Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-29
C0LLEGIANS MAY
AVOID SQUABBLES
PLAN GOVERNING BOARD FOR
ATHLETIC DIFFICULTIES
Much Good viii Result If Past 6loker-
ings Are Done Away With by For
nation Of Final Body to De-
eide All Questions

Considerable talk emanated from sew
eral local colleges prior to the close OF
the last semester relative to the forma-
tion of a governing board which should
decide every controversy which might
arise concerning any athletic difficulty.
, Should the verbosity result in an
actual founding Of such a body, In
vested with supreme power and capable
of decisive action, an inestimable good
would accrue toward furtherihg the
success of Southern California ANA
teur out of door sports.
But whether local college men pos
sess the ability to get away with such
an arrangement remains to be seen.
During past years dormant spirit of
wrangling has ever hovered about the
doings of local scholastic athletics and
| thus far a rank uncertainty has existed
which might at any moment tear asun-
der plans for collegiate meets.
As rule, some Insignificant question
has been the cause of throwing the en-
tire college world into a state bordering
upon inanity. However trivial the oc-
caslon for dispute, no method appeared
to exist capable of casting oil on the
troubled waters.
Not only as regarded local events
have Southern California colleges har-
angued until all semblance of order
disappeared, but the effects have at
times been far reaching in that they
4extended to athletic conflicts with out
side representatives who thoroughly
profited by the chickering's of local men.
The success of the all star track team
which defeated Stanford university was
revelation as to the beneficial results.
At that, the victory of the southern
college came near being disrupted by
series of petty snuabbles which pre-
ceded the departure Of the team for the
north.
QuarreIs Disrupt
Countless times during the past ten
years plans for Intercollegiate meets
have gone a glimmering because of the
| fact that some team member was ac-
cused of professionalism. With no one
to say decisively what course should be
taken numerous records are to be
found where teams have Travelled to
an opposing field only to leave without
competition after ,disgruntled coaches
and mana gers decided that their honor
would suffer should the contest be al
lowed to proceed without such and such
an athlete producing elaborate docu-
ments relative to innocence regarding
his amateur standing.
| Although professionalism is to
be highly commended and demanded
where supposedly amateur teams are
concerned, the truth of the matter as
relates to Southern California college
affairs is that fear as to the prowess
of some particular contestant has been
the cause of major portion Of the
| trouble.
Charges and counter charges have
flown thick and fast and in the main
no substantiation has resulted to war
rant the great majority. Intercolleg-
late agreements have also been the
cause of much trouble. Judging from
past seasons any sort of a combine
was effected as two or more institutions
became riled a. the remainder of the
| field.
One OF the most foolish moves to be
made occurred year ago when GER
| tain institution was barred at meet
ing of the student body of two other
colleges on the general assertion that
scholarship was Got at a sufficiently
high standard" The youngsters proba-
bly, meant that certain degree OF
scholastic proficiency was not required
from those participating in athletics,
but at all events the verdict was an
amazing rendition, coming as it did
from boys who passed upon the stand
ards of college faculty.
A short while later the disbarment
was re5cinded with a realization of
what the move entailed. Had some
governing body existed to adjust. the
affair with compunction the scholastics
would have been saved from rather
ridiculous predicament.
Governing Board Desired
To such an end the formation of a
governing board or whatever 1t may
! be termed, should receive a heartfelt
welcome by those who desire to witness
Southern California college athletics
carried out with the same degree of
whole-spirited enthusiasm which marks
the great meets of Northern California
and of the eastern college world.
During the past season tendency
has been manifest to do away with the
useless chickering's and enter into the
sport for the sake of the games. Diff
fculties are bound to arise but the
method of their settlement could be
made simple so soon as local colleg-
ians choose to elect set of represen-
tatives, give them absolute power and
rely upon their Judgment.
The time is destined to come when
Southern California will take its place
as a leader among centers of college
activity in the athletic line and step
directly bearing upon the future will
occur when no uncertainty shall exist
regarding the contesting of scheduled
events.
With the passing of each year local
athletics are forging to the front and
concentrated effort must eventually
result IN condition which will warrant
southern teams going forth to do battle
against the strongest aggregations Of
the state.
| There is every reason to believe that
majority of the student body mem
bers are anxiously awaiting the day
when rivalry and rivalry alone will act
uate local athletics.
~RH~ %~