The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-03
Pei Leader Pre- s ents a
 Big Scheme
By CLIFF ABBO

New Orleans, November D.
 Especially - What may seem the most revolutionary and
 drastic piece of legislation pro-
 posed in the history of the Southern League will be ad- vanced to the league directors ! next month by President A. J. Heinemann of the local club. The scheme proposed will totally re- . organize the financial arrangement of each club as we'll as the league on a basis whereby the eight clubs will di- vide the annual profits in eight equal parts. Thus the weaker clubs will be streng gthened with view of equalizing the competition, all clubs will be held within the salary limit, and Southern League fans will enjoy a higher class article of ball as a result.
 While the proposition did not origi- nate with the local mogul, he con scientiously believes it can be worked to the success of members who may oh- Ject to curtailment of part of their profits. President Heinemann said that while Atlanta, Birmingham and Memphis would, object to such a pro- posal, he believed it would be a God send to Chattanooga Mobile and Nash vile, and that possibly Little Rock would look favorably on the scheme.
 PROPOSED ARRANGEMENT
 Briefly, the arrangement would be as follows:
 All the gate receipts of the eight eclubs forming the league to be for wqrded to the office of the league pres- ident, from which office the salaries of the players would be paid.
 The Slubs would retain all collections for reseFyed and box seats concessions and adTsrti tisements to maintain the running expenses of the club, such as rent, office salaries and general up- keep.
 Raise the salary limit of the league to S5,500, which would strike an aver age of $500 to s400 a month, and let the president of the league mail checks to players semi i-monthly.
 At the end of the season, divide the remaining sum on hand in the presi- dents office equally between the eight clubs.
 What good would such a seemingly wild proposition accomplish. and why the sudden philanthropy on the part of President Heinemann or any other club president who has money maker?
 By having all the gate receipts pooled, the smaller clubs like Chatta- nooga, Mobile and Nashville, could hire players and talent within the proposed increased salary limit on par with the stronger clubs.
 With eight clubs equally balanced, l interest in the play would be stimu- lated, the larger clubs would draw big 1 ger gates in the smaller towns, and the smaller towns would in turn run up larger totals when playing in the big towns.
 INCREASED ATTENDANCE
 President Heinemann believes thatt the increased attendance from such an 1 arrangement would almost offset the probable loss of the larger clubs The | Southern League sinking fund also ! would be fortified greatly financially 1 by taking the usual 10 per cent rake ] off from greater attendance. During |, the year of 1920. Birmingham, Atlanta i Memphis and New Orleans earned up- ward of $40,000. while the Little Rock | club also enjoyed a prosperous year by 1 virtue of their pennant winning team | However, this has not always been the | case with Little Rock. who like Nash 1 vile, Chattanooga and Mobile, have had | lean years. Under the reorganization | arrangement the entire eight clubs | probably would strike an annual di- | vision of from s16,000 to s1S,00O in ad- | dition to the other profits from con- sessions, etc.
 As an example of how baseball is | patronized in some of the towns with | weaker clubs. President Heinemann | cited case where the Pelicans played l in Mobile and drew down for their end l of the affair $S5.40, The same hap pened in Chattanooga during the sue cessful road trip of the Pelicans toward | the latter part of the year.
 HEINEMANN'S STATEMENT
 "There is no question in my mind l that q financial arrangement of this |