The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-10
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SE0()E27 I /. !
CHAIRMAN MOTIFS REPORT
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


p 90 .
CHAIRMAN MOTIFS REPORT
FOR the YcarJ just Ended Made Pub
lic-Thc Il. a. W's Racing Troubles
Dctailcd--A More Numerous Rae
ing Board Suggested.
BALTIMORE. Md. Feb. 9.-Thc an
pual report of Albert Mott. chairman
NJ the racing board OF the L. a. W., Is
rs follows:
Business ofthc Year.
Sanctions were granted for 1859 race
meets. distributed In the districts as
below: W. !. Doty, 1O6; ]. 3. Sheridan,
2e6; II. W. Foltz. go; A. W. Robinson,
AS; A. D..Wait. 400; a. Mott, 571. There
nre gu professionals registered and the
records show that over 10000 wheelmen
engaged in racing either as profession
ais or amateurs.
With the exception OF few OF the
larger cities. bicycle racing has been
financial success to both promoters
md racing men. There Is more public
uv given TO race meets In large cities,
bu, those in the smaller cities, towns
and country districts. although seldom
heard Of outside of the racing board
Jar outnumber them and have been
vastly more profitable. d..
The Amateur Question:
The classification OF the racing men
ms professionals or amateurs still gives
rise to the game conflict as has existed
since the amateur definition was first
Incorporated In the constitution. Many
amateurs, after they have been trans
.erred 10 the professional class, have
frankly admitted that they preferred to
be amateurs simply because they could
command n larger revenue in the am
a,eur class than they could in the pro-
icssional. The records of the racing
board will show that In some cases their
preference Is well founded. 1thas been
found that some amateurs We're en-
ployed by manufacturers or dealers,
subsidized by them directly OF. indfrect-
Is. or that they were given certain sums
for winning positions in heats and
races. -.
Furnishing amateurs with, wheels,
tires, saddles, etc, for racing purposes
was quite common, and the name of the
wheel ridden was frequently required
TO be placed on the racing suit, until
at last an amateur bicycle race had in
appearance something In common with
n procession of advertising sandwich
men on city street. In the last sea-
son. however. much of this::was cor
rected by the boards Interpretation OF
the amateur rules as published in the
books of rules, one hundred, thousand
Of which were distributed from. Maine
10 California without cost toIthe L. A.
W. except transportation. Many So
called amateurs. who. under the condi-
tons above named, were by false pre-
lenses robbing actual amateurs of
prizes. were Investigated, caught in
the act and transferred to the profess
slonal class. Such action frequently
causes friction with the friends of the
men so transferred. In some cases the
friends. misunderstanding the case and
rot knowing the board record, became
quite violent. To Illustrate one case,
an assistant secretary of state and two
Judges joined in d plea for one trans
terred man, and offered as an arGu-
Inent why he should not be SO, treated
that he was the only son Ola widowed
mother of whom he was theiiSoie sup
port. and that he- main Revenue was
from the proceeds Of his winnings in
racing. OF course. II had to be explains
gu TO these illuStriOuS personageS that
me action of the board was not pun
Ehment. but Il mere claSsiiication-that
NE man. probably through ignorance.
hli no.4iroDerly classified himself and
mat the board simply stepped in. told
nm lie was mistaken and rcctitied the
mistake by placing him where he could
legitmntely support his widowed moth,
2: fro mthe proceeds of his winnings,
Fortunately, in this case they We're in
'"liiE"nt. even intellectual men. and
they thanked the board for the"expian-
alton and expressed themselves as sat
!s.ed with ii.
Effect Oh Membership.
The board IS composed OF so few
persons, the territory it has in charge
Is so vast and the work so enormous
that fun and complete explanation of
me facts upon which all its actions are
based would be almost absolutely i'm
possible. Therefore there is much mis-
understanding. much unjust criticism,
which has 10 be borne in silence, and
worse than all. there has been some
lailing OH In league membership on that
account. However. the records, cor.
fcspondence and inference from them
VIII Illustrate that for cverTtcn menu
pers OF the league who resign or fail to
renew on account OF the rat!6S board
lnere Is whole league club which joins
on account of the privilege of free sane
lions. The gain 10 league membership
due TO It's racing department Is by far
greater than the loss to 1t.
Registration.
The registration of amateurs is even
more necessary In the work of the
BOARD than for professionals. They are
so many aud so widely scattered. so
many OF them race under assumed
hdmcs ana evade the Handicapped. and
80 many OF them In the same manner
escape the consequence OF fJ1tcatedly
sMleflhE as noviccS after winning many