The San Francisco call., 1899-05-26
MAUDE'S SEAT
NOT CONTESTED
Highway Commissioner
Price Retires.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SACRAMENTO, May 25.-Highway
Commissioner J. r. Price. tugging n
bamboo telescope basket after him.
turned his back on the State Capitol
TINS afternoon and took the Iirst car
for the depot. The next time Mr.. Price
comes to town it will be in a social
way, for he is no longer connected with
the department of highways. having
rellnqulshed his title to the office. Civ
en- him yesterday by Commissioners
Manson and Ashe, in favor of Governor
Cages appointee. J. L. Maude.
1t Will be remembered that Commits
sloners Manson and Asne met yester-
day and resolved that their lawful sue
cessor was j. r. Price, and that they
should refuse to turn over the KEYS of
the Office to Maude or anybody else. no
matter II he should present credentials
as numerous as blades of grass on the
capitol swards. 1t was now ''up to"
Mr. Frce, and the latter very gra-
clously accepted the task of the next
move by stepping down and out
But the retiring commissioners
whose record in the recent Folsom
hlghWay campaign proved their mettle
TO the satisfaction of the taxpayers of
sacramento county, did not quit office
without paying their respects in an
lronlcal way to Governor Gage. These
commissioners presented to the Legis-
Iature at It's last session five carefully
prepared pllIs, relating to public roads
ana the expenditure of road funds
Three of these bills passed the Legisla-
ture, but Governor Gage withheld from
them his signature
Prior to the final adjournment the
commissioners entered on their official
minutes this narrative of their treat
ment at the hands of the Executive:
While the bills were under considers.
ton by the Legislature, the SeeTetaru
under instructions of the departmenyt ;
waited upon the private secretary of the
Governor and conveyed to him mes
sage from the commissioners to the Gov
ernor to the effect that the members of
the department held themselves in readi-
ness TO furnish any information that the
Executive might desire as to the purport
ana the necessity of the department bills
no response coming from the Executive
Department, President Manson called
upon up the private secretary and, in his
of1cial capacity, rendered his services
ana those of his colleagues in the mat
ter of explaining the bills and in giving
Information upon road matters generally.
given.
When Assembly bills $50, 5S4 and 6O2
had passed both houses and had been
transmitted to the Governor the Depart-
ment of Highways at a. special meeting
directed President Manson to prepare a
communication to the Governor in which
he should again tender the services of
the department, in explaining the pur-
poses of the bills and to give in the let
ter q succinct statement of the depart
ments reasons for urging the passage
and signing of the bills. This commune
cation was prepared and transmitted to
the Governor No acknowledgment of its
receipt was made and the offer made
therein was not taken advantage of.
Before his departure from the city
j. r. Price said that his colleagues
and himself had concluded that they
would not contest Maude's claim to the
office, and that they would do nothing
calculated in any manner to interfere
with the workings of the department
or the progress of the good roads
movement