New Britain herald., 1916-12-16
PRICES GOING UP
 ANDSALARIESD DOWN
BleaCher Seats to Sell at Four Bits Retrenchment Policy Adopted

New York, Dec. 16.-The high cost of promoting baseball received a broadside from the National League club owners at their meeting at the Waldorf-Astoria yesterday and nex1 season there is not only going to be a ! wholesale cut in players salaries Throughout the league but the I bleacher seats at the ball parks-the 25-cent seats-are going to be re- duced to minimum" The club owners would like to do away with the 25-cent seats entirely, but In the cities where they have been an es- to be done gradually. In New, York and Brooklyn the 25-cent seats have been reduced to a few hundred.
 Tn cities like Philadelphia, St. ] Louis, and Cincinnati, there are more than 5000 of these 25-cent seats. At least two-thirds of these will be Boosted to 50 cents next season, and it was stated by some of the club owners that in another year there would be no 25-cent seats at all. President Charles H. Ebbets of the Brooklyn Club proposed the motion to reduce the 25-cent seats to "a : minimum" and 1t was strongly fa- vored by all the club owners.
 Barney on w. P.
 The league unanimously recom- mended a general movement for the retrenchment in salaries. Those play CTS who for the past three years have
 
 %su1t of the Federal League war will be hit hardest. The salary list of more than one of the National League clubs last season reached more than $10O,00O, and one club owner stated that he expected to reduce this by fifth and, if possible, by a fourth, &Players who have made good and have given their. best efforts will pot be affected, but those indifferent players who have shown time and again that they were not trying, will have to stand a cut.
 The league recommended a change In the rules governing the Worlds Series and favored the plan offered by August Hermann and President Ten er. This plan provides that the play CTS of the two teams competing in the series receive stipulated amount. and that a percentage of the receipts be divided among the players on the other clubs finishing in the first divi- sion of each league. This scheme is calculator to stimulate interest in the second division clubs in their effort to finish within the money. When the plan is drawn up in definite form 1t will be submitted at meeting of the two leagues for approval This action probably will be taken in Feb ruary.
 President Barney Dreyfuss at last delivered his tirade against the Ma tional Commission. He led up to his subject by denouncing the methods now followed by the leagues in draft Ing players from the minor leagues. Dreyfuss charged that the draft was not operated according to the rules of the national agreement, and cited the Sisler case as being unfair to the Pittsburgh Club and as favoring the St. Louis club of the American League. The Pirate owner de- nounced the National Commission for not living up to the rules of the ma tfonal agreement and strongly advo- cated a new National Commission which would be entirely non-parti- san.
 To Meet More Frequent.
 The much discussed new contrac for the players was considered by the league members. It was not adopt - ed, however, because there are cer tain clauses in the new agreemen which will have to be changed before the club owners give their approval The ten-day clause and the clause re lating to a major league player right of appeal to the commission aroused much discussion, and tn league decided to send the contra 2 back to the commission for changes.
 The question of inter club series il the South before the opening of tn regular season was discussed a length. Many of the club owner = opposed the practice but as contract have been made for series betwee clubs for the coming Spring no actio was taken against it. The league de cided, however, that inter-club serie must be played at the training camp and not in the Northern cities.
 The league also decided that it di not meet frequently enough eac year, so it is likely that two mor meetings will be held each year at tn gall Of President Tener.
 President Charles H. Ebbets sut