Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-19
CENSURE FOR THE
CHICAGO NATIONALS
No Collision With Sca|pers,
Base Ball Commission
Finds.

CINCINNATI. December l9-rhe Chi
caso National League base ball club was
censured for the part it played in han
ding the tickets for the worlds cham
pionship games between the Cubs and the
Detroit Tigers in a decision handed down
yesterday by the national base ball COM
mission. made up OF August Hermann,
Harry G. Pulliam and Ban B. Johnson.
The opinion was expressed that hereafter
the commission will handle the sale oil
tickets, and the various clubs were urged
to use their influence SO far as possible
to secure legislation against ticket scalp
Ing.
President Murphy was freed from any
completely on the ground that he was out
Of the city at the time, and it was also
pointed out that no direct charge was
made and no proof submitted that the
Chicago club or any of its employees We're
TN collision with the ticket scalpers.
The commission made full and COM
plete investigation Of the charges and
hands down decision OF some fifteen
hundred words. in which the whole ques-
ton is reviewed. In conclusion the COM
mission says.
From the finding OF facts We are OF
the opinion that the Chicago club is de-
serving Of the severest criticism aQd CEN
sure for the manner in which II handled
the sale of the tickets during the last
worlds series, and that it must be held
responsible for the great annoyance
caused many patrons Of the game in Chi
cago. and that the complaints filed with
the commission by the Chicago public
We're justified and warranted.
LAS we have already stated. there was
no direct charge made or proof offered
that any one connected with the Chicago
club as an employee was in collision with
the so-caled scalpers: yet at the same
time We cali Mr.. Murphy's particular at
tentiOn to finding No. 10. and request that
he make a further examination of this
particular feature of the case to ascer
tain. if possible. just in what manner
these tickets We're secured by these per
sons.
Finding No. 10 reads: mo public
sale OF tickets was made any time
previous to the opening OF the gates
at the park on Sunday. excepting in
the offices of the Chicago club. 1t fol-
lows. therefore, that whatever tickets
came into the hands of scalpers, no
matter through what sources had their
origin, in SO far as the original pur-
chase was concerned, in the office of
the Chicago club. The report con-
tinues:
The evidence also shows that pref
erence was given so-called regular GUS
omers of the Chicago club over the gen
eral public; and while 1t may be that
any club would have acted likewise. yet
the commission condemns the fact that
the reservations were secured by par
ties who never took them up and held
almost to the last minute, and then re-
turned the tickets without settling for
them. We believe it will be a very
hard matter to prevent tickets during
the series reaching the hands of scalp
ers. even without collision on the part
Of any one connected with the winning
clubs. unless the city authorities them
selves pass proper laws and ordinances
to prevent scalpinS of tickets. and an
effort is made by every major league
club to secure the necessary legislation
in their respective cities for this pur-
pose.
From what has happened and from
this investigation the commission is
strongly of the opinion herein announced
that hereafter all of the tickets for all
the games during the entire series will
be handled by it, and that an attempt
will be made to adopt rules with ref
erence to the sale to prevent not only
such tickets reaching the hands OF
scalpers, if possible. but to afford the
general public every opportunity to get
them quickly at several points and at
prices not in excess of those fixed by
the commission.
1t was admitted by the Chicago club
that $50 tickets were sold to one per-