Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-24
u. S.G.A. ASST IS NOW CONSTITUTED e
IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE; FOUR
STATES ABSOLUTELY IN CONTROL,
National in Name Only and Sport Which 1t Con.
trolls Has Long Since Outgrown
the Parent Body
Rx PETER PUTTER

I the current number Of Golf Illustrated a,
which he is editor: W
I'm the past it (U. s. q. A. has bs.u =.
diferent to enlarging Its membership a.
in the present 1t has been reluctant to orA
| tend the voting privilege to all its nnan,h...
1t has gradually lost a. clear persnao,,...
of It's position, and instead Of keepinp has,.ve
itself the original idea upon which ~ NJ.
ROUNDED, that 1t was the guardian of Ar,a-
lean golfing interests. but only so by s,,ffer-
ance, 1t has come to look upon jtseIf a.
the dispenser of all that ia good ons .a "s
membership as the limit Of its outgiv,rss
Those who were not subject to its dictat..
were expected to accept them. But s,,ch .
one-sided viewpoint naturally created a.
opposition, which Immediately wouId b,'."
been met half way IL the original idea baS
continued to prevail. Now that this opno-
sltion has become concrete fact in the 90.
cession of the Western Golf Associatior S. ,'..
find the broad idea upon which the r. e.
G. A. was founded contracted to such a.
extent that 1t seems today more concorras
with its own interests than in taking sten.
to reassert its authority and SO preserps
the integrity of the game in the United
States. 'eu
Constitution Unrepresentative
Many of us may deplore the fact thu,
the Western Golf Association should bavs
barred the stymie without consulting eitbsr
the U. 5. @. A. or the Royal and Ancient.
and that such independence might not hs
to the best interests Of the game; bdt wa
should bear in mind that the West has
not that reverence for the r. and A. that
we feel it should have and that the inde.
pendence of the w. G. A. has been con.
frmed through the negligence Of the U. q.
c. A. That the Western Golf Association
does not care to continue it's allegiance to
the U. s. G.. A. as now constituted sbouId
not outlaw it, but, on the contrary. this
should be the strongest evidence that the
present constitution Of the u S. G. A. should
be outlawed
"If the U. S. G. A. can no longer c,.,r,
national authority through it's inability
to enforce uniformity IN the rules of the
game, it has failed to live up to one Of the
cardinal principles upon which it was
founded, sand hence a revision of its consti.
tuition becomes mandatory in order, Il nos.
sible. to regain one of the chief objects Of
its existence.
But aside from the interests of the IT, q
G. A., the good of the game of golf at this
crucial moment does not rest in calling
names, but does rest In spirit of compro-
mise that all elements may be brought to.
gether under one authority and the integrity
of the future of the game established once
and for all 1t is no time for false prids
or personalities; 1t Is time for action
without regard to individual consequences
THE u. S. G. A. is under an Obligation
to appoint committee to consider its re-.
organization upon lines which will meet
with universal satisfaction. This commit.
tee should be composed of representative
men identified with golf throughout the
country, regardless of whether they are
members of the association or not. Let us
hope the association will undertake the an
pointment of this committee at once in order
that the present differences may be com.
posed and the foundations lad Of a perma.
nent association whose authority never can
be questioned"