New-York tribune., 1900-12-12
ATHLETICS DEEP IN DEBT
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATION
MUST RAISE NEARLY $11,OOO-STU-
DENTS COMMENT ADVERSELY.

Unless nearly 200 is raised by the Athletic AS
sociation of Columbia in short order all branches
of sport at the university will have 10 cease Ac-
cordng to the annual report OF the Executive\Com
mittee made public yesterday. Columbia athletics
are in debt to the extent of sOSOO. and as fac
ulty rule forbids a teams going on with its work
after debt of $500 has been contracted there Will
be athletic activity on Morningside Heights
until the deficit is removed. The primary cause or
Columbias athletic insolvency is the renting of Co.
iumba Field and it is the payment Of that rent
which is the most important consideration. A
year ago the Athletic Association leased from An
drew Freedman Columbia Field 10 December !, 1860.
Freedman asked for a rental Of 5000. OF which
S1OO 900 had to be guaranteed by responsible persons
After considerable discussion to the benefits TO
be derived the contract for the rental was signed
The guarantee was met by personal notes Of the
members of the Advisory Board given TO Freed
man. The undergraduates and alumni In turn
pledged themselves for the $4,000 to the Advisory
Board
In the matter Of renting the grounds TO the CO.
lumbia teams it was decided TO exact 2 per cent
OF the gross receipts at each contest II was also
expected that considerable sum OF money WouIu
be netted from letting the field to outside organiza-
tions similar terms. These hopes fell nat ana
it appears that after all the expenses of rent, in
surance and salaries are deducted there is left
only Ss.17S toward the total $4,000 rental of the
field. According to the reports furnished by the
managers of other teams there are the following
other deficits: Crew. $50; baseball, S3S; track, SO0
cycle. 1885, lacrosse S5, and general expenses. $22O
making an approximate total OF $1,000 This sum.
together with the unpaid rental of $500 and the
insurance the grand stands OF 5000, brings the
total amount Of the debt TO s10SOO 1t is this sum
which must be raised before activity in Columbia
athletics begin.
There was a great deal of adverse comment
among the students yesterday this unexpected
debt. and nearly all felt that there must be some
thing wrong somewhere to cause such large de-
hciency.
With these conditions confronting 1t it became
necessary for the Executive Committee TO devise
means 10 raise the debt 1t decided that the
best thing TO do was TO ask all those who had
guaranteed any money TO advance the full amount
Of their subscription. Those. therefore, who gen.
erously volunteered to help Columbia at crisis
are now to be called TO put their hands deep
in their pockets for amounts ranging from s. to
81 900 each The burden comes particularly hard
on many OF the undergraduate who in moment
of recklessness, subscribed their names for perhaps
more than they could afford, never believing for
moment that the field would fail TO meet expenses.
Columbia Field hired for the benefit OF the
football team. and every firmly convinced
the beginning of the that with these grounds
and a schedule that included five games with the
biggest elevens in the country the association ia ion
Instead Of this the team received sts 22S 49, and
bi moor nSnca1 81 e sb3Wn G berefore So e ~ b
football association that most Of the students at
team should have been managed more economical
~ or else that football in New-York is luxury. so
high priced TO be beyond Columbia's reach. If
the team had made the expected profits the deficit
could have been made up easily, with balance left
over to help support other branches of sport
Besides the personal tax. another nlan is under
financial distress It is proposed to enlist all the
musical and dramatic organizations of the uni
versity in monster benefit be given in the
gymnasium some time in the week before Christ
mas. The enthusiasm of the managers, who
thought it would be a very paying venture was not
shared by most of the students
There is considerable disheartenment among
Columbia followers, not only the present state
OF affairs but over the prospects for the future.
With half the present rent unpaid, il is extremely
unlikely that Columbia Field be leased for an
other year. Freedman. with the present trouble
IN mind, would be sure to require a guarantee
again. With this unpleasant necessity of the
guarantors paying the full of their pledges
II is improbable that there mary other men who
would be willing 20 come forth with guarantees