St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-28
UNIFORM CONTRACTS.
What the Committee Ask and
Hone of the Convention,

Hope of the Convention.
George G. Prussing. of Chicago. chair
man of the committee on uniform con-
tracts, submitted his report as follows:
The STANDARD contract" was adopted
in June, 1883. by joint committee rep
resentlng the American Institute of
Architects, the Western Association of
Architects and the National Association
of Builders.
Aside from the fact that the copy
right of the form adopted has been
taken in the name of the joint commit
tee, constituting it body corporate.
each association represented recognized
the necessity of lodging authority some
where to review, change and amend
SAID form as imperfections might be
perceived and the necessity of amend
ment acknowledged. Hence each con-
vention made the committee on uniform
contracts one of its standing commit
tees. and criticisms and suggestions for
improvements were invited by the chair
man of the three subcommittee; each
from members of the body by him repre-
scented.
Numerous communications, comments
and suggestions have been received,
some valuable, some impracticable. All
of them have been preserved, all care
fully considered. and for each your COM
mittee does hereby desire to return it's
thanks. Only by full and fair discns-
sion, and the compilation of our expert
ence and the decisions and interpreta-
tious of courts, wherever made-in
short, 10y the active cooperation of all
can we nope to approximate perfection.
In the nature of things this discussion,
hereby cordially invited, must be by
tees. so it may be properly presented to
the joint committee when assembled.
The form remains unchanged as yet
because in the Judgment of your COM
mittee no changes, except for weighty
reasons, should be made-fOr time at
least. The uniformity of the instru-
ment, the fact that it is the standard"
form, is its greatest strength and value,
and this might possibly be impaired by
frequent or trivial changes in its text.
The unprecedented acknowledge the
fairness and even-handed justice of it's
provisions to both parties to the instru-
ment. the owner and the builder. The
definite acknowledgment and appoint
ment of the architect as agent of the
owner, defines his position clearly and
| Enthusiastically; takes it out OF the realm
of misty speculation and uncertainty, SO
often INDUCED In heretofore, which has
proved so fruitful of lawyers arguments
and efforts to befog courts, until quite
number of architects are seriously in
doubt as to their relation to the parties.
But perhaps the best comment on the
work of the Joint committee is con-
tanned in the report OF the publishers
that thus far 10000 copies of the STAND.
ard Contract" have been used, and that
sales are increasing.
While apparently large. the sales are
not what they should be, and doubtless
will be, when the builders of this cOun-
try fully realize the advantage the uni
versal adoption of a uniform contract
will be. and that they, as party to the
contract about to be executed, have a
right to the choice of form. Time
and greater familiarity with its pro-
visions, through articles and discussions
| in that most valuable auxiliary, the
Builders Exchange. edited by our I'M
| firing co-laborer for the advancement of
the builder, w. I'll. Sayward, of Boston,
will doubtless bring it into greater and
ever-increasing demand. Indeed, the
value of publication of this kind, dis
cussing fully and fairly all matters of
interest to the builder, wherever his
domicile, and reaching him regularly,
| cannot be Overestimated.
Since our last convention one of the