The evening times., 1898-12-01
A New Organization Will Be
Formed Next Week.
THE CALL FOR 4 MEETING
Interested Parties Say Situation
Demands Immediate Attention.
the Sport Upon "a Good
Rasis.

Pursuant to a call just issued there will
be meeting at the Fifth Avenue Hotel,
New York city, on Thursday morning
next, of the representatives of bicycle
track associations, and race-promoting
clubs and professional bicycle riders.
The object of the meeting, as stated in
the call is for the purpose OF considering
the advsability of taking preliminary
steps toward the formation of a body to
assume control of cycle racing
in the States east of the
ception of Louisiana, such body to direct
the sport as soon as organized or at such
time as may be decided upon by the meet
ing.
THE signers of this call believe that the
time has come when the associations
which have invested in tracks, the clubs
which risk their money in promoting
meets, and the professional riders who
earn their livelihood i'll competition,
should have something to say in the gov
ernment Of sport III which they are all
so vitally Interested.
Necessity for a meeting of these inter
future demands immediate action Of some
sort.
THE leading professional riders have
banded together in the formation oi the
American Racing Cyclists Union aud de-
clared their independence of body which
denies their representation and elects to
dictate their every movment, while open
ing its membership To all other wheelmen.
The sincerity of the riders is und1ubted,
and only couple OF desertions have
strengthened rather than weakened their
cause. All they ask is that a body othe.'
than the l.. A. ". should control the
sport and give them voice in that por-
tion of the government which applies TO
them particulars.
In the l.. a. w. the anti-racing ele-
ment, as represented by such leadeis as
Chief Consul Sterling Elliott IF Massa-
chusetts; Chief Consul-eIect Milo NJ.
| Bedding. jr., of Now York: Secretary
| Treasurer z. S. Collins. of Pennsylvania;
Chief Consul NJ c. Rotier, of Wisconsin,
and many other prominent members is
becoming so strong that the likelihood of
the leagues abandoning the sport : more
than a probability. Quoting Mr.. Elliott
from a recent signed editorial by himself
in the official l.. a. w. Bulletin, he has
this TO say: 81
"If the l.. a w formally turns the
control of racing over ~ some other body
we wiz be- To Q certain extent-in the
eyes of the public. at iIeast-responsible
for the actions Of that body. l don't be-
lieve in placing IL on anybody's do )rstep-
any mure. than a ma ! who has smoked has
cigar would insdlr another by Offering
him the butt" Let us drop it in'tthe
| middle of the street. in broad daylight.
not knowing who will pick ii up and feel
/ ing pleased that we don't have to know
anything about II
THE stand taken by the professionals,
the attitude now apparent in the l.. y.
| w. outside of those who are obtaining
pecuniary advantages by the government
of racing and the fact that with the eN-
ception of the Eastern States the sport in
all parts of the country has passed beyond
| league control, only illustrate the impera-
tive need for q new body to be In readi-
ness for any emergency.
Even hampered by am unresponsive
national assembly the l.. A. W. racing
, board has not been wholly bad in its di-
J rection of cycle racing, but the sport re-
| quires more attention than II can ever
| hope to receive from a body which uses
! 1t as a political football. and has no finan-
| cial risk III any form. Practical men are
needed to place the sport upon business,
! yet sportsmanlike basis, and govern
ment which does not change every year
! will then became a possibility.
| COPIES of this letter have been sent Ia
| all track owners and Incorporating
| clubs in the States east of the Mississippi
| with the exception of Louisiana"
The call is signed by j. ID. Lasley. for
/ Park Bicycle Track, Washington, d. c.
! John c. Wetmore, Chairman Race Com
t mittee, Quill Club Wheelmen of America
and E. G. Bald, President American Cy-
! clists Union.