The San Francisco call., 1895-12-20
A DICTIONARY DECISION,
The Shade of Noah Webster
Pleads for California
Sandstone.
Governor Budd Will Submit an Opinion
to the Board-Conservative
Mr. Colnon.

The Harbor Commissioners were as
sisted yesterday in their sandstone delib-
erations by Governor Budd. His Excel
Iency came in late, but he soon hammered
hole in the stone wall at the ban of
which the commission bas been working
for several weeks, and heroically threw
himself into the breach. The discussion
swings around the opinions of Attorney
Ford and his chief, Attorney-General
Fitzgerald.
The former refers to clause in the depot
building specifications which gives the
board the uthority to increase or dimin-
ish the work mentioned, such change to
bear the same proportion to the contract
price which work, added or diminished
shall bear to the whole work contracted
for. Ford also found paragraph in the
law of this State whereby any change
could be made of such substitution that did
not cause contract price change of over
$30OO
In support of his position he quoted
New York case where the Supreme Court
overturned q Superior Court decision and
upheld similar change. The Governor
clinched this argument by stating that
under the California law of 1876 the Attor
ney-General Secretary of State and the
the contracts.
Mr. Colnon explained in the outset that
he did not believe there was any real or
special demand for the California stone on
the ground of location, but the question
had been raised on sentiment. However,
the board wanted to be right and be sure it
was strictly in the line of Davy Crockett's S
maxim before it went ahead.
1--WE will have to award the contract to
Mccarthy" said Attorney Ford, land
make the changes afterward."
"There will have to be mutual agree
ment with the contractor" said the
Governor, because if the terms of the
stone people with whom the Board wishes
him to deal be not entirely satisfactory to
hum he will nail the State down to the
stone mentioned in the contract, possibly"
"The Attorney-General holds that the
term work mentioned in that clause"
said Mr.. Chadbourne, may be studied
with profit"
where's the dictionary" quickly asked
the Governor, inspired by the coloners
mention of this SoloTonic decision of the
States law department.
After some search they found it on Com
missioner Coles side of the table.
Then the Governor, Mr.. Colnon and the
colonel bent over Mr.. Webster's ponderous
tome and sought for knowledge.
Work noun plural-delinitio
structnres-in--civil-m il-military-naval en-
gineering-docks- = -bridges-material- for
-working-upon, read Mr.. Budd, run
ming his finger and eyes down column in
the book. well, according to the un-
abridged and Attorney General you can
make the change"
but dislike the possibility of any con-
tingency," observed Mr.. Colnon, who is
more conservative than lexicographical.
off we enter into contract we are bound
to carry it out.'
But if one of those stones were to
crumble during the process of building"
returned the Governor, would you not
then make changer
''But in any contingency the principle
involved in the New York decision would
stand,' said Attorney Ford.
But I want to know how we could de-