New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-17

$1,000 FINE WILL NOT BE RE
TURNED TO FREEDMAN.
The baseball club owners ended their five days
session at the Fifth Avenue Hotel yesterday az
ternoon at 2 o'clock. and most OF the moneyeo
men OF the game left for their respective homes
last night. They go to their homes with the glad
ness of Christmastde in their hearts. and with
the feeling that they have left the baseball ahalrs
Of the country in about the most deplorable con-
dition In the history of the game. certainly since
the Brotherhood outbreak.
No Roadway at all has been made In the course
OF the long session. and the sincere friends OF the
game can well afford feel chagrined at the out
come. There is i'll feeling and dissatisfaction
than has been the at any time In the last
twenty years. The only thing done during the
convention. in which the general public VIII eVince
the slightest interest is the partial settlement OF
the differences between the NewYork and Brook
Ign clubs over the Wrigley controversy, ana the
appointment OF a committee Of four to determine
If possible whether it is desirable to reduce the
League circuit from dozen to eight clubs AND
then the minor leagues have been given an addi-
tonal year in which they permitted to have
absolute control their players, but at the same
time the little fish in the baseball puddle have been
compelled to pay double the price for protection.
As has been predicted in these columns for
long time the twelve club circuit remains intact
for the present. The only thing done which can
be construed as meaning that the circuit may pos
slbly be reduced before the next playing season
comes around is the appointment of committee
composed OF John T. Brush. of Cincinnati; James
Hart, Of Chicago; John l. Rogers, OF Philadelphia,
and A. H. Soden of Boston. to look into the subject
and report at another meeting. While all OF the
club owners admit that reduction Of the circuit
would be advisable few Of them really con-
fdent that the ideal circuit of eight clubs can be
secured. Messrs Brush, Soden and Rogers are the
avowed opponents politically Of the Brooklyn-Bal-
tinore club owners at this time and Hart is the
only the committee whose opinions will
nave much weight with Messrs. Abel. Ebbets, Won
der Horst and Hanlon.
There Is denying that the franchises OF the
Louisville and Cleveland clubs can be secured with
out much trouble and without much OF an outlay in
money. The committee will. however, have trouble
ington clubs to retire and give UP their 6asebal
holdings in those cities The way in which the
will not help along the scheme for reducti ion. and
the wiley Earl Wagner. Of Washington. hasn't
s he is i pad anS well pad for his holdings
When seen last night Mr. Wagner said that no
the owners OF the Brooklyn and Baltimore clubs
said the same thing. They all said that they , had
certainly would not DO so until some & 1T
posed reduction. 1t was intmated last night that
in case the Baltimore Brooklyn combination re-
thrown out TOT Of the league at the expiration Of the
ten years agreement, two years hence. When told
or this the Brooklyn baltimore deegateS Sdld tndt
there would be plenty of time to talk about cross
Ing rivers when they reached them.
II also said that the proposition made that
the 81 900 fine against Freedman In the Holmes
would not be refunded had been reported. one
of the delegates, said to be Rogers. Of Phad elpha
made such proposition in the meeting, but the
other club owners induced him to withdraw it. SO
the only thing that Freedmans allies In the
league have done for him is 10 get him an appoint
ment on the Board OF Directors, an appointment
which. It is said, he has refused
The effort to reduce the championship playing
from l54 1872 games was left unsettled
also. with the hope that the special committee Will
be able to see its way clear to reduce the circuit
In case the reduction takes place each team will
probably play 140 games In attempt is
made to have circuit Of ten clubs with Cleveland
and Louisville left out, IT would take expert
schedule maker to tell just what could be done.
That would leave four teams In the West and six In
the East-a more conflicting and unsatisfactory
arrangement than the present twelve club affair.
The meeting has served to break up the old
cques and combinations but the general opinion
seems to be that the new combinations which have
been formed will not be lasting, and will not prove
beneficial to the game.
No attempt was made to eliminate rowdy tactics
among the players. Such effort would probably
have been received with rldicule after the peculiar
meeting Of the club owners just ended