New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-17
BAN B. JOHNSON
REJOICES AT NEW
MOVE OF FULTz
Head of American League
Would Welcome Union
Scale of Wages
BY w. J. MACBETH

Ban Johnson, llts4N'N
81 sincerely hope they join the Fed
rattan" said big Ban last night II
viii simplify their exterminauon'
aCisdiv will We enter into a union
,ronos;tion Will the Fraternity, ne
sort;nued at would cut the overhead
,xncnses 70 a quarter of what now pre-,
vsils A union scale Of wage for BAL
,isr;,c would be established. With
The latent jeslousies OF the klndreo
organizations voting on the question
promoters Of the game need nave no
apprehension.
Stars Would Suffer
Let them set the wage al the maxi
mum standard. Let them fix douole
The nav Of the best paid union scale
Sssrs Of the rcnoWn of Ty Cobb, ms
sneaker and Grover Alexander would
be coppelled 70 toll for one-third their
nresent recompensc. This striking OF
a balance would more than effect the
scheme of economy IN salaries NAV
mas been exploited--but not prsctlseo-
ip the relations OF employer and en-
ploye this year.
"rhinking baseball players will never
tolerate the idea Of union wage LOT
the profession. This would destroy the
incentive for progress and advance
msnt Under such q union system
pitcher would get so much an lnhel9eI
"a much. An outfelder so much, ana
.otcber so much, irrespective Of per-
sonsl worth. Tho artist would sutcr
+bs limitations Of the mediocre per-
former" -Lo
Among the leading msgnstes VINO
.or ono reason or another are In the
citv A. the present time feellng OF
tyiyronb was evidenced over fultl
sction in applying for q charter under
Inc American Federation OF Labor.
The tin was out, but could not be
co1frned. that Ban Johnson and Sam
mel Gompers were as close AS Damon
and Pythias Indeed, II was sara un-
oficiallv that Johnson held contract
that bound the Federation not 70 DUH
into baseball.
Pact of Long Standing
This contract was subscribed to oy
tho union heads some years ago as q
means of settling a labor strike that
arose in connection with the building
OF the Cleveland American League club
rrsndstand. The unions of the Middle /
West have been strong for the Ameri-
can League for some time.
Aside from the union idea, there Is
general feeling that the mayor leagues
have Justice on their side, and that the .
best policy is TO proceed accordingly;
"Tbis is, or should be, fight TO the .
finish" said Captain 7. L. Huston, OF /
inc Yankees yesterday afternoon. !
"Tbe sooner the msgnates treat Il serl- /
ouslv the better If the game IS gong
10 tolerate undue dictatiOH on the part
Of the players, then IL will not be long
before tho shrewd moneyed interests /
men who have made success IN the /
financial world-leave the pastime Fat
ave had as much experience IN /
strikes as any man in the United states
/ confess the fight appeals 70 me. It's .
z bigger thing, in my estimation, than (
building up the Yankees. II my col
leagues are going 70 take 1T on the run
7 want 10 know II. That is no part OF
my game. Tho issue Is just as big as
the promoters care to make II. AND .
the bigger they make IT, the more /
serious they consider IL. the quicker /
order will be established from chaos. ,
II is A question of going TO the mat for .
principle. A backdown means the .
crucihxion Of the game We all love"
Not the First Crisis
This is not the first time that or /
canized baseball has been confronted
nW NuEn QllEUuds n NA4cio VI NAtN
same nature developed a few years ago. F.
An issue was made of minor league
matter by major league players. Ban
Johnson advocated a lockout, If neces-
sary. to bring the dissatisfied players
to terms. He was crossed then by the
National League.
II is not believed the National League
can back water in this instance. For
merry the parent major had the sym
pathv of the majority of minor as
sociations. Now, II the National
League is disposed to stsnd for back
tire, it will find itself ali alone. For
the minor Leagues, even more than the
American, feel that a life and death
issue hangs in the balance
David L. Fultz, president Of the Base
ball Players Fraternity, was rather non
committsl on his plans for unionism
yesterday. He expressed his convic-
ZION. however, that his organization
would carry its point in the end
The big showdown" said Fult2.
viii come on February 20. the date set
for the departure from Chicago Of the
Cubs for California. Eighteen Of 'he
Cub players are under pledge not 70
sign tin the demands of the minor
leagues have been granted"
Fultz declared that the fraternity
member who intimated the strike was
fivver had been grossly misinforme1.
lie stated that within the last few days
sixteen major league stars had met IN
this clay and pledged themselves to sec
fhc issue through from Fultz's view
point fultz also said that Sallee the
Giant southpaw recently expelled from
be fraternity. had written a letter cN-
pressing SORROW for his action in sign
Iug contract with the New York Ma
.iouals Sallee. the communication
said. it was alleged, had repented Of
his sin almost before the ink dried Oh
tho document.
That Fultz is trying 10 whip the fra
.elnity members into line is evidenced
from news reports from various cen.
tres Of baseball interest Meetings
were held last night 81 Chicago and
New Orleans. Letters from Fultz, out
lining plans for putting through the
laooted minor league reforms, we're the
tones of these conferences. IL was an
rouuccd that the players had decided
10 stand by Fultz
Threat from Johnson
lac last night Ban Johnson declared
that American League players would
not be allowed 20 report az the spring
training camps before they had signed
contracts. Ban animated that unless
the players Of his circuit returned
signed contracts before February new
documents at considerably reduced sal
aries would be substituted.
The schedule committees of the Ma
tonal and American leagues completed
their lsbors late yesterday afternoon.
but made no announcements as 70 the
big league draft Of dates further than
that the season would open on Thurs
day. Anril IL Conflicts I'M cities that