The principal concessioner in Crater Lake National Park has been noted for many years for his reluctance to cooperate with the National Park Service in providing the best possible service to the pubIc at reasonable rates and in the development of good public relations with park visitors and nearby communities. The concessioner has failed to give full understanding and recognition that it is an arm of the government, designed to give service to the public under the general regulations and supervision of the Service.
For the past two years, the principal stockholder has been desirous of selling his stock interest to a person who would take over the active management and principal ownership of the corporation. He has not been successful in the sale of this stock and the confusion that has resulted recently from changing policies regarding concessioner operations in the park has not made the task of finding a new owner any easier. [54]
One of the attempts by R.W. Price, president of the Crater Lake National Park Company, to sell the concession occurred in April 1948. It was announced that the company was being sold to the Michael E. Lee family of Oakland, California. A former real estate operator in Portland before moving to California, Lee had considerable experience in hotel management. The financial negotiations, however, fell through the following month, and R.W. Price, who had wanted to retire, continued as president and principal stockholder of the firm. [55]
Crater Lake National Park Company
| Year | Net Worth Beginning of Year |
Income | Expense | Net Profit (Loss-) |
Rate of Return |
| 1938 | $79,877.33 | $86,726.40 | $90,955.67 | $-4,229.47 | -5.29% |
| 1939 | 74,782.84 | 103,818.07 | 95,621.95 | 8,196.12 | 10.95% |
| 1940 | 83,068.96 | 100,613.49 | 97,913.18 | 2,700.31 | 3.25% |
| 1941 | 84,973.85 | 112,085.93 | 109,290.74 | 2,795.19 | 3.29% |
| 1942 | 87,769.04 | 23,254.80 | 49,757.91 | -26,503.11 | -30.20% |
| 1943 | 61,707.33 | 3,965.08 | 14,189.61 | -10,224.53 | -16.57% |
| 1944 | 51,482.80 | 2,467.77 | 4,497.46 | -2,029.69 | -3.94% |
| 1945 | 49,453.11 | 10,042.04 | 8,380.39 | 1,671.90 | 3.38% |
| 1946 | 50.794.27 | 200,016.04 | 175,942.87 | 24,073.17 | 47.39% |
| 1957 | 84,867.44 | 256,385.39 | 242,169.02 | 14,216.37 | 18.39% |
| Totals |
|
$899,375.26 |
$888,709.00 |
$10,666.26 |
|
| Yearly Average |
$69,886.70 | $89,937.53 | $88,870.90 | $1,066.63 | 1.53% |
Memorandum for the Director, Chief of Concessions, June 23, 1948, RG 79, Central Files, 1933-49, File No. 900-06, National Park Service, Rates Crater Lake Park Co., 1948.
