Evening star., 1960-10-26
Second Of q Series


gineer's term. distressed
roads that need repair shortly
afer completion.
For weeks House investigat-
ors have had reports from West
Virginia, Florida, and Massa-
chusetts which point toward
land speculation and fraud.
Findings in 2 States
In West Virginia, certain
contractors repeatedly charged
the State for road building ma
terials that did not actually 60
into the roads.
The Florida report ! deals
with conflict Of interest cases
and around Miami there are
reports of speculation in land
for rights-of-way.
But this is. not all. A special
Florida legislative committee
heard accusations at a public
hearing that at least eight
State highway department en-
ployes had been taking under
the-table payments from a
Tampa road building firm,
Cone Brothers.
Upon learning Of the Florida
hearing, the Federal Bureau Of
Public Roads announced on
October 81 it has suspended
Federal highway aid payments
on all projects in which the
Cone Brothers are involved.
The bureau said it did not yet
know how much money was
involved but has launched a
full scale investigation of the
entire Cone Brothers opera
tions.
Report on Massachusetts
The Justice Department now
has the 200-page report Of q
consulting firm hired by the
Public Roads Bureau to inves-
tigate Massachusetts,.
A covering letter on the still
secret report indicates strong
pressures were exerted to have
land appraisers place unjuSti-
fied values on selected prop
critics.
These properties were Oh
rights Of way acquired by
Massachusetts, for the Nations
Superhighway program.
Standard procedure in right
Of way acquisition for the in
terstate program is for the
States to purchase the land,
then submit a claim for reim-
bursement to the Federal Gov
ernment for 80 per cent of the
cost,
No Massachusetts, claim fol
right = Of way reimbursement
has been honored by the Fed.
eral Government since last
January.
RumOrs In Indiana
In Indiana. site of the nov
well-known 1856 scandal, ru.
mors still circulate of secrer
deals" among politicians, bust.
nessmen and contractors.
Any effort to check thes,
hidden relationships leads ulti.
mately to the Indiana Depart.
ment of Securities, which keep.
a record of major stockholder.
in Indiana firms. And there the
check ends. The department.
records are secret.
A staff member Of the House
subcommittee on the Fedora
aid program was asked why thu
Indiana rumors hadn't been in.
vestigated. There have been Sc
many and they are so compli-
Gated" he replied, "that we Just
haven't had the manpower tt
do it,"
Top Aides Indicted
The original Indiana scandals
resulted In the indictment O.
two top aides to former Gov
George Craig on charges O.
conspiring to bribe Highway
Commission chairman Virgil w
Smith in connection with. thu
purchase of highway equipment
Smith began serving q prison
sentence of 2 to IA years las
month after conviction on ,
charge Of soliciting and accept.
ing bribes. Three others con.
nected with this case and an.
other involving charges of con,
spiracy to embezzle $4,000 il
State funds to speculate il
rights-of-way have been con,
victed but are free on appea
bonds.
There were also indictment.
against three carpenters un.
ion officials and Harry Dog,
gett, former State right-of,
way official, for conspiring t,
sell land to the State at ar
$4,000 profit. Their trial nov
is under way after almost thre,
years delay. One of the Officials
is Maurice Hutcheson, Carpen.
terS' Union president.
A State investigation of lanC
purchases uncovered five prop.
erty owners along Indianapolis
Madison avenue expressway
who were paid $117,350 fol
land not needed for the road
Land is still a problem IL
Indiana.
State Attorney General Ed.
win K. Steers has over 5O(
land condemnation cases pend.
ing in court. Mr.. Steers esti.
mated in an interview that 4
costs Indiana $4,000 to try ,
land case, mostly because tn,
State pays independent fee ap
praisers $50 to $3.50 a day eacl
for q court appearance, Tn