New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-12
May ALTER TENPIN
TOURNAMENT RULES
Financial BURDEN Is Too
Great as Affairs Are
Run at Present.
N r. A. LEADERS TO
DISCUSS PROBLEM
President DUNCAN Says Lists
Should Be Much Larger or
Confined TO Experts.

O.hsn the eighth annual convention OF
xa,ionsl Bowling Association is heio
r. columbia Hotel. Atlantic City, next
,,,,d,v two questions will come up Tor
~isnration which affect every man in
os,cd in competitive tonpins. The first
,Ansa is the disposal of any ball not
liz balanced and the other is change
,ha method Of conducting the national
tournament
a, ,~evious times in these columns the
..,ded. or unbalanced bali. proposition has
~ zone into thoroughly. and there Is
,,,la need 10 discuss 1t here, except TO say
,h,, legislation probably will be enacted
,.-o,iding that no ball shall be balanced
- the centre more than two ounces.
The change Of conditions governing the
..,,,ament. however. is like a lightning
holt out of a clear sky. 1t had come 10
ts looked upon as impossible to run on
\ national tournament in any way out as
At nresent-three games. total pins u
count on special alleys and in a speclal
,our,tition. with five-men and two-meh
cams AS well as individuals.
Vow II is realized that some sort OF re
necessary
tournament Of this kind being so much or
financial handicap. In many cases
,,.r,s enter a national tournament with
10 IDEA whatever OF winning. but simply
,s,a,,sa ~ the occasion it affords OF max
,rir somewhere Some try TO make
business proposition, but the tour
.,,,or, itself never has done anything but
,ose money for all concerned, and mas
,o., more Of a burden to the association
.ho, ANYTHING else. If the truth were
t,oun the same condition obtains every
ubere else in the case OF big tournaments
Then II is asked. why have them at all!
To illustrate the point Elmer Il. Dun
~sn. the president, who undoubtedly VIII
-. renoninated for the Office and re-elect-
a recently discussed the problem as toi-
lows:
THE volunteers and the employees all
along the line in connection with TINS
tournament at Atlantic City have maze
,hsir hest effort. and there never has beer
tournament more widely heraldeu' ne
said. Il begin to suspect that IN TINS sec-
lion OF the country we are on the wrong
track SO far as our tournament is con-
cerned. and II ought 10 be reduced 10
contest Of experts. or. rather, some method
Of qualification should be established
am writing the members OF the board OF
governors SO that they may present the
details Of some new plan at the Atlantic
CITY convention"
The question Of tournament comes
down 10 either Of two things The tour
nament should be so large in point OF en-
Try that the district association holding II
should lose nothing financially by II. and
II should also be Of financial benefit 10
the National Bowling Association, or else
the competition should be restricted TO
those who have properly qualified for the
privilege Of competing for such an I'M
portant title. DUNCAN wrote the gov
errors az follows:
'1t Is evident that our ideas OF an an
nual tournament require revision. There
nav be a way Of making these tourna-
ments larger. but as yet we have been I'M
able TO find it. No slight change OF detail
will solve the tournament question. we
must popularize the present plan or re-
wise II into an exclusive exhibition by ex-
ptrts
with largeness still the object, the in
reduction Of the handicap might be
worth consideration. That it is not with
out virtue has been proved in many local
tournaments.
abandoning size. it might be just as
well II the contestants were obliged TO
first qualify or win district association
title AZ home, thus reducing the national
tournament strictly 10 All exhibition OF
class
"A restricted entry would make the
bowle-s more eager and the exhibition
migh, then be OF greater interest. IT
would allow OF more rolling per man and
admit Of direct contest IT would relieve
u Of the trouble and the great expense
4 promotion and thus turn the energies
the officers and the governors 10 all
az matters OF more importance.
We meet in Atlantic City just before
convention. Meanwhile, let each OF
be thinking and let each OF us appear
Al this governors meeting and there ex-