The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-25
BY "LEN,, COLLINS.

tween January p and rs, 10 form such
an association for their mutual benefit
and protection
Letters have been written by commit
tee Of the St Louis Alley Owners Asso-
citation 10 owners ali over the country,
and from answers received both by mail
and in person it would seem as though
the new organization VIII be success.
The ideas OF the association will not
bind the members down by certain iron
clad rules, such as rates they must
charge, size and kind of pins 10 be used.
but viii be for their benefit in the way
OF protecting each other in just such
cases as that brought up by the A. b. c.
rule which demands that all sanctioned
alleys shall be planed at least once each
year.
The printed matter that will be continu-
ally be sent out TO the members of the
association is 20 give the different men,
bers' views en- how TO instruct begin
ners. how 20 organize leagues. the care
OF pins. how often alleys should be
shellacked. and in fact all the points
that may be of interest 70 the alley
owners.
Rumor has It thai the proprietor Of one
Of Washingtons best known alleys is con-
templating reducing the price OF the
games from 70 cents straight TO two for
L cents. the object being to Increase the
business. Where he Will increase his
business from a financial standpoint is
hard 20 see when IL is taken into consld-
Grafton that by doing this his receipts
viii be reduced y per cent. As an exam
pie, an alley doing a go a day business
necessarily has 20 games bowled. II the
price was reduced = per cent the owner
would only take in So To Offset this re-
duction 25S games must be bOWled every
day to bring the proceeds back 10 SO at
the reduced rate. In other words, the
number OF games boWled on the alleys
must increase three-eig hths over that
number in which he took in 80 at the 10
cents straight plan II this owner had
about ten alleys and the receipts were
only about SO this plan might work,
bUt where he has only about six. we fail
TO see, when the wear and tear on the
alleys is taken into consideration. where
he viii be making anything by this
scheme
Mr. Sylvester Keiiher. who for four
years was president OF the city aSsOcia-
ton of Philadelphia was a visitor in the
city during the past week. Mr.. Keliher
vas very loud in his praise Of the COM
ing tournament TO be held under the aus
pices Of the National Bowling Associa-
ton at Buffalo. next February. He pre-
dicted that the entry list in the five-men
event al the coming tourney would show
a very substantial increase over that OF
the one held al Baltimore last spring. and
bases his claim on the fact that the
State OF New York would turn out over
20 teams.
Local boWiers seem TO be nOncommit-
tai as TO whether they are in favor OF
the individual plan of membership that
will be brought up by the st. Louis bowl
ers during the coming convention Of the
American Bowling Congress, or viii vote
10 retain the old club plan. Several Of
our leading bowlers have been approached
and their answers have been that it Is
purely immstcrial with them. leaving Il
up to the delegates, who viii be elected
next month.
The Washington high schools have at
last fell into line and a league composed
Of bowling clubs from the different
schools Will be launched some time dur
ing the middle of January New York,
Chicago. and indianapolis have had bowl
ing leagues composed OF high school stu
dents for the last eight or nine years. and
II was only a question OF time before
Washington would follow suit The writ
or, six years ago. while a member of the
ETfuh EahaaT srta fr.7rs4a
the faculty OF several of the schools 10
lend their assistance in putting a league
under way, but the proposal met with
opposition. Bowling is one OF the clean
est sports in existence, as the chance for
using questionable tactics is reduced TO 4
minimum The Warrington alleys have
been decided upon as the ones where the
league will hold sway. Here's 10 the sue
cess Of the league.
Tournament play is one Of the best
features Of the bowling game, and in
view of the fact that alley owners are
the ones who derive the financial benefit
therefrom. il should naturally be up to
them 10 boost the coming tournament.
II tenpin league rolls on a certain al
ley, the manager should do all in his
power TO induce the men 20 enter the
coming events, as competition leads TO
good bowling. and good bowling will in
sure the success Of the game.
Speaking Of an alley owners assOcia-
ton being formed at 81. Louis next
month. it's a wonder the local men would
not get together and have a little as
sociation OF their own. Competition in
this line Of business in Washington has
reached the state where il the proprietor
OF an alley goes into another, it's the
same as Haunting a red flag in the face
OF the one who is visited Great dope.
this. Talk about your mutual benefit to
be derived from an association OF this
kind. the writer knows OF several along
this line that alley owners viii never be
able 10 realize until they get together.
Figures were presented not long ago
in local paper showing that the Amer
lean people spent SSO0000O annually on
sports Professional baseball topped the
list with 81. 10000 a mere bagatelle COM
pared with what the knights OF maple
spend each year. Right here in Wash
ingtOn the bOWle-s pass over about Sl25.-
600 every season. If Washington pos
sesses about one-thousandth of the bowl
ing population of the country. how much
at a rough estimate is expended by the
bowlers each season? Figure 1t out for
yourself,
AS predicted in the columns OF this
paper some time ago. the entry list OF
the eleventh annual tournament 10 be
held under the auspices of the American
Bowling Congress. starting next month,
will show more than 80 hve-men teams
down OF the cards. Secretary L.anStry
at first was very discreet in placing his
estimate at this figure. but the assur-
anCes which he is receiving from all over
the country show that this figure IN al
probability will be surpassed.