The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-11-14
KNELL OF PROPOSED UNION LEAGUE. IS SOUNDED
Leading Baseball Men Will Vote Down Movement to Or
 ganize Secondary Major League Decision Spells Ed Barrow's Plans.

Louisville, Ky, Nov. 14-There will be no third quasi major league. This fact became evident yesterday, when the committee on the revision of the constitution in the minor leagues de- cided to recommend to the National association that the American asso- citation be left out of any redistrict- ing that may take place, and also when Joe Tinker announced definitely that he would side with the Western wheel of the circuit.
 Cool headed baseball men came to the front and openly declared them selves against the formation of the new :"secondary'' third major league: They finally realized they were trying to upset, in a few days, what had taken years to build up, namely, the Interpational league and the Ameri- can association.
 Buffalo, Newark, Baltimore and To- ronto were the -four International clubs to be selected for the Union league. Indianapolis, Louisville, To- ronto and Columbus were the seced- CTS from the American association. Verify, Providence, Richmond, Ro- chester and Montreal were willing to step aside. But Kansas City, Min neapolis, St. Paul and Milwaukee re- fused to be frozen out, and their ap- peals have been recognfzed
 It would have been most unfair to throw these franchises in the scrap heap. And then the courts probably would have had something to say about 1t, for the owners in these four cities were prepared to go the very R,y, 41aS1~ rio fe slated to get berths in some other minor league, but they rebelled. and rebeIled hard.
 The Hickey faction of the league won it's fight when President Hickey appeared before the revision commit tee and although no report had been made last night it came straight from the meeting that members had dscid- ed to. play hands off policy on the American association
 | Inmnediate1y after the news of the Icomnittee's action had leaked out, o. H Wathen, Iouisyil1e; James McGfll, Indianapolis; Roger tBresnahan, To- ledo, and Edward Barrow, president of the International league, went into session, but when they adjourned they had nothing to give out
 The committee, of which Al T. | the Pacific Coast League, was chair man, held it's session behind locked | doors None of its members would discuss what occurred The other members of the committee are John H. Farrell of Auburn. N- Y-, secre- tary of the National Association; J. l W. Morris of Fort Worth, Tex. presi- dent of the Texas League; Dan O'Neil of Hartford, Conn, president of the Eastern Association, and R. l.. Ble- witt, president of the Northwestern League
 To Readjust Map.
 When the meeting adjourned at 10 o'clock today. the resolution was pre- scented for passage. Tearney wants a committee of three appointed, with 1 full power to act on readjustment of territory and rea1ignment of clubs as a war measure
 Tearney also will make a fight for ! the reclassihcation of all leagues and for the reduction of the present mem | bership of the National Board of Ar l bitration from ten to five
 '~The board is unwield1y at pres | er1t" Tearney said. 'tIts members are scattered in all corners of the country. What we should have is a ! compact board to devote a consider | able part of it's time to minor league
 affairs. If an important question is presented to the present board for settlement it some times requires sew era1 weeks for a decision to be reach ed because the issue must be handled l by correspondence. The board. to along the lines of the National Com mission"
 | Only $80, 900 From Drafts. The annual report of John H. Far
 re1l, secretary of the National Asso- | ciation, revealed the inroads the war made on the minor leagues last sea- | son Ten leagues were obliged to
 suspend and several were forced to | shift their territory to stir up new
 interest. The American and Ma tiona1 Leagues and the Class A and
 A leagues turned only s6o,0o0.. into the hands of the minors for drafted players as compared with s150,0 to
 $2oo,ooo under norWa1 conditions.
 Secretary Farrell explained that
 the major league clubs were unwil1-
 ing to risk purchase of promising players because of the fear that they would be called into the military ser
 vice.
 Suspension until the end of the war of 10 or 12 small leagues, in-
 c1uding two or three weaker orga11i-
 zations in Glass B. probably will be recommended by President Sexton al
 today's meeting. War taxes on trav-
 cling expenses and gate admissions and heavy subscriptions of the base ball public to the Liberty Loan and \ war charities will force the smaller
 organizations to close if they attempt
 to start, President Sexton said.
 Central Willing to Suspend The meeting of the Central league
 club owners scheduled to be held yes.
 terday was postponed until today, te
 await the action of the National asso
 citation in regard to redistrtcting ant
 reclassf1catfon of minor league terri
 tory. Harry W. 6tahIhefer, presiden
 of the league, was unwilling to make
 any predictions in regard to the 191s
 season. Some of the club owners hs
 said, had expressed g. willingness te
 suspend. eff we decide to start I shall recommend the adoption of an g.
 game schedule instead of 120 games,
 Stah1hefer said. Then, if the wal lserious1y threatens our operations we