe who often
visited the real estate Offices OF
the combine, but said he did not
think the second man uss in
volved.
In answer to a direct question
by Mr.. Kelly. Mr.. Alexander Said
he had no doubt that one mem
ber of the combine speculatec
in real estate on the basis of in
formation supplied by the first
named SRC official.
"Cut in on Profits"
He also said he had no doubt
that the official involved wa.
"cut in on the profits"
Mr.. Moser interrupted at ont
point to ask Mr.. Alexander il
he felt that what the speculator.
did was wrong.
"I felt it was wrong" Mr.. Alex.
ander replied.
Just last Monday, Mr.. Alex.
ander said. he was told that the
combine was plenty worried
about the investigation the com.
mission has been conducting fol
the past month into Washington
area right-of-way acquisitions.
He said he was told further
that the speculators were "try.
ing to get the SRC official tt
take the rap"
The Baltimore Evening Sur
has been publishing a series oil
daily stories for almost two week.
alleging loose spending and Other
possible irregularities in the op.
eratlon Of the commission. Some
Of those stories have concerned
right-of-way purchases of Rout,
240 in the Rockville area.
Mr.. Alexander described +,
number Of transactions in which
the combine took part, and tn,
efforts made to complicate lant
records through the use O
dummy corporations.
He said the SPECTATORS in
volved "have numerous corpora
tions" which they used for thei
land deals.
Held CI0verleaf
Mr.. Alexander said on one oc
casion he participated in secur
ing an option on a tract of ap
proximately 100 acres of propert
near Gaithersburg which tn
State later purchased in par
for construction of q cloverleai
"They were always trying
get land needed for major in
tersections," Mr.. Alexander sait
He said he was sure the Gal
thersburg property was pur
chased as the result Of informa
ton supplied by the official.
He also named two other Ian
transactions in which he sal
the spectators had purchase
property shortly before section
Of it were needed for State road
II never received one penn
from any of these deals" M
Alexander declared. II felt the
were wrong"
Mccain Comments
Mr.. Mccain, after listening
Mr.. Alexander's story, CON
mented:
There are two ways to specu
late on property in the path {
State roads. One way is to oh
tain copies of the 12-year pre-
gram yefiow book and see ar
proximately where the route
going.
ALSO a speculator can %
construction of O road startin
and figure what properties