The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-01-16
The BASEBALL
MACNATES ARE
MIN SESSION
National and serican
Leagues are Repre- I
ed at the Gathering
MANY QUESTIONS TO
BE CONSIDERED
Percentage in the World
Series and Status of
Players Must Be
Decided

D0ClQGQ
New York, Jan. 13-Baseball club
owners and league officials are gath
ering in this city tonight for one of
the most important series of confer
ences in the history of the profess
sional game. The reconstruction
period in baseball has arrived and for
the remainder of the week all those
financially connectedwith the support
will struggle with the problems which
have arisen in the wake of the world
war.
Magnates and players of high and
low degree, who will ultimately be af-
fected by the result of the coming de-
liberations, are arriving from all parts
of the country and for the next few
days the national game, in so far as
it relates to leagues and professional
participants, will be the subject of
serious study and consultation. The
week of conference will open tomor-
row forenoon with a meeting of the
New international League and close
with a series of joint sessions between
the National and American Leagues
which are expected to last until Sat
urday.
Taken in chronological order the
proceedings will move forward some
what along the following lines: The
New international League will meet
Tuesday forenoon and after a special
session will later attend the afternoon
meeting of the National Association
Of Professional Leagues. At these
conferences number of questions, af-
fecting both the minor leagues and
their relation with the majors, will be
discussed and a plan Of action proba-
bly, adopted. The outstanding desire
of the minor leagues appears to be
for the abolition of the draft but di-
vergent opinions are held as to the
effect of such move and it is likely
that compromise will be reached
with major leagues calling for altera-
tons in the present draft regulations.
When the National and American
subjects for consideration will include
limitation of players salaries, team
rosters and purchase price of stars. go
ing from the major league club to an
other The questions of defining a
limited period for Spring training, re-
construction Of the National Commis-
son and new arrangements for the
distribution of World Series receipts
will also be taken up. The 1919
schedules of the two leagues will be
turned over to the proper committees
for routing disposal, while the draft
and optional agreements with the
minor leagues will receive proper
consideration.
The personnel of the National Com
mission will undoubtedly be the sub
iect of lengthy discussion. The Ma
tional League is on record as favorlng
one-man commission or a new and
! neutral chairman in case the three
man commission is continued. The
American league, as a whole, appears
,, to hold for a continuation of the pre-
sent organization. Some of the mag
mates would like to fix a similar player
limit for both leagues. Last season
| the National held to eighteen while
the American has adopted twenty
one limit
If the present opinions are enacted
into regulations it is likely that the
winning and losing club owners in the
! 1919 World Series will be obliged to
turn back fifty per cent of their
winnings to their respective league
treasures in place Of the present
twenty-five. The players will also
| have to accept a different
system of apportionment but just
what form this will take cannot be
forecasted.
The sale and purchase of players,
and numerous trades as well as other
deals and items of baseball business
incidental to such gatherings are also
predicted upon scale fully in keep
ing with the magnitude of the gather
ings.