The San Francisco call., 1897-04-03
WRECKED ON A
DOLLAR SNAG
Wide Schism Threatens
the Amateur Athletic
Union.
Chicago University Secedes on
the Arbitrary Fee I'm.
position.
Many Local Athletes Take Exception
to the Stringent Eastern
Metho DDS.

doubtful Wnen they can be revived. -Four
or five years ago the Olympic Club of this
City could proudly boast of having among
its members sprinters, jumpers and pole
vaulters who were competent to compete
with the champions of America, but the
rulings OF the union were so severe that
the athletes became discouraged and
eventually they retired from track and
field sports with the result that the
Olympic Club had to close it's beautiful
athletic grounds because of the lack OF
patronage.
The next step the A. A. U. took was a
fling at the amateur boxers, many OF
whom have, within the past year, gone
over to the professionals.
Now comes the climax, which is bound
to ere ate no end of trouble in athletic
clu bdom.
According to a special notice sent out in
January to the clubs represented in the
union calling attention to rule relating to
the registration of athletes the iol OWN g
is copy of statement received yester-
day by the secretary of the Olympic Club
from the University of Chicago in refer
ence 10 the position it has taken in regard
10 the registration rules of the A. A.. o.,
which went into effect on March OF this
year:
The University of Chicago is nominally q
member OF the Amateur Athletic Union by
reason OF its membership in the Western In
iercolIegiate Athletic Association, which is an
a lied mem ber of the Amateur Athletic Union
The articles of alliance between the Amateur
Athletic Union and the Western Intercolle-
gtate Athletic Association provide for direct
representation of the Western intercollegiate
Athletic Association on the board of governors
OF the Amateur Athletic Union and for dele
gates at all meetings OF the Amateur Athletic
Union.
In spite OF these articles of agreement dur
Ing the two or more years of the alliance the
Western Intercollegiate Athletic Association
mas had no representation on the board of
governors, nor has it been represented at any
of the meetings of the Amateur Athletic
Union. Therefore the colleges belonging TO
the western intercollegiate Athletic Associa-
tion have had no voice in making the rules by
which they are supposed to be governed. In
view OF this TACT when rules are passed which
are considered unwise or unjust, since the coll
leges have no power to change them their
only alternative is TO refuse to abide by them
some four weeks ago arrangements were
made by me with the manager OF the First
Regiment 'Armory Athletic Association for a
dual athletlc meet between our respective
ganizations, which was 10 have taken place
March 13 IN the university gymnasium. My
object in arranging this meet WIS largely for
the purpose of promoting and continuing the
interest in track and field sports among the
seventy-six candidates for university athletic
honors as well for the purpose OF develop
ing them by actual experience In contest
against good performers
The meet was 10 have been a private=iny
ton affair between these two organizations,
and both sides were greatly interested in IT
and eager for the contest. prize banner
had been ordered and other arrangements
com nleted when letter was received from
Mr.. K. +. Fishburn, president of the Central
Association of the Amateur Athletic Union
calling attention TO the rule of the Amateur
Athletic Association which went into effect on
March j, requiring all athletes to be registered
before being allowed to compete, on penalty
OF disqualification. The basis for the demand
rested on the definition of "closed" and "open"
meets
The university management, not being con-
sefous that they were bound by other rules
than those In which the university has part
IN making, most strenuously objected to this
outside interference, and has considered this
interdict as an assumption of power which
the Amateur Athletic Union does not possess
and which no self-respecting institution will
submit to.
Specifically, the University of Chicago objecls
to the rule which requires all registering
athletes to pay registration fee of ST.
We object TO TINS clause because we consider
II an unwise and unnecessary measure. III il
is scheme to raise money, it is unwise and
unbusin esslike, for no definite sum coulc be
counted on from such q source, and unless the
Amateur Athletic Union has an extremely ad-
Unstable budget OF expenses which could be ae-
commodated to any income, such a plan would
be open 10 censure. The tact Is, however, that
the Amateur Athletic Union does not need TO
make this special individual tax for the pur-
i
annual dues are sufficient to cover these, aud
II there were need Tor further assessment it
were much better TO levy direct upon the clubs
themselves, for reasons shown hereafter.
Second-The rule is unwise and unnecessary
and unjust because ii the payment of 81
is required to secure guaranty OF amateur
standing, 1T savors strongly of the nature of
blackmail levied by the Amateur Athletic
Union, for 1T is ike stamping men as amateurs
at 81 a head. The payment of 81, and thereby
securing q license which guarantees the ath-
amAtenr gtAndfnQ. w
not AXE men more really amateurs than they
are by their life and record. An amateur
not be marked by any branding-lron with the
honor word ''amateur" blazed across ii, and
he does not need 1t.
Third-ltis is an unwise rule, because useless,
since 1t cannot possibly improve the amateur
status OF the Amateur Athletic Union mem
bers or non-members, because the rules de-
fining an amateur and the rules of participa.
ton in contests are rules which govern the
amateur status of athletes, and these have
been the governing rules in the past.
Again, we consider the rule unjust:
First-Because ii the fee specified is in
tended to cover the cost OF registration It is
exorbitant. The expense of registration al
the most cannot be large, including only the
cost OF paper, printing, postage and a little
clerical work-a very small part of the sum.
FNrther, why levy tax of ST. If ''one-h half of
this sum is to be diverted to the treasury of
the association from which the athlete regis
ters ?'' Why turn over half the money to the
association Does the association need il and
has 1t no power to raise IT of itself Suppose,
too, that the association pays the athletic ex-
penses of its competing ath letes, as nine out of
ten associations do, why need they pay money
into the Amateur Athletic Union when it is
70 be returned 1t looks like sop to quiet
opposition.
Second-We consider the rule unjust and
harmful to amateur sports, because it inter-
feres i'll no small way with the DEVELOPMENT
of young athletes, whether attached or un-
attached to organized clubs. Numbers OF
young and aspiring athletes will be kept from
developing an interest in sports and from de-
veloping thems selves by reason of the large
registration fee required. Young fellows who
have no special gift in athletic sports will
think twice before throwing away ST. so or
more for entrance and egistraton fees, in
order 20 take uneven chances in two or three
contests year. Likewise the clubs and col
leges viii hesitate TO try in contest many men
whom they otherwise would on account of
the additional expense.
Again, we object to the definition of a
"closed" meet, as required by the Amate ur
Athletic Union:
First-Because it inrerferes with all private
invitation meets which are as strictly
"closed" to all intents and purposes es though
the members OF only one organisation took
part. Under the present rule no organization
can invite single outsider to compete in its
home games without securing sanction for the
meet, and requiring each competitor to be
registered.
SecoHd-Because, by thus restricting the
definition to the narrowest limit possible, and
still have meet without asking permission of