The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-16
HEAD OF NATIONAL COLLEGE
ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
is DISTURBED.
WOULD STAMP GAME OUT
Dean Briggs of Harvard Is Opposed to
Summer Baseball and Advises a
Stringent Rule Against It-Others
Favor Game.

New York, March 15.-President LIE
Baron r. Briggs of the National Col
lege Athletic association has sent out
notices to the 10S colleges and univer-
sites of the organization that the
most important ask that body has
before 1t at present is the question of
college students playing baseball for
money. Dean Briggs circular in part
is as follows:
1T would appear that the next i'm
portant duty of the association is to
exert it's influence in the direction of
improving the game Of baseball as
played by college men. In the judg-
ment of many, college baseball is at
tended by certain sharp practices and
deviations from true sportsmanship
which have been borrowed, along with
the final technical points of the game,
from professional players"
A committee Of three college profess
sors has been appointed to investigate
the problem, and it is expected that
at the next meeting of the body some
radical action will be taken to prevent
NN~o~ litS ms Will SCIill-
professional teams during the sum
mer vacation
The activity of the association
against college students playing for
money during the summer vacation
has been prompted by the case Of Jim
Thorpe of Carlisle. The Indian school
is an associate member of the or
ganization, and a few seasons ago
baseball was abolished by Coach
Warner because of the professional
baseball ambition 1t aroused among
the students. All the indian pitchers
aspired to get into the major league
like Chief Bender did after he left
Carlisle.
The object of the committee will be
to nave the organization either take
drastic measures to prevent students
from playing for money or permit
them them to do so. No matter which
policy is adopted, there is sure to be
much opposition. Many of the col
leges connected with the association
permit students to play for money
during the summer
At a recent conference of colleges
in western Pennsylvania it was voted
that mo record be required from cam
didates for their ATHLETIC history from
June Is to September 49, This gives
the students the right to play for
money during the summer on teams
which come under organized baseball.
1t allows them to play with hotel
teams at summer resorts or with So
called semi-professional teams.
Permitted in South.
In the south many colleges permit
their students to play for money, and
the representatives of these institu-
lions say that the plan is n of COM
mon sense, and has brought about no
bad results among the Students. n
fessor w. C. Riddick of the North
Carolina College of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts has championed the
cause of the student who wants to
play for money, and he is in favor of
the college athletic association giving
its official approval of the practice.
The sentiment among the colleges
of the south and west is strongly in
favor of permitting students to play
for money, while among the larger
colleges of the east, especially through
New England, there is strong oppo-
sition to this professionalism.
The colleges in the Missouri con-
ference a few years ago took up this
much-discussed question, and, after
trying to stamp out the practice, gave
it up, and came to the conclusion thai
it was impossible to try to stop stu
dents from playing for money A year
g the collegiate association went on
record rs being opposed to the prac-
tice, but no really active campaign
has ever been conducted by the body
against the %so-called playing for
money.
With Dear Briggs of Harvard ex-
hibiting Il live interest in the matter,
the question will probably be brought
to an issue during the coming year,
and, if the new eader's influence
counts for much, the collegiate ath-
letic association will take decidedly
radical measures to try to prevent
what they consider to be the most
dangerous feature of college sports.
Dean Briggs says that the associa-
,tion of the college student with the
professional players tends to have a
demoralizing effect n also brings
objectional professional tactics into
the college game.
Many believe that the Influence of
the association is so far-reaching that
it will eventually succeed in stamping
out the professional feature of college
baseball, while others say that colleges
will always allow their policies to fit
local conditions, and hat a sweeping
rule against the practive will be eff
feetive.
Manager McGraw has given Jim