Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-01

70 fy to the moon. In the past many OF rs
have assailed League and Association contracts
because of their unfairness and uusoundness,
but don't remember of ever reading a worse
specimen OF a very bad contract than that in
question. 1t advocates classification of salary,
reservation and the supreme authority of capi.
tai in the most rigorous and plain manner And
added to this is the fact that it makes the
PLAYERS salary an uncertain quantity, Now, if
an organization. which some people presume to
call a cooperative enterprise. can succeed on
plans and principles of the KIND named. the
principles of economics and cooperation are
an existing lie and fraud.
Faulty Contract.
Some people have essayed to defend that con-
tract but the latest report is to the effect that
one of its greatest weaknesses is to be remedied
at the next Brotherhood meeting. 1 refer to
the lack Of guarantee of the players salaries.
We are now told that a guarantee fund will be
established out of which the salaries of players
will be paid when necessity demands it; that is
when sufficient money is not taken at the
gate. This. if it is done, win undoubtedly be q
very wise step, because nothing causes so much
discomfort; nothing creates industrial mutiny
more than the inability 10 pay a body of en-
ployes their wages at the right time because of
lack of funds. But the guarantee plan will be
a cumbersome one because it is feature
added to an already overcumbersome organiza-
tion. The truth is the players and their capt.
tallstic friends have adopted plans and formu-
lated rules in too great hurry, so much so that
l VIII not be surprised II almost all the work
done is to go over again and be remodeled. At
the very outset the players showed no system,
and 1 argued this point just as strongly
as could In trying to build their
edifce they strangely enough began near
the top instead of at the foundation. If the
players of each city interested in the scheme
had gone to work as soon as the season was
over and collected capital sufficient to estab-
llsh and carry a club: held meetings and in
structed delegates definitely as TO rules, con-
tracts. then would have been the time to hold a
meeting of delegates OF club representatives.
The latter could attend the cohyention, and
when calleC upon could have said: I'VE want
a club at our city: here's check for money
sufficient to carry us through, and am also in
structed to vote for certain rules and princi-
Piles of contract" Had something like that
been done il would have saved deal of trouble
and misunderstanding. 1t would also have
given every player a direct interest in the
scheme. But as things have been
done. question very much whether the
rank and ME OF players have had any voice IN
the matter or not except signing their names
to agreements and alleged contracts. Itseems
safe TO say that the players. except those who
voted or talked at the New York meeting. have
had nothing to do IN formulating the now
famous contract. If this is union: If this is
Brotherhood, then my ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
has led me very far astray. The great trouble
of the players seems to be their want of good
organizers. Goodness knows they need them.
l venture to say that there are dozens of men
in our local unions who could do more in n
week in the way of organizing than the
magnates of the proposed new league have
done during all the time they have been at
work If this new venture is to succeed at ALL
it must be well organized and it must be con-
Quoted on the most democratic PRINCIPLES. If
these two elements are absent, ruin will be its
Just result. There is no unkindness in state
Inent of this kind. If there are rocks ahead it
is better that we should try and discover them
before we strike them.