The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-13
NO VIOLATIONS OF LAW W|NKED AT DECLARES BAUGH Scribes Are LabOring Under MisapprehensiOn, Says the
 League President ENFORCED IN PAST;
 WILL BE IN FUTURE Magnates Will Be Told What Is What at Atlanta Meeting-Made Limit
 and Must Live Up to It,
 Says MT. Baugh
By JACK BETHEA

the enforcement of the salary hmi which President Baugh desires to have set right There is not now, will no be and never has been under his admin istration any winking at violations ol the salary limit in the Southern league It has been commonly stated thai there was a general laxity prevailing about the circuit last year which owing to the Federal league, permitted the club owners to exceed the limit sci for monthly expenditures for the serv- ices of ball players. This was not the case and in order to put. himself right on a matter regarding which he feels very deeply President Baugh has branded the stories as absolutely with out foundation.
 JEMISON'S VIEWS
 Dick Jemison, writing in the Atlanta Constitution, on the Bisland case, has the following to say regarding the sub ject upon which MT. Baugh is speak ing:
 "In the news stories announcing
 his discovery from Chattanooga
 is this statement: President An
 drews states that he does not in
 tend to press the case and force the
 assessment of a fine against At
 lanta according to the constitution
 of the league
 "The truth of the matter is
 Charley Frank admitted that Bis
 land got a side contract from At
 lanta last season. He admitted it
 to the writer, and it was one of the
 principal reasons for letting Bis
 land go, and he stated when Chat
 tanooga grabbed him that there
 would be a holler that would shake Lookout mountain when Oliver
 Buckne1l learned that he had been
 the goat.
 "Bisland was signed during war times,' when side contracts were eOndoned to keep, promising play CTS from jumping to the FederaIs. The league officials knew not only of Bisland's side document, but others as well. possibly some on the Chattanooga club, tOO."
 There is absolutely no foundation for this" declared President Baugh ir discussing the matter. "The salary limit as you have probably learned by this time is one of my touchous spots. want to emphatically state that there has been no winking at violations oI the salary limit. This is especially true of the past season. The state ment that the league officials knew either of Bislands alleged side contract or of any others is erroneous"
 W. G. Foster of the Chattanooga Times does not go so far as Mr. Jemison, but he, too, evidently en- tertains the idea that the salary limit was a mere formality last year. He says in discussing the Little Rock team
 Chattanooga never said a word last year when Little Rock under took Bob Messengers $500 -a-month contract with Rochester. The proposition was known locally, but conditions were such that the play CTS had to be taken care of by or ganized baseball, and the Southern league fell in with the general scheme of letting the clubs from which the long term men came pay part of their stipends.'
 DESCRIBED BY BAUGH
 This idea. too, is described by MT Baugh in his statement regarding the salary limit.
 T have never been disposed to re- gard leniently any violator of the sal ary limit in this circuit, while I have been the head of it. he said. "Ano I will not in the future.
 Get that-i will not in the future q am going to make it plain al the Atlanta meeting that the salary limit of $2S0O per month must be ob- served this year or there will be trou- ble. The club owners themselves made the limit. l may or may not approve of it, but that is immaterial. I am going to enforce it and if any of then think to ignore it they will be very sadly surprised as soon as the matter Is called to my attention and l an keeping close eye on the situation 'It is a bit early to take steps as yet, but intend to make this point one of the big things to come before tho Atlanta meeting. The owners mus understand once and for all that nc violations of the salary limit will bt permitted. They made the limit ant they must live up to it..