The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-03
Athletic Directors Looking
into Feasibility of New
Grounds
FAIR GROUND HAS
BEEN SUGGESTED
Arguments on Both Sides - If Fair
Ground Were Chosen Admission
Would Be Cheaper and Street Cars
Would Run for One Fare.

From different sources it becomes
apparent that the new directors Of the
Brattleboro Athletic association. which
has taken charge not only of baseball
but other sports, are investigating the
feasibility of playing ball this summer
elsewhere than at Island Park. There
appears to be a well developed impress
sion that an expense of $500 fo-
playing grounds. even if within two
minutes walk of Main street, is too
stiff financial proposition for a bush
league team to face. There are argu-
ments on both sides of the proposition.
For Island Park it may be said that
the expense for the grounds does not
come out of the association, inasmuch
as the association nets % cents for ey-
~ ticket sold as admission to the
gounds. The returns to the owners of
the Island park property are from the
excess charges above % cents on each
ticket. The admission for the majority
IS 30 cents, and for the comparative
few who buy reserved seat tickets it
IS 90 cents. This means that the park
owners get 10 cents from every 35-cent
ticket sold and % cents from each re-
served seat ticket.
| In return the park management pro-
| vides the necessary employes-ticket
| sellers and ground keepers and other
employees, and keeps the privileges. =
the sale of ice cream, soft drinks,
cigars, etc, which are worth consider
able. In other words the income of the
park management from league base
ball depends entirely upon the attend
ance at the games.
But. say some of those who believe
this method is not equitable, when an
out-of-town aggregation comes here
and hires the park for themselves they
pay about SO for the day and every
thing is done for them that is done
for the local club when it stages q
ball game. This, on the basis of 30
home games, would mean that $3.50 is
all the association ought to pay.
Others declare that the park man
agement owns the property and has
a perfect right to charge what it
pleases for the use of the grounds at
all times. No association is obliged
to pay the price, but the convenience
Of the location and the fact that the
park management keeps the grounds in
condition should be considered as
bearing upon the ground rental
Men who claim that the charge for
the park is excessive believe implicitly
that if the games were to be transfer
red to the Valley fair grounds it
would be at saving to the associa-
tion.
They have learned that the Twin
State Gas & Electric company, while
not willing to contribute to the fund
for the expense of the team, will agree
to furnish all the necessary transpor-
tation for one fare from Main street
to the grounds and to have sufficient
cars there at the close of games to
bring back the crowd.
These men claim that with ground
rental costing nothing they would be
able to have a suitable diamond laid
, out in front of the grandstand, the
| judges stand moved, such of the
5 fence as was necessary removed and
: stored, the grandstand screened di
rectly back of the plate, for a com
paratively small sum. They believe
many would willingly volunteer tC
I. help on the work and others would, pay
men to work in their places under the
direction of some man who understood
t the work of leveling a field. In addi