Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-27
SPORTING GOODS
ADVANCE IN COST
When Some Demon Slugger Puts BAN
Over Fence In 1918. Club VIII lie
Out sl.50.
FOOTBALLS NOW JUMP TO 81
Colleges and Amateur Sports VIII BE
Hard HIT as Well as Soldier
Teams In Camps.

Chicago, Dec. 27.-When ball Is
knocked over the fence by some demon
slugger like Joe jackson or Iris
Speaker it will set the home club back
l.50 next season instead of the Gus
tomary $I.25. This sad news will be
impaired to the owners when the con-
tracts are let for the annual supply Of
horsehides. Several reasons for the
advance will be offered. but it went
make the bills any less.
It would be all right If the skyrock-
citing would stop with baseballs, but
it won't. Everything which goes with
the national pastime has started climb
| ing and with it has gone everything
which enters into all sports.
Baseball uniforms will be advanced
! from $3.50 to 1850, and imagine the
road from the athletes when they are
/ told that shoes have advanced from
! SO to $11. Bats will be retailed at
$3.50 instead Of at $125,
College and amateur sports will be
hit as hard, if not more so. Footballs
. nave SOuG Ap lt1t 90 W go WAN SAA~
end not in sight. II our soldiers at the
camps want TO play soccer they will
have to fork over in the near future
$40 for a ball. The same goes for
basketballs Football shoes will be
81 higher.
Golf and tennis players viii have 10
climb pretty high, too, if they want to
keep with the sports. Regulation ten
mis- rackets Will retail at SO, which
will be an advance of 81 over the
, prices which have prevailed for some
. time, or ever since the high cost OF
sports got a toe hold Golf clubs, of
the familiar brands, will be increased
in price Is to rs per cent. A good
driver will cost about 81 and the rest
{ in proportion.
If you feel the need Of some out
door exercise during the winter il
a will be discovered that ice skates
! have gone up about one-third. Roller
! skates have reached the same alti-
tude. If a sweater should be deemed
o. / necessary for comfort that viii cost
So per cent more than formerly
That is not all, however. The prices
will keep on soaring and it was pre-
dicted yesterday that basebalis, tbs
- regular league kind, will sell for S;
r before next season is over. The SAINT
f goes for all leather and wooden goods
:. and steel products viii not be ia
f behind.
V Costly Materials.
Il Into baseball, it is claimed. enter;
5 the most costly material of all
a leather, wool yarn and rubber Eacl
y article is scarce, according to tn
a manufacturers. II is impossible T.
a get the right kind Of hides or tn
= wool, not to mention rubber Befor
d the war the hides of Siberian ponie
G were used for he covering of tn
: pill. Importation Of this kind q
e leather stopped with the beginnin
Of the world conflict. Hardly any on
Of the balls passed muster last sea
son, and it is not likely that they vii
l. next.
Any implement with wood in it ha
IS also been affected. The strings in
st tennis racket come from lambs, an
G. these are getting scarcer every da!
81 Leather has been soaring for som
E. time, so canvas shoes may be i
y order in all kinds of sports next yea
a Major league clubs, the big college
O. and players with bank accounts, ar
IS expected to be able to stand the gaf
a, but the threatened increase will h
as the minors" in all kinds of Sport
nj hard.