New-York tribune., 1910-02-17
PLUM FOR JOHNSON
GETS Il LONG TERN.
Named President of american
League for TrentY Years.

Chicago, Feb. 16.-Byron Bancroft John
son was reelected president. secretary and
treasurer of the American League for
term of twenty years, al A salary said 10
be S25,cfo {, year, at the closing session or
the annual spring meeting here to-day.
The agreement under which the league
has existed since November. 1900, was re
newed for d period of twenty years. In
the new agreement is q clause forb'ddlns
any club owner or holder Of stock in any
club 10 hold shares in any other club in the
league except as an emergency measure.
All the other articles Of the agreement
were retained in the new one. Uniform
tickets with rain check coupons, practi-
caly the same as now in use in the Ma
tional League. were adopted.
A schedule of 154 games opening on April
Il and closing on October Q, was unani-
nlouslv adopted This schedule was the
only one submitted to the meeting, and was
decided on without change. II WAS an
uor,need that the dates selected would be
retained whether the National League
adopted a schedule of 15+ or les games.
While no official announcement was made
that Mr.. Johnsons salary had been in
creased from $4,000 to S25.efo, it was said
OF good authority that such was the case
Mr. Johnson refused to talk of the reported
salary increase. but sInilinSly said that L
was a personal matter. lie also returned
the same answer TO the question as TO how
old he would be when his term OF Office eA-
pires.
This is the longest tender Of Office 10
which any baseball president was ever
elected It was made co-eXistent with the
length OF the new agreement. il Is said
that Charles a. Comskey, of Chicago, ana
Reniamin s Shibe Of Philadelphia. were
the men behind this signal tribute 10 Mr.
johnson as a league leader.
The adoption OF a tgenty-year agreement
was said TO be III the nature Of compro-
mise. Some of the club owners favored
renewal for ten years, while others spoke
for perpetual agreement, such As now
exists in the National League. This was
th,, main subject of debate in yesterdays
meeting and the voting on it was post
poned until to-day
The article added to the agreement for
bidding syndicate baseball reads as fol-
lows:
Syndicate baseball is prohibited, except
as an emergency measure, and then only
with the consent OF the league president
and directors shall a stockhoder IN one
club own or control stock in another clup
in the American League, under penalty Oh
being voted and dealt with as an unde-
sirable associate and barred from all con-
nection with the league.
Several conferences were held to-day by
the various managers. but nothing OF I'M
portance developed. The Saginaw club or
the Southern Michigan League secured two
American League recruits. 1t purchased
Weaver, a second baseuan, from Cleveland,
and Arnold, a pitcher, from Philadelphia.
The same club also bought Burgess,
pitcher from the Sprinfield (Mo) club.
The majority of the club owners and
managers left for their homes tonight
Robert l. Hedges, president Of the St
Louis Americans. denied that he had any
intention of trading George Stone, an out
fielder, and Bobby Wallace, shortstop TO
Cleveland for Clarke, catcher. and Sto-
vail, first baseman. A report to that ef-
feet has been current and this is the first
time Mr. Hedges has made a formal denial
-.Stovan would be of use to me-" said
Mr. Hedges. Il have Abstein for first base
and believe that he is good as Stovall-
would like 20 get a good catcher to replace
Lou Criger, and / think Clarke would fill
The bill. / do not think l will make any
trade at this meeting. 1 am planning
return to St Louis tonight"
II. Il. johnson, speaking OF the deadlock
over the playing dates OF the National
League in New York, said to-day:
81 cannot see why the National League
should hesitate about adopting the I54-game
schedule which was drawn up at the nIe,.I-
ing of the joint schedule committees at
Piitsburg. The two schedules arranged
there were the best ever drawn I'D since
the two leagues have been working to-
cether There were fewer conflicts and
better arrangement of dates than we have
ever had. They adopt 1Ss games If
they like, but il will make no changes in
our plans for I54 games.
1T i. too early TO discuss the effects Of
16S games, If adopted. on the worlds cham
pionship series. The National agreement
favors the playing Of the series, but I do
not know what our league will do
The following message was received by
Mr.. Johnson from August Hermann. chair
man OF the National Commission:
'-An articles having been offered as ema-
mating from with reference to Killing
are absolutely false. Have not made any
statement excepting that case would be
taken up soon