The Washington herald., 1913-02-04
RADICAL MOVE
FOR control OF
LOCAL AMATEURS
S. Edward Beach Proposes
Most Drastic Change in
Sandlot Baseball.
COMMISSION ABOLISHED
Voting Power and Final Decisions
to Be Vested in a Board of
Governors.
COMMISSION ABOLISHED
By c. w. SWAN.

The Amateur Commission of the Dis
trict of Columbia will more than likely
be abolished when this body meets to
adopt the changes In the rules suggest
ed by the rules committee which met
last night In Manager Griffith's office, in
the Southern Building. Instead Of the
amateur commission. the idea is to have
an association Of amateur leagues of
the District.
The chief change in the amateur situ-
alton will be the doing away with the
commission as the governing body of
amateur baseball in the District In its
place. 1t is planned to have a governing
board, to consist of the president, vice
president, and treasurer of the commits
sion, who will control amateur baseball
entirely. The members of the commits
sion: that is, the presidents of the diff
ferent leagues. will not have a vote In
any matter whatsoever, the governing
board giving the final decision in all
matters.
Three Men to Govern.
This will place the governing body in
the same position now occupied by the
National Commission, and Manager Grif-
nth suggested that the rules of the asso-
citation be adopted from those of the
Nationals organization. The presidents
OF the different leagues will attend the
meeting OF the association. as the COM
mission will be known In the future
and will present all questions pertaining
TO their individual leagues. but the deci-
sion In all matters will come from the
governing body. and there will not be
an appeal to the arbitration board al
lowed. as the arbitration board will be
abolished.
Mr.. Beach, in speaking Of the new
order OF events said: The governing
board will draft an agreement, somewhat
similar to the national agreement which
controls professional baseball throughout
the country. SO that the teams affiliated
with the different leagues throughout the
city will. through the president OF their
organization, be called into a session,
and asked to sign the same.
This will put the complete control of
amateur baseball in the District In the
hands of three impartial men. who are
interested in its welfare. The idea of
the board Of control il not TO take away
from the various leagues the opportunity
Of controlling its own affairs, for each
league will be a separate and distinct
part of the association of amateur
leagues of the District of Columbia, Just
as the American League is one party
to the Nationals agreement, but Is for
the the purpose of placing the interpre-
tation and the carrying out OF the rules
agreed to in the beginning Of the season
until the end, so as to prevent the presi-
dents of the different leagues getting to-
gether near the close Of the season and
setting aside the constitution and laws
in such matter as to benefit a particular
team or teams who will take part in the
pOst-seasOn series.
Good for All Time.
1T goes without saying that If the
rules are good enough TO govern in the
beginning of the season. they should be
good enough to finish with"
The association of amateur clubs as
proposed by Mr.. Beach. will remedy the
evil effects of the commission. There
will be no lobbying or friendship
shown for one man or league: instead,
three men will handle the affairs of the
amateurs, who will take good care that
every one will get a square deal. Mr..
Beach, while not an officer of the COM
mission, has done great deal for anna
teur baseball and players, and. while 1t
may be rather early to offer a sugges-
tion, 1t would be a good plan for the
commission to elect Mr. Beach vice pres
ident of that body. as he will then be
member Of the governing boards Mr.
Beach did not state last night whether
he would accept this position or not, but
1t is understood that should the posi-
tion be rendered him, he will accept.
Those present at the meeting last night
were Manager Griffith, S. Edward Beach,
Charley King, Harry Shurtleff, Bob
Doyle, Hike Macdonald, Gus Gray, Bill
Belts, and John Kelly.