New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-16
GAME Of BOWLING IS
BESET WITH TROUBLES
Lack of National Governino
Body Has Greatly Re.
tarded Sport.
EAST AND WEST AT ODDS
Loaded Ball, Cash Prizes and
POT Hunting Are Other
Prolific Sources of
Worry to Leaders.

D!oSenes win MS lantern had no more
difficult search for an honest man than
the guiding lights in bowling are havins
for a panacea for the ills that beset the
game of tenpins. The why's and where.
fores Of bowling always have been. and
still are, complex in the fullest sense Of
the word. 1t seems to have been the lot
of each succeeding administration IN AFT
the various associations throughout the
country to be so beset with the details
OF one reform or other that practically
nothing has been accomplished.
Scarcely a decade ago it was the hone
of the leaders in tenpns that there would
be one national governing body, but at
Louisville, in 1906, the arrogance OF those
in power. who happened to be under
Western influence. literally drove the
Fasteners away. Thus a second organ.
cation was founded in the present Ma.
tional Bowling Association, countrywide
in it's scope, but largely eastern In It's
control
When August Hermann, chairman O.
the National Baseball Commission, was
president of the American Bowling Con-
gress, the Western body, which was orgi.
nally founded in the East. he proposed
commission composed Of the officers Of
the National, American, Canadian and
the Far Western associations. This com.
mission was to have had much the same
power In tenpins az the Baseball Com.
mission in baseball.
II was Herrmann's plan to have all
the winners of the championship tourns.
ments Of the four great associations in
North America brought together for the
worlds title Furthermore, he proposed
that the commission govern the sport for
the two million bowlers throughout the
country. II was too big an idea for the
average man in office to grasp; thus il
failed.
Another source Of friction is the
loaded ball. Perhaps the greatest mis-.
take ever made was the letting down OF
the bars 10 this instrument when the
y. b. \. tournament was held in Mad'
son Square Garden. in 1909. II was
thought a practical move in that II
would attract a large Western entry
1t was little less than foolish. when II
was considered that such men as Charles
II. Ebbets and Frank NJ. Clute fought
tooth and nail against its introduction
in the East. In fact ii was this parue-
ular sphere and its promotion by the
Western bowlers that had much 10 DO
with the cleavage between the East and
the West. The East admitted the loaded
ball five years ago. and ii is still here.
Last year the West saw the light and
abolished ii.
Then the Ohio State Bowling Associ'
alton. being uncertain as to the attitude
of the Eastern body, decided To secece
from the a. b. c. and go its own way
which makes matters decidedly unfa'o''
able for the A. b. c. tournament 10
Buffalo this year. Chicago bowlers nave
gone on record against the loaded pah
the New York State league. compose
of cities in the northern tier, hds
barred il, and the New York Bo"hhs
Association has also established a pan
against il. The status of the question
in the y. b. A. is at present IN INV
hands OF committee, which Will repoH
at the next meeting. The pessirnisN
think that much will be said and nothing
done.
Those who are in power. not oniy !"
the local governing end. but in the a..
ISOLATION of alley owners. argue ioul
and long that the game is free from e'i'
influence. that the day or the pot mum
er" Is done and that the VICTIMS "
on the part or unscrupu'
Ions bowlers are few and far between
BE that as IL may. there Is no SUI"
technical thing in tenpins as proi's
sional bowler. though II has long W.
predicted that such a class would pes
tsblished sooner or later. The iacl +"
mains that in all the open Tournaments
in the greater city competitors sn~
for cash prizes and the use OF the a"'''
is donated by the proprietors OF the 70
rious academies. While IL Is ciai'"'
that there are no professional bo"ie'T
IL would be an easy matter 10 men"'.
a dozen or more who make iNin7
precarlous though II ma! Us
II has been advocated that owhe's
employees OF such o"he''
others who roll for prof; be classeu
To bring this aoou'
would be necessary TO abolish an
prizes and 20 exact from each league a.
sufficient revenue 10 ILL.,
pay rent for the alleys that are uSe'
Perhaps the most important innue"'e
are the proprietors of acaden"'
and most OF these cannot even ao'
gether or form a complete associa''O"
their own to cooperate in the fuiles'
tent with such bodies fundamenta's
as the New York Bowling AssociaN
excuses. explanations
been and stpl are the stock III u''
the average alley proprietor. x.
The only reason In the world WI!
ing Is as good as it is is the fact ths'
a class the average proprietor
have a clean game. and that thele ..J
fav who are able to see far enough an.
to not only avoid stumbling into p's sn.
hut to also keep the others our VI N,
culties. They number half dozen :"
greater city ia 70
Thus there are four cardinal po"'s
be considered before the high iuea'y
those in power at present can be rea' ~,
namely. complete organization ,u
ring of the loaded ball, the aDoh'''"
cash prizes, and the establishment .,
class. The most lh'pV'
Of these is the first.
pa1r1,spo1.,s NEW GoVERN0RS