New-York tribune., 1920-12-14

Several of the club presidents are
anxious to get out of town, or out of
durance vile, to do some Christmas
shopping-and from the present out
league. has designs on breaking the
best speed record of its younger rival,
which, until torn by factional strife,
usually got through with its annual
meeting in the course OF few hours.
President Charles A. Stoneham and
John J. McGraw, vice-pres
ger, OF the Giants, intend to leave to-
morrow for Cuba if nothing important
develops to detain them A gigantic
deal or a joint meeting of the major
leagues might delay one or both.
Joint Meeting Now Likely
There. may be joint meeting here
the end of the week. At least the
American Leagues annual meeting Will
be held here Friday, instead OF In CHI
cago. And if Judge Kenesaw Mountain
Landismthe new commissioner OF or
canized baseball, is able to make the
Grade. from Chicago to be in this city
Saturday in all probability joint
meeting of the two major leagues Will
be held here at that time.
A delay to the end Of the week for
the purpose Of having the two majors
meet j6intly Is considered more than
worth while by the majority of Ma
tionat League club presidents already
gathered here. 1t would greatly sim
plify as we'll as hasten the ratification
Of that part Of the new peace agree
ment which has to do with the major
leagues solely. The agreement between
the majors and minors must of neces-
sity await a majority vote from all
clubs Of the minor leagues and this
will require four weeks at least, as 1t
will be conducted by mail.
Therefore the original joint meet
ing of all leagues interested in the
new national agreement, as decided
upon by Commissioner Judge Lands
for the City of Chicago on January II
next. will stand as fixed. The joint
meeting of the two major leagues here
Saturday, if held, will be for the pur-
pose of ratfying the inter-maJor
league part of said agreement SO that
certain necessary contract changes may
be effected at once.
Baseball has suffered a black eye
from the expose of the gamber-di-
rectel members of the Chicago White
Sox in the worlds chanpio iship series
against the Cincinnati Reds in 1919.
While this is the r.lost damaging it is
but one of the corruptions which have
crept into the game since the days OF
League war. transforming, as now
conducted each fall, is also bringing
the game into disrepute, as the major
league players involved look upon such
trips as JOY rides, pay absolutely no
attention to discipline or training
rules. and are suspected more or less
Of hippodroming.
New Form Of Contract
.c ts
new form of contract. which is to be
adopted (subiect to American League
approvaN by the National League Mt
It's annual meeting. This contract will
cover a period of pay for twelve
months, instead of the customary six
ss low in vogue 1t is believed it will
give owners control of players through
out the entire year instead of through
out the playing season only. 1t will
require players to report upon notice
for spring training and maintain disci-
pline in whatever transforming that
may be permitted under proper super
.islon each fall.
l. is imperative that the two major
ieague clubs work in harmony on all
matters of such Importance as con-
tract forms. For this reason d Joint
meeting now is desired.
IN case the joint meeting is found
impracticable the National League will
recommend that the American League
consider and pass upon the matter at
IS annual meeting here Friday. In
tat way new form Of contract may
be prepared in time TO mail out the first
of the year, when contracts are usually
mailed. There are very few players
signed so far to the old form of con-
-ract.
1t has been learned nm tho host