The Indianapolis journal., 1897-05-22
CANNOT RIDE In CLASS A
AMATEURS WHO RIDE WHEELS FOR
ADVERTISING PURPOSES.
Comments on 81 Circular Sent Out
Wheels as BaiI-BicycIe
Notes.
4~~~~~~~~~ .

The following circular letter, issued by
bicycle manufacturer, has attracted the at
tention of the L. A. w. racing board, and
as a result the weekly bulletin from Chair
man Mott contains reference to it and new
provisions of the rules for preventing pro-
fessonals riding as amateurs. The circu-
lar referred to is as follows:
ITO Our Agents-As you are probably
aware, we have decided not to have pro-
year. believing that the interests of the
- bicycle will be better served by get
ting the best local Glass A riders on the
1--WE inclose herewith blank form, which
we would like to have you I'LL out with the
names of the best amateur riders in your
territory whose interest it might be well
to procure for the season of 1897, placing
them in the order of their relative ability
that is, the best man first and SO on down
the list.
Show in column headed Remarks any
special mention you may desire to make.
We will then correspond with you further
on the subject"
The weekly bulletin does not give the
name of the manufacturer, but has the fol-
lowing to say regarding the circular: This
is the same manufacturer that issued a
similar circular in 1896, and amateur racing
men know the one to whom reference is
made. Starters in amateur races on these
bicycles are warned that that fact alone
will be taken as crcumstantal evidence
(C1ause d, Sec. Z, Art. 4, by-laws) in an
investigation of their amateur status. BY
vote of the board the following is added to
the racing rules: Race promoters must
not offer nor riders demand or accept any
thing in excess of the prizes promised by
the entry blanks, score cards or pro-
grammeS.
When there are no conflicting interests
involved members. of the board in charge
of districts will give the special permit re-
quired by the rule TO exceed the prize limit
for match races if the members are salts
factoriy guaranteed that the purse or prize
is bona tde as advertised to the public
through publications. When the special
permit is granted it will be published in
the bulletin"
The rules of the racing board of the L. A
w. are very strict in defining and enforcing
the line between amateurs ana profession
ais. 1t is Il big advertisement 10 the manu-
facturer to have large number of men in
the amateur class riding his wheels, for in
this class the men are required to pay their
own expenses and to accept nothing from
any manufacturer or race promoter except
such prizes as they may win, and there is a
very low limit on the value Of the prizes.
OF course, there are more amateurs than
professionals, and as matter of fact there
is more to make an amateur race thing
of real sport than a professional race ANA
race for the money there is in it and for the
purpose of advertising the wheel of the
manufactures that is backing them.
The rule is strict that any amateur who
accepts pay or expenses or a bicycle from
a manufacturer at once becomes a pro-
fessional. 1t would be a greater advertise
ment for wheel for q lot of amateurs to
ide it than for professionals, for the reason
that amateurs buy the wheel of their
choice, while professionals ride the wheel
they are paid to ride.
This being the case, it would be a big card
if manufacturer could give his wheels
to amateur racing men all over the coun-
try and they still remain amateurs, or if the
manufacturer could put a lot of men on the
circuits by paying their expenses and they
still remain in the amateur class 1t was on
the suspicion that this was the object of
the people who ISSUED the circular, and
hence the action by the racing board.
The last paragraph of Chairman Motifs
bulletin here given deals with an important
subject. The limit of prize values in anna
teur events is $50 and the largest amount
that can be given in open professional
events is $780, In match races there is a
rule allowing larger purses, but the rule
has not been clearly defined. a purse OF
races for SO large an amount But there
have beer advertised races where the purses
were given at 81 eco and over. This is all
fake. There are not usually any purses in
such cases. The men may be riding for
percentage OF the gate receipts and the
fore the public by announcing the large
purse they are competing for.
Such an event Of this kind might be billed
for Louisville, while a legitimate race card
would be given at the same time in Cincin-
natl or vice versa. People living in In
distant from the two places would probably
not think much of a race for 800 when they
could see the big One-thouSand-dOllar
purse" contested for. The Louisville meet
would set the patronage when perhaps tbs,
better races were at Cincinnati.