It is the understanding of our committee that at other national parks the government has expended considerable sums of money in various ways, not only to improve park conditions, but to provide for the accommodation of guests at these resorts.
Your committee understands that the government has spent something over $100,000 for the installation of an electric lighting system in the Yosemite National Park, but has not spent anything for this, or other developments at Crater Lake Lodge.
In conclusion your committee begs to state that it is its opinion that there is room for great development at Crater Lake; that most of the complaints directed against Mr. Parkhurst might be attributed to the fact that he has not been properly financed and that were he afforded the necessary financial assistance Crater Lake Lodge would become one of the noted resorts of the country. Mr. Parkhurst has almost impoverished himself to keep Crater Lake Lodge going from year to year, making such improvements as his financial capacity would permit. He has invested a large sum of money and should he be retired as lessee, we believe he should be adequately reimbursed for his expenditures of time and money. Mr. Parkhurst is not a hotel man of the modern type, and we believe in some particulars the management has been lax, and that perhaps if satisfactory arrangements could be made for the buying out or other disposal of Mr. Parkhurst that Crater Lake Lodge properly financed might go ahead more rapidly under different management. We say this in all kindness realizing the tremendous burden that one man has had to carry without material help from any source. Mr. Parkhurst is entitled to great credit for what he has accomplished. In all kindness and respect to the Hon. Stephen Mather, your committee begs leave to express the opinion that Mr. Mather expected too much of Mr. Parkhurst under the conditions; also that Mr. Mather has been a little too harsh and abrupt in his handling of the situation. We realize the wonderful work that Mr. Mather has accomplished for the national parks of our country also that carrying the burden of so many national resorts, hampered as he probably is by some of the proverbial red tape of governmental operations, and that the embarrassment caused him by the inadequate toilet and lighting facilities, especially while the congressional party was at Crater Lake, magnified the shortcomings of Mr. Parkhurst’s management and precipitated the condition which lead to the appointment of your committee. . . .
We believe it to be the duty of the people of Oregon, either to get behind Mr. Parkhurst financially and otherwise, or in lieu of that, have someone to organize a corporation which will buy out the existing corporation on a fair basis of return to the stockholders and to fairly compensate Mr. Parkhurst for the ten years of nerve racking toil which he has undergone. We also are of the opinion that the government, through Mr. Mather’s department, should carry some of the burden of improving the Crater Lake situation, aside from the road work which the Forestry Department is doing. [10]
Through the efforts of Mather a conference of Oregon businessmen was held during the winter of 1920-21 to work out arrangements for the refinancing and reorganization of Crater Lake park concessions. In his annual report for 1921 Director Mather described at length the financial reorganization and subsequent improvement to concession accommodations and services:
The outstanding achievement of the year in Crater Lake National Park was the improvement of hotel accommodations, transportation facilities, and miscellaneous service along progressive lines, thus solving the most serious and aggravating problem that has confronted me in this park since entering upon my present duties. This important accomplishment was brought about by the Crater Lake National Park Co., a new corporation formed and financed by several public-spirited citizens of Portland and other Oregon cities, headed by Mr. Eric V. Hauser. This new corporation leased the Crater Lake properties from the old Crater Lake Co., which originally built the lodge on the rim of the crater, and pioneered in the furnishing of other service, the lease to be effective until March 1, 1922, on or before which date the lessee company may exercise an option to purchase the properties as provided in the agreement of lease. It is confidently expected that the option will be exercised, and that under the new ownership and management the present policies of improvement and development will be continued.
In the agreement of lease covering the change in management of the public utilities, it was provided that the sum of $20,000 was to be expended in the improvement of the properties, this fund to be regarded as a loan to the Crater Lake Co., secured by a first mortgage on its equipment and other personal property, and payable in three equal annual installments if the option to purchase is not exercised, but to be canceled if the option is exercised. The fund, of course, was to be expended by the new company. With this money the new management has completed the Crater Lake Lodge, improved the water and lighting systems, installed necessary sanitary fixtures, erected 30 tent houses or bungalow tents at the lodge and 10 at Anna Spring Camp near headquarters, procured and placed on the lake a launch with a capacity of 40 passengers; and in many other directions provided the means of rendering excellent service and meeting the public demand for proper accommodations in this park.
