Evening star., 1900-04-02
National League Demands Will Pre-
vent Base Ball Here.
EASTERN LEAGUE is FAVORABLE
Matter Will Be Decided at the
Coming Meeting.
VIEWS OF Nj E NJ B E r S


Special Dispatch to The Evening Star
NEW YORK, April 2.-"I have made
| every arrangement for the Eastern League
| to acquire the Washington and Baltimore
franchises" said President Powers this
| morning, before the delegates assembled at
| the Fifth Avenue Hotel. After ten days
| of the hardest kind of work 1 have enlisted
some capital and have my plans in such
shape now that the league can be started
and that Baltimore and Washington may
both be members of our organization this
year. However, 1 am frank to say before
the meeting begins that do not believe our
organization will take Baltimore and Wash
ington in l shall not be surprised to see
the Ea stern League go ahead with the same
circuit that 1t carried in 1899. The reason
for this is the high price that is asked by
the National League magnates for the priv
ileSe of taking up their franchises. Our
members believe it Is not likely to be an
easy task to build up base ball at Balti-
more. consequently all expect to lose when
they play there.
I'VE have no fear as to Washington. We
would certainly put good team in Wash
enthusiasts of that city would find it to
their profit to patroniZe it, l can assure
you that some of the Eastern League base
ball of the last two years is not very far
behind the standard of that played by the
National League, particularly by those
clubs in the National League that never
could get above the second division.
Baltimore Indifferent to the Game.
Baltimore, however. has not chosen to give
base ball of any kind much patronage re-
Gently, and it would be folly for to go
there and assume large liabilities, with lit
tic or prospect Of realizing dollar on
| the Investment. If we could come out
|
| there are none of the members of the league
who would want to go to Baltimore and
lose, for money is not SO plentiful in the
Eastern 1t might be. l do not know
whether Washington would be accepted
il Baltimore did not come in. 1 doubt,
however. that could afford to put a
club in Washington alone, for it is so far
south that the mileage would eat up our
funds too fast You see, it would necessi-
tate big jump every time we made a trip
to the capital city. Col. John l. Rogers,
who has the matter of allotting us Balti-
more and Washington. has been too high
in his demands, and L think it would have
| been far more to the advantage of the Ma
ticnal League if he had shown DISPOSE
ton to meet the Eastern League half way"
The delegates from Canada and New
England arrived on the early morning
trains All of them anxious TO
Washington and Baltimore get in the cir
cult. but they do not see how the Eastern
League can afford to carry the load with
which they will be saddled if the terms pro-
posed by Rogers are accepted.
Mr.. ,Barnfe's Views.
I'VE are expected" said Billy Barnie
| ito take up 5000 worth of liabilities at
Baltimore. That's about what it amount
| to in round numbers. You know, so does
every base ball man know, that a load of
that size is altogether too much for any
hos h.,n o;.,1l,
We can only get guarantee of the grounds
for year. Suppose sunk just what we
were compelled by the National League to
pay? Then we would not have chance to
get a dollar back next year, because we
could not hold the grounds
The circuit committee went into session
shortly before noon. The meeting will be
| over tonight. and the matter of a circuit
will be fully determined when it adjourns.
NEW YORK. April o-The circuit COM
mittee was long time in session. While it
went thoroughly over the ground the dele
gates to the league meeting waited in the
lobby. 1t was considerably past the noon
hour when one of the members of the COM
mittee appeared outside the room where the
meeting was being held and said that no
decision had been reached.
He thought, however. that the committee
would be in readiness to report at the end
Of half hour. He said that the commit
tee favored tahlng in Washington and Bal
ttmore, but were adverse to committing
the league to the expense that might not
| be met in the first year. particularly when
base ball enthusiasm at such a low
ebb In Baltimore.
In his opinion if the National League had
met the Eastern League half way there
would have been no trouble about putting
clubs in both cities. 1t looks as If the
Eastern League will leave out both If
| they do so the National League will have
a nice item of expense foot for which
it will not get a dollar in return. The
schedule will not be adopted at this meet
ing, but at a later session to be held in
about two weeks.