The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-17
BASEBALL LEAGUES SEVER RELATIONS AT STORMY MEETING
Draft Agreement Thing of the Past-Minor Player to Be Purchased Direct.
 New Working Ar
 engagements
By Associated Press


 New York, January 16.AThe major and minor baseball leagues, parties to the national agreement, the foundation of the professional end of the na- tional sport, broke relations after a stormy meeting here to- night.
 The Magma Charta of organization baseball was, figuratively speaking, torn to pieces and the two great com binations will in the future be bound together by an elastic agreement which will permit them to operate with comparative independence. No prediction was made as to what effect tonight's proceedings will have on the professional game and the play CTS, but leaders of both leagues pro- sensational turn affairs had taken when temporary arrangements were complet- ed shortly before midnight.
 Under the tentative agreement which was entered into tonight the major and minor leagues are to respect the contractual, territorial and reserva- tion rights of each other, with the pro- viso that no minor league club shall claim the right to more players at any time than the maximum roster al- lowed to clubs in the major leagues. During the playing season this would equal 21 players.
 The draft, optional and reservation agreements of the national agreement entered into 1903, are things of the past and the the only way in which the major league clubs can obtain players from the minors will be by direct pur- chase.
 Garry Hermann, chairman of the national commission, in announcing the abrogation of the existing part, said
 '"The National Association of Profes- sional Baseball leagues requested changes which we could not and would not grant and when they stated that they would be the happiest men in the world if they were permitted to go their own way and attend to their own busi- ness arrangements in the future, we thought best to permit them to do as they desired"
 A new working agreement between
  sociation of Minor Leagues is to be drawn up as soon as possible and pend- ing the completion of this new arrange ment, the national agreement will re- main in force.
 The interests of the major leagues in the framing of this new working agreement have been entrusted to the national commission and the minor league organization has appointed a cOmmittea of to reDreSent it in the same manner. This committee was named tonight as follows:
 John F Powers, Los Angeles; A. T. Timme, Milwaukee; E. J. Hanlon, Cioux City; Walter Morris, Fort Worth, Tex; Lieut.. Dave L. Fultz, New York; M. H. Sexton, Little Rock, Ark. and Secretary J. H. Farrell, Auburn, N. Y.
 The National association will hold an other meeting here tomorrow at noon, preceded by a short session, at which the committee of seven will formulate plans for the future conduct of the affairs of the association All of the minor league representatives declared that they were we'll satisfied with the outcome of the nights conferences
 Aftr the meeting John A. Heydler president of the National league, an- nounced that he had appointed President Baker of the Philadelphia, and Vice Pres ident Veech of the Chicago club, the Ma tional league committee of two to aid in the selection of a new chairman of the national commission.
 The Baseball Writers association to- night elected these officers for the com ing year:
 President Irving E. Sanborn, Chicago vice president, Robert Maxwell, Philadel- phia; secretary-treasurer, Joseph Nc Cready, Philadelphia.
 The retiring president, Joseph Jackson, was elected to the board of directors.