The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-29
PRESIDENT WELLS
Gets THE BLAME

ROANOKE, June 2s.---The Even
ing News of Tuesday priated TIE fol-
lowing:
The situation demands attention
II Is serious" remarked u Roanoke
baseball tan this morning. He spoke
earnestly and he knows whereof he
speaks.
e 'SC1nbs of the league week ago
agreed to assume the responsibility
Of meeting the running expenses %
the Portsmouth club This agree
ment was to hold good TO Thursday
OF last week, but no action has been
taken and matters are being allowed
to drift regardless of huraEi Sondt-
ions. Clubs OF the league must Dear
the support of Portsmouth until def
mite arrangement is made with some
one to take charge of that dub and
look after its affairs. AT present no
one is siving Portsmouth the neccs-
sary att nficn, and unless the situs-
ton is radically altered within "A few
days 1 fear the effect on the league
viii be disastrous. To say the. least.
IL tends to disorganize and when YOU
disorganige anything interes. natu
rally is lost in IT.
The situation" as / view IT. has
come around to exactly what ii WAS
against the re-election of Jake Wells
as president. II was Gontended by
those who opposed MIR. Wells that he
was too busy to give the atEirs ~ the
league that attention WHICH they de-
manded and needed. Mr.. Wells and
his friends were inclined at that time
to view the opposition as unfriendly.
but such Was not the sasr,. The oppo-
kitson arose from no personal feeling
against him, for every man who OPP
posed him entertains fpr him the
highest regard personally. fut. In
my opinion. the league wants and IL
bound to have a president who aaa
the opportunity to give to II plenty
of time and plenty of work. and l do
not think Mr.. Wells can do this. In
fact, II seems 10 me that his duties
heretofore have been performeo
largely by Mr.. Gregory, secretary OF
the league. While Mr.. Gregory has
been faithful and efficient, he cannot
have that authority nor that agrees
siveness and promptness OF decision
that big organisation like the Nir-
ginia League needs from Its president.
This IL not only true OF Mr. Gregory,
but 1t would be true of any man
placed in similar position. There.
fore. what the league II suffering
Ii the absence OF real executive
head.
Roanoke Is insisting upon a meet
ing of the league board to be held AT
once, to take up the Portsmouth
matter and find satisfactory solu-
ton for 1t. When trouble occurred
In the South Atlantic League and one
OF the holders OF franchise got into
difficulties. the situation had prompt
consideration. The franchise was
transferred to another city and the
league prospered. do not believe
1t would be wise to transfer the fran
fond OF baseball and gives the game
a loyal patronage. All 1t needs is
business.like management.
"A telegram was received here last
night asking that Roanoke consent
to the transfer of some OF the games
from that city to Norfolk, on the
ground that II would thereby avoid
some financial difficulty. Roanoke
declined to accede to any such re-
quest, taking the ground that to do so
would be unfair to the people of
Portsmouth and the further ground
that such action Is not necessary. II
Portsmouth does not meet expenses
In these games, the deficiency will
have to be made good by the league,
the cost being borne by the clubs pro
rata.
II have said frequently that the
day would come when II would be
shown conctusively that Mr.. Wells II
too much occupied with other matters
TO give attention to the league. In
my opinion. the day has come. We
want a president right now who will
take hold OF the league and steer il
through troubled watcrr There are
men in the State who will devote their
time to the presidency and give 1t
that service which II desirable. I do
not say this with any intention to at
tack Mr.. wells In personal sense.
but I say x for love Of baseball and
Tor thu good q the leAgns.