Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-20
CONFERENCE OF EXPERTS
Meeting to Be Held at District
Building Wednesday Next.
APPEAL TO RULES COMMITTEE
Resort to Legislation Deferred Until
Game Managers Have Time
to Act.


posed restriction or abolition OF foot
ball. Commissioner Macfarland has call
ed a meeting at his office for next Wed
nesday afternoon at o'clock of the
Washington University. Georgetown
University and the high schools.
The object of this conference will be
first. to bring pressure upon the foot
ball rules commit so to secure the adop-
tion Of such rules at it's meeting in New
York next month as will insure safe
game. and, secondly, TO draft a law or
an ordinance, If the rules committee
does not take the necessary action, to
be put into force in the District.
Commissioner Macfarland declared
this morning that he Is willing to sus-
pend action looking toward legislation
by the Commissioners or by Congress
for the restriction or the abolition of
foot ball until after the meeting OF the
rules committee in New York next
month. in the hope that the committee
Will take action TO reduce the dangers
Of the game The Commissioner thinks
that the sentiment of the District ought
to he strongly presented before the rules
committee at it's annual meeting next
month. and will seek to have 1T done.
The conference to be held next Wed
nesday, 1t is believed, will crystalline
that sentiment and adopt some practical
plan OF regulation.
No Loss by Delay.
Nothing will be lost. it is believed. by
postponing definite action toward legisla-
ton until after the meeting of the rules
committee. AS police regulation, II
adopted by the Commissioners. could not
be put into effect for thirty days under
the law and the practice OF the Commits
sioners and the foot ball season will
then be over effective action need not be
taken until just before the beginning OF
the foot ball season next fall. The first
effort, therefore. will be TO help the rules
committee to reach wise decision re-
garding changes in the rules.
If the committee should not make any
changes or If the changes IL does make
are regarded as inadequate, II Is pointed
out, legislation can then be mad either
from the Commissioners or from Congress
that will meet the case next fali.
Mai. Sylvester's View.
Police Chief Sylvester has announced
his opposition to the plan proposed by
Corporation Counsel E. II. Thomas to
make the police the censors of foot ball
games He points out that the police
force is at present overworked and that
his force Is too small to undertake new
duties. On account of the many details
of bluecOatS to special duty, he says, the
working force of the department has been
reduced to about 400 men. and this num-
Der he regards as inadequate to properly
patrol the streets of the National Capt.
tai
While admitting that men could be APP
pointed to the force whose duty it would
be to act athletic censors, he points
out that efforts in Congress in the past
TO secure an additional force have not
been consDicuously marked with sue
cess. And further he does not think that
the police ought to be classed as censors
and that such duties should be imposed
on the members of the police depart
ment.
Suggestion by DR.. Tindall.
Dr. William Tindall, who has been
close attendant and observer of foot ball
games for many years. expresses the
unqualified opinion that it is inherently a
very dangerous form of sport. and gave
him great anxiety while his three boys
were members of high school or college
foot ball teams. In his judgment, the
element of danger is I'm the fact that
the objective both of the attack and the
defense is the player who is carrying the
ball. So that this player is really the re-
cipient of the concentrated effort OF most
OF the twenty-five players, ana at tinlts
all OF them.
In basket ball and soccer on the con-
trary the ball itself is the objective. thus
facilitating more openness In the play
and rendering unnecessary many Of the
combination which are 80 hazardous in
foot ball
I'm this view II seems possible to de-
wise a game in which the element of COM
petition will be Just as pronounced. but
without the dangerous features which are
fundamental in the game as now played.
Fatalities Due to Accident.
He says it is practically impossible TO
create situation In the excitement OF
play where such injuries can he give2,
and this view Is borne out by the fact
that fatal foot ball injuries are almost in
yariably traceable 10 accident He ad-
vises that the game should be so revised
that activity and skill. rather than size
and weight, should be the most potent
| factors or that the game be prohibited
by law. TIE opportunities for play should
/ be extended to larger class OF players,
so that the principal requirement will
| not be weight and strength. as at present.
| which precludes the exercise TO all but a
| select few.
| University Takes Action.
At a meeting OF the presidents council
of George Washington University a spe-
clal committee of three members was ap-
! pointed TO consider the whole subject of
| foot ball and the university's relation To
II. The members OF the committee are
Prof. III. l.. McBain, Prof. w. A Wilbur
| and Prof. w. r. Vance. They will report
| to the council at its next meeting in De-
! cember.