Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-24
Toll Facilities
Experts Called
In Roads Probe
Hearings to Resume
Wednesday,; Officials
Tell of E0nd Buying

~ 4 ! - + ass
BALTIMORE, Sept. "a R.-
The Legislative Councils little
probe" Of the State Roads Com
mission today was recessed until
next Wednesday in New York.
when toll facility authorities win
be heard.
Several witnesses testified yes
Iterday they could see nothing
wrong with the State Roads
Commission contract for land
acquisition for the Baltimore
Harbor Tunnel project.
David NJ. Nichols, the chief
witness. @emphatically" denied
The resigned from the roads COM
mission In April of 1854 to be
lin q position to get the land
acquiring contract.
Firms to Split Fee
The contract is held Jointly by
Nichols real estate firm and
William MARTENS g. Co. who will
split fee totaling ia per cent
lof the land cost.
Another witness was Russell T.
Baker. a realtor who recently
questioned the commissions giv-
ing the contract at a Upper
Icent fee when he said his Arm
land another would have done 1t
for 5 per cent.
Mr.. Baker, one of the key wit.
nesses critics OF the contract have
counted on in the investigation.
acknowledged to the Legislative
Council Committee he offered
Ito do the job cheaper without
knowing full terms of the con-
tract. Mr.. Baker said he did not
know that two independent ap-
lpraisals by two firms were re-
quired for each property ac-
lquired.
Mr.. Baker also told the com.
Emittee that the Nichols and
Martens firms had filed charges
against his company with the
Ethics Committee Of the Balti-
more Real Estate Board.
He said his criticism Of the
contract had been leveled at the
State Roads Commission only
and not at the two real estate
firms.
He said his firm would have
IBID on the land-acquisition con-
tract II 1t had been opened to
Ebiddingt . process he thought
should have been followed.
/ Chairman Russell Mccain Of
1.-THE SRC also testified about the
controversial contract which has
figured in political debates since
last winter.
/ Presents Figures ON Costs
Mr.. Mccain presented the in
.Ivestigating committee with
figures to show that the costs
1of land acquisition to the State
from 1948 until last June 80 has
averaged about 8 per cent.
/ Mr.. Mccain said this figure
Included costs of maintaining
the right-of-way department Of
the SRC plus what fees were
paid to outside experts.
| Mr.. Mccain and Bramwell
Kelly, another member of the
SRC, both testified that Mr..
Nichols knew nothing Of the de-
cision to use private real estate
firms for the harbor tunnel land
acquisition prior to the time he
left the commission.
Mr.. Mccain said the decision
to use outside realtors for land
acquisition was made because Of
1.-THE magnitude Of the project,
because Of the specialized type
Iof commercial property in ques-
ton and because the commits
sion was not stated to handle
the job.
Mr.. Nichols testified he was
approached by Herschel Allen
of the j. e. Greiner Co. for the
first time about doing the job
during the month after he left
the commission.
Mr.. Mccain said the Greiner
Co.. consulting engineers for the
tunnel project. suggested the
MARTENS and Nichols firms and
worked oIIf. the III r,ay. can't fan