The Saint Paul globe., 1901-10-01
MINOR LEtaUES ACT
NOTICE FROM POWERS TO THE
PRESIDENTS OF BIG LEAGUE
CLUBS Il
IS IN POSITION TO TALK
Shakes Mailed Fist Inside the SilkeA
Glove by Suggesting Desirable
ity of Reciprocal Ar
rangements.

NEW YORK, Sept. 30.-PreSident 2.
T. Powers, of the Eastern league. has has
addressed the following letter to the
presidents of the club members Of the
National and American baseball leagues:
220 Broadway. New York, Sept 30 1901.
Dear Sirs: The minor leagues have re-
Gently received notice from President
Young that the national agreement will
be abrogated and terminated by the Ma
tienal league on Sept. 80, 1901, and not
again renewed.
tion was entirely unexpected, and while
by many considered unwiSe for the best
interests of professional baseball and a
great injustice to the minor leagues,
national agreement, it is not the pur-
pose of this letter to criticise the ac-
ton of the National league in this mat
ter. but simply to acquaint you with
the fact that in consequence of the Ma
tiena1 leagues abrogation of the ma
tional agreement, which for so many
years has been considered the bulwark
of professional baseball, the following
have banded together for mutual pro-
lection and organized an entirely inde-
pendent association under the name of
the National Association of Professional
Baseball Leagues, of which / have the
honor to be the president. The MEM
berShip of this new organization is COM
posed of eleven leagues, representing the
Western league, the Eastern league, the
eeoNoOSASSNioaA5
Illinois league, the New York State
league, the Connecticut State league,
the New England league, the Southern
league the Virginia-North Carolina
league, the Pacific Northwest league and
the California State league, employing
in all at least 1000 professional players.
The above membership in the Ma
tfcnal Association of Professional Base
ball leagues includes practically all the
professional baseball clubs in the United
States and Canada, excepting the six
teen clubs, members of the National and
American leagues.
baseball war now exists between the
National and American leagues. yet the
minor leagues are in no way parties
to it or responsible for it, and as the
minor leagues desire to remain neutral,
we respectfully appeal to and request
that the individual members of each of
the American and National leagues ex-
press their willingness as Individual
clubs to respect the reserve and con-
tract national rights of the minor league
clubs with their players, the minor
league clubs, members of the National
Association of Professional Baseball
Leagues, to -reciprocate by respecting
the reserve and contract national rights
of the club members of the National
and American leagues with their play
ers, or such individual clubs of these
to leagues as may be willing to join
with us in this reciprocity arrangement.
While our association feels itself suf-
fciently strong and competent to protect
it's own interests, yet an honorable re-
spect for each others contracts and
rights seems so proper, fair and neces-
sary for the good repute of professional
baseball that as president of the Ma
tional Association of Professional Base
ball leagues. l am prompted to make
this proposition with the hope that
sufficient number. if not all, of the in
dividual club members of the two war;
ring National and American leagues will
TO National Association
of Professional Baseball leagues on
these important and essential business
points.
A similar letter has been mailed to
the president Of each club member of
the National and American league, and
I respectfully ask for an early reply as
to the attitude of your club on these
matters. Respectfully yours,
p. T. Powers,
President National Association of Pro-
fessional Baseball Leagues.