Imperial Valley press., 1933-02-17
s
SENATE QUIZ
DIGS DEEPER
Broker Questioned On DISPOSE
tion OF Commission From Sale
OF Land To State.
MENTION TONER AGAIN
Asserted To Have Suggested
Architect Friend OF Cover
nor's As ConsuItant.

LOS ANGELES. Feb II. U.P)-
George F.. Cuthbert, Los Angeles
real estate broker who received
part of an alleged double COM
mission on sale of the Lewis
ranch in Ventura county to the
state as a site for a mental hos
pital, today told state senate in
vestigating committee of an assert
ed attempt to add 5000 to the
price to "cut in" San Francisco
man on the deal
Cuthbert testified he had been
visited by Julius Aurrecoechea, of
San Francisco, and man named
Murphy"
Cuthbert charged that Aurre-
coechea asked to have $4,000 adj
ded to the price of the site, which
subsequently sold for $415, 900, so
that he could get cut"
"Aurrecoechea said that he could
be of use in putting through the
deal as he thought he could con-
troll DR.. Toner Cuthbert testified.
DR.. j. NJ Toner, state director OF
institutions, was member of the
state commission appointed to Sc
lect the hospital site.
Cuthbert said he refused Aurre-
coechea's proposition.
DR.. Toner suggested to him,
Cuthbert said, that ''I see a real
estate man by the name of Cutler
(Al Cutler) in San Francisco"
Cuthbert continued:
IT saw Cutler and he wanted to
be cut in on the deal as a broker.
told him did not think this
was necessary"
Cuthbert was retained by the.
Citizens National company, owner
of the Lewis land. as a broker to
negotiate for sale of the property
to the state after the legislature
had authorized the purchase OF
such a site, he said. He was to re-
ceive commission not exceeding
! 7la per cent if the deal was con-
summated
The bank terminated his connec-
| ton as broker December z, 1881,
Cuthbert said, but assured him he
would be paid 5 per cent of the
sale price when the deal was COM
pleted. Frank T. Skinner, bank Of
ficial, and Jack G.. Kuhrts, Los An
COLES broker, handled the negotia-
tions thereafter, he said.
Cuthbert said he received $20, 500
commission when the sale was
made.
Cashed Check
The committee sought to deter
mine what he had done with his
commission, as it previously sought
to determine Kuhrts' disposal of
his money.
Cuthbert testified that he cash.
ed his check for $20,500 and pur-
chased 20 one-thousand dollar GER
tificates of deposit, which he placed
in safety deposit box. He said he
had caShed some of the certifl-
Gates, and that about one-half of
them remained. Kuhrts had testi-
fled that he had withdrawn $4,000
in Thousand dollar bills which
he likewise placed in safety de-
post box.
George MacDougall, state archi-
tect testified that a movement was
sponsored by DR.. j. M. Toner, head
of the department of public insti-
tutions, to employ Harold D Burk-
EFT, Ventura architect, as a con-
sultant in drawing plans for the
hospital.
Sheridan Downey, attorney for
the committee, demanded of Mac
Dougall:
Don't you know that Mr.. Burk-
ett is the son-in law of Adolfo
Camarillo?"
MacDougall said he did not.
Camarillo is prominent resi-
dent of Ventura and close per-
sonal friend of Governor Rolph.
and his supporter, although DEM
ocrat while Rolph is Republican.
Didn't you know that Mr.. Birk-
EFT was simply to endorse his name
on the plans? That that was to be
the extent of his work?" Downey
asked.
MacDougall replied that he did
not.