The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-13
ALIENS N'SSOLUT|ONOF PROBLEM WILL BE WORTH WATCHING Little Rock Magnate's Raids on Majors Is Caus-
 ing Talk MAY CAUSE QUIET
 PROBE BY BAUGH How About the Salary Limit? ?-Allen Will Have to Pay Nine Veterans Over $2O0O and Rest Will
 Have Slim Pickings
Fly JACK BETHEA

Our mutual friend, Robert G. Allen, president of the Little Rock baseball club. just at present is the sensation of the Southern league. The eXchequer of the Traveller club seems compar- able to that of Croesus The Arkansas magnate is apparently proceeding on the principal of '"Fo ...... with the cost"
 He is drawing in his direction, how ever some unenviable attention and his actions may be the subject of quiet little investigation on the part of Pres ident Baugh as to how Bob manages to pay his constellation and still keep within the extremely modest salary limit of Dixies major.
 Observe that the proposition is writ ten maybe" President Baugh has not said it would. He did say, however that nothing would be done until the contracts had been received. He did not say that nothing would be done at all, but that nothing would be done until the contracts are received. The head of the Southern league imme- diately thereafter launched into de- nunciation of those who regard the sal ary limit lightly.
 SOMEWHAT PUZZLING
 It is somewhat of a puzzle to un- derstand what Allen is going to do and how he can conscientiously sign the affidavits that he will be required to sign as to observance of that same limit
 Just glance at the galaxy he has ac quired Baby Doll' Jacobson, for whom the Chicks honed, is the bright shining light of the outfield, while La rue Kirby follows close in his wake. Then there is Wares, shortstop; Char ley Starr at second base, "Gibby" Gib- son behind the bat, Tex Covington on first, Jantzen in the outfield, with Wal ker, another outfielder and Manning on third base.
 Jacobson has a two year contract with another year to run calling for $520 a month. Jacobson's contract was iron clad, and it will be difficult to get him to sign unless there is something on the side, which the league has deti- nitely prohibited.
 The estimated salaries of the others are given as:
 Jacobson. $500; Wares, $500; Starr, S150; Gibson, $250; Jantzen, $2O0; Gov
 
 Manning, s250. Total, s225O.
 This leaves rather slim margin for the remaining five players, $550 to be exact or an average of $150 per man, which is almost an impossibility because the pitching staff must be taken care of.
 That is where Little Rock is going to be weak. Offensively they will have a great team, but will be poor on the defense. The best team in the world cannot win behind pitchers which are being slammed to all corners and even the aggregation of stars corralled by MT. Allen will find 1t difficult.
 WEAK ON THE MOUND
 The Travellers have but one reliable pitcher, Couchman. The others are mediocre at best, and 1t is questionable whether any will be of Southern league timber.
 It will be necessary to make another excursion to the majors, and this will increase MT. Aliens difficulties with the salary limit
 This same relation will probably come up for attention at a later date after the Atlanta meeting Little Rock contracts have been received at the off, flee of President Baugh, and the affi- davits accompanying them scanned closely the time for action will have arrived
 That is a point over which MT. AL len may stumble. He is required to go before notary public and take oath that the contract as executed Is bona fide, contains all provisions for the player, and that there is no side agreement The manager must take this same oath. The player is required to swear that he is receiving no money other than that provided for by his contract and to repudiate all thought Of Oepf1amaD's aPraamant
 MT. Allen is a business man of known integrity and his solution of the prob lem will be awaited with interest.