New-York tribune., 1915-03-14
GREAT BOWLING
TOURNAMENT IS
CLOSE AT HAND
N. B. A. Officials Expect
250 Fiye-Men Teams in
Line at Palace.
OPPOSITION SEEMS
TO BE BREAKING
Elimination of Dodo Ball May
Have Caused Fight Among
the Tenpin Interests.

The time for the start o. the Ma
tional Bowling Associations champion
ship tournament in the Grand Central
Palace is less than two weeks away,
and this will be the las. warning 20
get in line with teams The entries
close next Friday with MAJOR u. W.
Gage. secretary Of the association, az
tire Palace.
Word has been received from many
clubs throughout the country that :hey
will be on hand. The shortness Of the
time has in some ways initiated agains,
the tournament, but Major Gage says
that from reports received there vii.
be fully $50 fvemen teams. twice as
many as last year at Atlantic City.
Sometimes ii is good thing 20 have
a bowling war" for y stimulates in
terest among those who roll for the
fun Of the game, who, as luck will
have il. rally round the flag when any
enc tries to trample on their rights
For this reason the present attempt 20
faunt opposition in the face OF the
rank and file is destined 20 failure. as
other such attempts in the past have
fallen through.
The attitude OF some OF the alley
owners 10 remain passive as regards
tion tournament has merely proved
boomerang. On many sides during the
last week expressions have been heard
10 the effect that If business folks are
not willing TO conserve the best in
terests of the game they Will be forced
TO abide By the consequences. This
waI the case ten years ago. when not
a single alley owner WAS permitted 20
sit on the governing board OF the New
York Bowling Association. The pages
OF history in bowling are being turned
over right now.
Further encouragement was lent 20
both the local and national orgsniza-
tions last week through the announce
ment of some Of the original opponents
Of the tournament that they would
bring in as many teams as they could,
indicating that after all the alley own
ers are themselves divided.
Some of the business interests have
been opposed to the efforts of the Ma
tional Bowling Association 20 eliminate
the loaded. or dodo, ball and 10 pro-
vide means whereby the amount Of un-
balance could be determined. They
were unwilling TO accept the action or
the last convention at Atlantic City.
and were inclined TO make fun OF the
invention Of the president, Elmer +.
DUNCAN. which showed how the untrue
ball may be discerned
As will be recalled. DUNCAN gratu-
itously turned over the patent 10 tho
association. so charges OF commercial
ism were nipped in the bud. j, would
not be surprising if the abolition Of
the loaded ball had something 20 do
with the opposition which recently de
veloped
The National Bowling Association il
likely 20 go even further az its coming
convention in the Palace on April IL.
II would not be surprising II alley
owners, employees and the like rolling
on teams would be limited 20 one for
each fve-men combination. The reg
stration fee will be reduced, as recon-
mcnded by the board OF governors AZ
its meeting here last Sunday. Other
steps might be taken in that conven-
tion which will undoubtedly make for
the Improvement OF the competitive
phase Of tenpns.
A. last Sundays meeting. which was
we'll attended, there was ample evi-
dence that 20 man the various sec
tions were united in proceeding. ire
spective Of opposition. with carrying
out arrangements as they had been
made. Powers of decision were con-
ferred upon Major Gage as regards the
requisites Of n proper ball. He was
also given other broad powers.
The nominating committee 70 pre-
sent ticket OF officers and governors
for the coming year was appointed. as
follows: Chairman, william Kirk. Will
mington; Frank VI. Clute. New York;
Henry G. Heidman, Philadelphia;
Ferdinand Roth. Paterson, and Charles
A. Parker. New York.
According to word received from the
Baltimore bowlers. they have decided
not TO enter any association other than
the y. B. A., and will form distric.
organization of their own, which Will
have control in Baltimore not only .of
regulation pins but Of duck and candle
pins as well. There is well defined
opposition TO the proposal TO adopt as
official any alleys smaller than the
ones now built according 70 regulation
measurements.