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Highway 61 correspondence and documents, 1968-1974

1974-06-14 A. Anthes Smith to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Page 1

A. Anthes Smith
President

319-372-5174

FM BANK & TRUST

FORT MADISON BANK & TRUST CO.
FORT MADISON, IOWA 52627

June 14, 1974

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
1790 Broadway
New York, New York 10019

Gentlemen:

Articles which have appeared recently in Fort Madison and other newspapers have publicized, for the first time, the complaints of the NAACP against the proposed rerouting of Highway 61 through Fort Madison. I refer to the two filed complaints of June 30, 1970 and January 5, 1972. These complaints apparently resulted in discrimination findings by the Civil Rights Office of the Department of Transportation.

The federal report which issued includes numerous statements which are, at best, debatable. We do not argue these points in this letter, but we do take strong exception to one statement and request an explanation and/or a retraction. The statement, as published in the Thursday, June 8, 1974, Fort Madison Evening Democrat, is as follows:
"The monied interests and power structure favor the southern route. There is evidence that financial institutions and others are purchasing land in the area of the proposed facility."
The term "financial institutions" can include several types of companies that handle money and give financial services. The most obvious that comes to the minds of the readers is banks. The phrasing of the paragraph implies that financial institutions, i.e. banks, are speculating in land or stand to gain in some way from the ownership of land "in the area of the proposed facility." We challenge this statement and resent its implications. It "smears" local banks, is grossly untrue and unfair and it damages our image throughout the community. It is readily apparent from the statement, and others in the report, that the DOT did not investigate the complaints filed by the NAACP. We shall expect

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A. Anthes Smith President 319-372-5174 FM BANK & TRUST FORT MADISON BANK & TRUST CO. FORT MADISON, IOWA 52627 June 14, 1974 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 1790 Broadway New York, New York 10019 Gentlemen: Articles which have appeared recently in Fort Madison and other newspapers have publicized, for the first time, the complaints of the NAACP against the proposed rerouting of Highway 61 through Fort Madison. I refer to the two filed complaints of June 30, 1970 and January 5, 1972. These complaints apparently resulted in discrimination findings by the Civil Rights Office of the Department of Transportation. The federal report which issued includes numerous statements which are, at best, debatable. We do not argue these points in this letter, but we do take strong exception to one statement and request an explanation and/or a retraction. The statement, as published in the Thursday, June 8, 1974, Fort Madison Evening Democrat, is as follows: "The monied interests and power structure favor the southern route. There is evidence that financial institutions and others are purchasing land in the area of the proposed facility." The term "financial institutions" can include several types of companies that handle money and give financial services. The most obvious that comes to the minds of the readers is banks. The phrasing of the paragraph implies that financial institutions, i.e. banks, are speculating in land or stand to gain in some way from the ownership of land "in the area of the proposed facility." We challenge this statement and resent its implications. It "smears" local banks, is grossly untrue and unfair and it damages our image throughout the community. It is readily apparent from the statement, and others in the report, that the DOT did not investigate the complaints filed by the NAACP. We shall expect