Oonls lurnlror Oompilny

roll-call vote, four commissioners voted not to renew the lease. Chairman Fred M. Aggen indicated to Brinkman that some arrang'ement could be worked out to remove his lumber then stored at the port. It'was brought out that failure to file application for renewal of the lease 30 days before the September 1 expiration date was the grounds for the August 30 cancellation, but the commissioners spent four days investigating the wholesale-retail charge before they took the August 30 action.

They discussed the charges with several area lumber dealers and with Dean Creath, representative of the Ocean View Lumber Co., supplying the Port l-umber Co. After the August 26 meeting, Commissioners Henry Borchard and Mike Vujovich had asked Commissioner Thompson why he had not brought the charges up before, and he had answered that he thought the charges should be made only at a public meeting.

In committee session after that meeting, all commissioners except Dealer Earney Thompson began inquiry into the operations of the Port Lumber Co. It was revealed that the firm paid $250 minimum rental for dock space from the district and 25 cents per thousand board feet for wharfage across the dock. Its principal supplier was the above-mention€d Oeean View Lumber Co. and, in a question"answer session with that firm's Dean Creath, commissioners learned that Port Lumber Co. owned little if any of. the lumber inventory then on the dock, that Ocean View, officed in Oregon, billed direct to the accounts it supplied, and that Port Lumber Co. charged Ocean View Lumber Co. 50 cents per thousand board feet wharfage and charged it half the dock rental.

"That's a good deal," commented Commissioner McKeelran, noting the lW/o boost on wharfage. "Port Lumber Co. owns nothing but a lease with us; that's what they're selling."

Reroil Lumber Buyers, Oceon View ond TW&J Seek Pofi Lumber Co. Sire

Following the cancellation of Port Lumber Companv's lease on Dock I at Port Hueneme the end of August bu it. Oxnard Harbor Commission, the commissione"rs lisiened to some name-calling between opposing forces in the ..muddle" and decided to hold another medting Sept. 25 to determine future action.

After Paul Brinkman's lease was cancelled and the fact became known, three applications were received from firms wanting to take over the lease held by Brinkman until October 30. These were Ocean View (Oregon) Lumber Co., Retail Lumber Buyers, Inc., Los Angeles]and Tarter, Webster & Johnson, San Francisco.

John Rudbach appeared before the commissioners on behalf of Retail Lumber Buyers, Inc., and said his firm has connections with ships and mills which would quadruple the lumber volume through Port Hueneme, repoited The Ventura Star-Free Press. He added that his hrm would operate the dock as a public utility and stock some of its own lumber. Robert S. Wells, in a letter on behalf of Tarter, Webster & Johnson, said his firm would improve the quality of lumber handled at -the port.

Commissioner Chairman Fred M. Aggen said, "We want to be sure what we do is right this time."

Brinkman is reported as saying he hoped to see the matter decided soon because he still has salaried employes and equipment at the port and certain obligations even though the commission's earlier action had put him out of business.

Then, also at the later hearing last month, Brinkman and Dean Creath of Ocean View Lumber Co. charged each other with not paying bills and failing to live up to agreements.

For further developments, watch The California Lumber Merchant.