The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-17
Organized Baseball Au-
thorities Realize That
Trouble Is Ahead.
|COM PETITION IS
PARAMOUNT ISSUE
Gallagher Resolution Furnishes
Sensation of Week, and Futile
Arguments Do Not Convince
That Combination in Re
straint Of Trade Has
Not Been Formed.
ny Gus MALBERT.

Just one thing stands out I'm the
world OF spots during the week which
has closed. The Gallagher resolution
calling for an investigation OF base
ball affairs as conducted along organ
lied lines means Il great deal moro
than the enemies of the resolution
will admit. Naturally organized base
ball has many staunch AMI truo
friends. Nor is this to be wondered
at Organization in baseball as IN
every other line OF business activity.
has accomplished worlds of good. it,
is not organization which Is at FAULT.
1t is the abuse OF the privilege OH
! tained through organization.
No student of economic conditions
in the United States but Will admit
that organization is the one thing re-
Spons'ble for the wonderful commci
cial progress made In America. Tho
| CO. coordination of interests, the masslns
of capital for common cause. Is. IN
ali of its essentials, good. No combi-
| nation yet formed but has helped both
the producer and the workmcn cm
ployed in the production of any given
| article offered for public consumption.
But this is true only when such COM
bination of capital does not use is
power to stifle competition. Onco
competition is throttlcd, the power.
whether exercised or not. the power
still remains. to exact of the public
such tribute as the interests con-
trolling any given product may SEQ
| fit to exact.
Comparisons Odt0us.
| Some writer, in an enthusiastic.
| though pucrile outburst, has come 70
the conclusion that il baseball, as con-
Quoted through organized ranks, Is
a trust, then so are the Y. NJ. G. a.
| and the a. a. U. In tho first place,
| nf jyo i'm
ployers OF labor except in the most re-
str'cted sense No one connected with
| either institution works for pay, eN-
| ceptini, the office forces In tho several
| branches of the two organizations.
The Y. NJ. C. =. Is either directly or
quasi a religious Organization. Tho
amateur Athletic Union Is an or
Sanization formed to adopt and en-
! force rules to prevent professionalism
among the amateur athletes In the
United States Far from working for
pay. the members OF both these, organ
| izations are pledged to see that no
member shall receive pay. In The a.
! y. u. any member shown to have re-
ceived any compensation In any event
| in which lie Is. entered is at once
barred from the amateur ranks and
| put in the professional class.
! Baseball as played in this couh-
| try. Is now the profession of over
' 1000 men. These men are we'll paid
! for their services In most instances.
| But, after all of the magnificent ar
! guments have been heard, it cannot
+, be disputed that they are absolutely
bound and held to play baseball in
| such places the higher officials in
| the baseball world determine. They
! are not Mt liberty to offer their SER
! vices to TIL, highest bidder. but must
/ remain in the employ of the team TO
which they belong, Any attempt to
take advantage of a better offer is
met with the prompt information that
such action without approval from tina
officials. will cause the suspension OF
| the player. II he join any team not
connected with organized baseball he
! Is blacklisted-just another form OF
| boycott-and not allowed to rc-ente-
| the organized ranks untfl such punish-
ment as may be determined upon by
the authorities has been metcd out,
Players Hound md Held.
| Jfnquestlonably the Gallagher resns
luton will meet with opposition. Base
hall interests to-day represent many
millions OF dollars y large part DC
| this sum is made up through the pros
| lection granted by the laws of organ-
/ iHation. This protection includes noe
! only absolute right to player for
! one year. but for every year after tia
signature of the original contract until
| the club holding the original con-
| tract desires to release, trade. or sell
that player excepting in the minor
Leagues, whore the right to a players
/ services are Just as absolute, except
| within certain periods OF tho year,
when any PLAYER IN a minor league
may be drafted to the major leagues.
upon payment of stipulated price.
J The. player, however. in n minor
| league. has absolutely no say as %
(which city he will go. lie must. just
as the soldier do as he Is told.
y However, even these laws are not
SO bad. II might be necessary for the
! conduct OF the game along right ii,les
| for each club to have protection for
I its players, else no contract would
| he respected and no team would no
! sure that ii could continue playing
4 through n given season because ot
this right of the PLAYER to jump to an
other team. True the reserve clause.
required on every contract entered
Unto between q player and any team
n member Of the National Association,
or Of either of the major Leagues,
| really, in law, lnvalIdates that CON-
! tract but--and here Is where tho
weakness of the organization Ties
should II player disregard the CONTRACT
{; signed he Is told that no cannot play +
! baseball on any other team In tho
country. Even these features Inighs s
be Overlooked. But when organized
baseball says 70 men who dasire to &
! enter the field that they eanaoS do 40,