Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-10
SUMNER BALL FOR STUDENTS
Some Colleges Have Given Up Crusade
Against the Lads Playing.
RULES ARE HARD TO ENFORCE
Most Colleges Are TryinR 60 Apply
Amateur relies 90 BAse Ball,
~ weII as 90 ahe other
sports,

sports.
NEW YORK. April s.-with the base ball
season once again under way the interest
ing ana puzzling problem in collegiate
athletics becomes again prominent II is
well known that some OF the colleges in
4 the country have entirely given up their
efforts OF prohibiting the playing Of sum-
mer base ball for money or its equivalent
| by their students.
These colleges say that II Is not prao-
ticable to enforce the amateur rules with
regard to this sport: that It has been tried
in the past and failed; that Il is better to
come out squarely and permit the students
TO play. for money under certain restrictions
than to prohibit II and not be able to en-
force the prohibition They also say that
the efforts toward control result IN a great
deal OF hypocrisy and fslslfying with
consequent greater injury TO the student
! body than the open permission TO the play
ers TO spend their summer vacation In play
| Ing base ball for money. These colleges
permit men who play on professional teams
during the summer time to play in inter-
! collegiate contests the following spring.
There are other Institutions which are
endeavorinR to control this matter By allow
ing the students TO play summer base ball
for money, but not permitting them to
play sfterward in intercollegiate contests.
In order to give them opportunity Of play
| ing base ball in the spring special teams
OF ineligibles are formed and these play
with the intercollegiate representatives, but
do not take part in intercollegiate contests.
| Most OF the colleges OF the land are en-
deavorlng to apply the amateur rules to
college base ball as well as 10 other forms
Of sport These institutions find that 1t is
a most difficult problem in intercollegiate
athletics with which they have to deal.
Very stringent rules are necessary, and
the temptations to violate them are so
great that many students undoubtedly do
so and then conceal the fact.
The demand for good base ball players
is so great in this sport-loving country
that the problem is bound to continue to
be a most serious one. Many organiza-
tions are dealing with the subject in a
most drastic manner and have succeeded
in applying amateur rules pretty thor
oughly to summer base ball among the
colleges and universities represented in
their membership. Among these colleges
are the intercollegiate Southern associa-
ton, the Ohio State association and the
big Nine" centering about Chicago.
The intercollegiate Athletic association
has been studying the question for several
years. 1t obtained a report in 1907 from all
parts OF the country, which showed that
the evasion Of the amateur rules in sum
mer base ball was prevalent among college
athletes in all parts OF this country Since
then it has had committees working on the
subject endeavorins, first, to get salts
L.
and second 10 devise a uniform means
for enforcing this law with respect to sum-
mer base ball The task is not an easy
one and 1t is by no means as yet COM
pleted. The greatest trouble is that the
public and the student body itself are not
educated equally as to what is the law
OF amateurism OF as to its necessity. The
matter is to be reported on again. The
Amateur Athletic Research society is MAX
ing q special study of this problem and
it is hoped that some satisfactory solution
will be evolved by next December
A great deal of interest is manifested in
the efforts Of Dartmouth TO settle this
question for itself. The authorities there
are endeavoring to educate the student
body TO the opinion that it is not fair
for the professional to compete against
the non-professlonals; that the young man
who goes off and spends his summer
months in playing professional base ball
should not afterward return to college and
compete in intercollegiate contests, because
1t makes the game unfair to the other
side. It, however, believes that the young
men who need to make money to pay
their way through college should be all
lowed to do so on base ball fields IL they
can, and yet not be deprived OF the priv
ilege Of playing during college season. To
accomplish these ends this institution has
, elected the scheme OF forming teams OF
players eligible for intercollegiate contests.
Such teams have every opportunity to play
in intramural games but are not allowed
to take part in intercollegiate contests.
This is the scheme being tried at Dart
mouth and 1t serves to have many good
/ features. 1t is a practicable way Of set
thing this vexed question OF giving the boy
who needs to make money and can do it
J on professional base ball mines an oppor-
! tunity for this and vet not deprive him Of
! the privilege Of playing during the aea-
. demlc season. On the other hand. II will
} remove the temptation to falsify, and It Will
do away with the unfairness that comes
; from making the average college man pay
} in the intercollegiate contests against any
professional Something should be done to
? correct the evils resulting from the tempta-
r ton to conceal professionalism on the part
of our college base ball players One fea-
} ture that complicates the situation is the
fact that two or three colleges and univer-
sIties in a region may be endsavoring TO
apply the amateur rule strictly TO base
BAH, whereas most OF It's rivgls may not
apply these rules. The rivalry between in
stitutIons and the desire for victory are
so strong IN many cases that Il all leads
! to many infractions OF the rules OF anna
teurlsm, which have a serious result on the
. morals OF the student bodies Of the com
peting institutions.
Probably within the next year or two
methods viii be established which viii con-
! serve the rights OF all, meet with public
appreciation. and preserve principles OF
J. amateurlsm in college sports.
I Reflections of a Bachelor.
Swearing off is easy enough IL you do Il
every day.
The average woman would rather be the
s wife of any kind OF man than OF none al