Evening star., 1912-06-04
aer johnson to Work Against Petty or Jack Powell ST. Louis TODAY
COMMISSION MEETING HAS A
VERY UNSATISFACTORY ENDING
Fails to Act on Questions Governed by Pro
visions in the Constitution in Capt.
tai City League Mix-Up.

legitimate and was well within the letter
| Of the law. That being the case. 1t was
| in the power OF the commission to set
| tie the matter for all time by simply
carrying out the ultmatum laid down In
| the provisions Of its constitution.
Commission Dilatory in Action.
1t looked very much as though the
| commission did not want to act. 1t ap.
| peared that everybody feared to precipf
tate matters. Why 1t should fear the is
sue. though. is hard to say. 1t laid dowr
laws which were intended to compel q
team to play in the league OF which
!, 1t was member, and when the Sewer
age Pumping Station delivered its ulti-
the Capital City League then it was ur
to the commission to deliver counter
| ultimatum to the effect that 1t would
play in the Capital City League or not
play at all. That Is the only way that
any Of the leagues. and particularly the
gether.
or course, to look at the matter from
the standpoint Of the Sewerage Pumping
Station, 1t would appear that it is case
of the team being unable to support it.
self in the Capital City League, and 1t de-
sired to get q franchise in a circuit where
| 1t could exist Considering the case from
that standpoint one would be inclined to
be lenient had the Pumping Station gone
| about effecting its desires In Legitimate
way, but since it took the method it did
then 1t is a case Of the commission back
ing up the laws 1t has made. or else hedg-
| ing and placing itself in a position that
| may prove extremely awkward at some
future date.
What would the commission do in the
| case OF a player who stated that he would
| not play with the team with which ne
was signed. because it was losing games
and then proceeded to sign with another
/ That is practically what the Sewerage
Pumping Station has done in regard te
the Capital City League. 1t has re-
fused to participate further in its
games because it has been losing
money, and has signed up in another
circuit. The financial affairs of a
league are concerned with that league
only. and not the commission, and IL 8
team is losing money in certain cir
cult 1t is case of getting the matter
Strengthened out in that circuit or else
not Strengthened out at all.
| And then the Columbia League is MOI
wholely faultless It had absolutely
no right to grant the Sewerage Pump
ing Station a franchise until after
| the Capital City League had been de-
prived of its status as a league under
the commission.
Just how the whole thing will end IL
a question. but 1t is hard to see how
| the commission can do otherwise thar
force the sewerage pumping station
| to stay in the Capital City League OIL
/, else lay itself open to future complica
tions by setting a very poor precedent
i in sanctioning a violation Of its own
statutes.
The independence League had about
the largest crowd yesterday that has
attended any of its games this season
notwithstanding the fact that it was
playing on strange territory. 1t is es-
timated that about eight hundred people
were present at the first game on the
new grounds, and large attendance au-
gurs well for the future Of the circuit
in Its new quarters.
In the opening game on the new lot
Sullivan OF Pepco lost his own game
after having it well in hand by wild
ness. The Manhattan crowd was un-
able to hit him effectively at any time.
and had it not been for the bases on
balls and walks he would have won