Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-12-09
By Percy II. Whiting.

TF Charley Franks justly exc
Grated sliding scale" salary
lirpit is pm in force it win cost
the Crackers from rour 10 sis Of
their best plavors. Either it would
bar of sucn men q Npcrman and
Bailey. and making the signing Of
McAlistel, ,5m,th Kirkc Weaver
and Donnclly an impo@s ibilitN, or
else it would mako necessary the
most barefaced salary limit dode-
ing that The Southern league has
ever seen.
Do YOU wonder Bin Smith has
pa ssed up the American and Ma
tional league meeting and that he
will beat it TO Birmingham early
to attend the Southern league SEES
sion and to fight against Charley
Franks pet scheme?
Franks sliding scale system looks
as harmless as a jellytish. 1t pro-
yides that you are entitled TO pay a
salary corresponding to the num-
Der Of players you have--$S.60o Tor
eighteen players, $4,000 for seven
teen. and so on down to $1,000 for
twelve. The joker concealed up
the sleeve Of this harmless little
salary limit. is provision that no
team may pay over $3.50 a month
for any player.
Imagine some Of the topliners in
the Southern league playing for
$3.50 a month---that Is, imagine it IF
YOU CAN. We can't Imagine,
plea Sc, the yell that Otto Jor-
dan or virtually any of the ex-big
leaguers who are in good trim
would let out il their salaries were
cut to $3.50 a month. A rush day
in a boiler factory would be placid
compared with it,
HrOT being familiar with the pay
IN roll of the Cracker team. we
aren't prepared TO say which mem
bers of the club received over 500
a month last season, but it's NOR
ally certain that a good many OF
them did. Alperman and Bailey
we're both men entitled to more
than $3.50 and both undoubtedly got
ii. 1t is a cinch that Alperman is
a high priced man. In fact, Char
lev Hemphin virtually admitted it
and was so worried over the mat
ter of getting Whitley signed that
he went to see him at his home IN
Etna. Pa, and closed the Deal with
him there. Bailey, considering
where he came from must have
been a high priced man, and the
same is true OF Agler.
And look at the men Smith is
rounding up for next year Fat
chance Of getting Wallace Smith.
Jaw Kirke. Arlic Weaver. or Don
nelly TO sign for $3.50.
Either the Frank scheme must
be beaten or else two alternatives
are preSented-to get rid of these
star men and to replace them with
better ones, or to cyade the salary
limit And TO eVade the limit in
such fashion that il would appear
that these men We're being secured
at $3.50 a month would be SO raw
as to offend even the often tested
gullibility Of President kayanaugh
I i if We're at all possible to enforce
this $3.50 to-s player limit whicl
OF course it isn't. It might be a good
thing to put Il in force GRAD
Tally 1t could be provided that
there would be no limit for next
season on the salary paid any play
err. For 1914 the limit could be $500
for 1915 il might be 1918 and by
1915 the $3.50 limit could be oased
over. "a this way managers could
prepa y themselves FOR the shock
and could be gradually getting rid
Of their high priced players.
It's childish. however 20 take any
ordinary salary limit too seriously.
Of course II limit of $3.50 ON each
player We're put a. effect this year
- would work a hardship But In