The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-25
WANTS SOUTHERNERS
WESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION
 GIVES THEsI THE GLAD HAND.
Contrast Has Been Made Between the Cause of the National, and the Western Asso-
 cfatfORs.

The U0llGu StdI06 1Oh ftsEoSt1ttotAs the so-called national organization, has once more refused to place repre- sentative from the South on its ex- ecutive Board. Crafts W. Higgins, ed- itor of The Golfers Magazine. has for several years past made strong fight to have the U. S. G. A. recognise the growing interest in tho game throughout Dixie Land but without success Mr. Higgins contends, and justly 80, that a national organization should recognize all important sections of the country Certainly the South should be of sufficient importance to be entitled to a seat in a national coun- cil.
 The voting clubs of the U. S. c. A.. those whose members are eligible to office, are limited to thirty-one clubs and, in order to keep the control of the organization in the hands of a few rich New York and New England clubs the annual dues of these clubs. wbich are termed as associate mem bers. is held at $100.00, even although the Associations treasury funds con tinually increase and now reach about s10,0O0. There are very few clubs that care or can afford to pay $10o.oo a year merely to vote. more particu- larly when the Association does not need the money and has no means Of disposing of it's big surplus that would he acceptable to all its constituent members.
 In addition to these thirty one asso- ciate clubs, there are about 250 ai- lied clubs that pay s100o annual dues but are not allowed a vote or repre- sentation on the board. The persis- tence in this un-American principle Of taxation without representation Is gradually weakening the influence of the U. s. c. A. as is shown by the yearly diminution in the number of new members. Clubs that contribute nearly one-half of the Association's annual revenue certainly should have something to say about how their mon ey is to be spent and who shall spend 1t.
 The Western Golf Association. with headquarters at Chicago, at it's last annual meeting, took steps to recog- niZe the South by resembling the 800 mile limit clause in it's constitution and thus made Southern clubs eligible to membership in this strong and rapid ly growing organization. Several Southern clubs immediately joined and the present nominating committee. quick to appreciate the kindly feeling existing between the West and tho South. intend placing a prominent Southern golfer on the board for 1906. The W. c. A. has taken the first op- portunity possible to recognize the South and invite it to a seat in the council chamber.
 The knowledge of Southern golf courses among the Fasteners is chief " confined to Florida hotel links whilo the numerous commercial bodies from Chicago. that have visited all the prominent Southern cities, know tho wide spread interest in the game all over the South. These Chicago busi- ness men have played over many Souh- ern club courses and found them equal to anything they have at home
 The Western Golf Association is rapidly growing into q national or ganizaticn- Its territory embraces the entire country except the Metropoli. tan and New England districts. It is conducted on the broadest and most democratic lines. Every club is on terms of equality and entitled to two voting delegates.
 It's last open championship tourna. ment was held over the most Southern eighteen hole course in it's territory, at Cincinnati, in order to enable crack Southern players to compete and thus stimulate the game in the South It is to be regretted that none of them, except Walter Fovargue of Memphis and John CrokA of Nashville. took part in this championship for such tournament experience would have benefited our players. Southern clubs should cordially grasp the friendly hand extended them by the Western Golf Association as the natural affIi- ation of our golf clubs is rather with the Western than with the United States Golf Association, which might with propriety be called the Eastern Golf Association. as seven of the board are Eastern men with only two from the West.
 With the growth of eighteen hole or championship courses in the South and a sufficient membership in the W. c. A. to justify it, the South may expect to have this powerful organization award 1t one of the big championship tournaments in the near future.