The Washington herald., 1920-02-06

Just Pro and Con.
This fan is one of the regular at
tendants at the National League
Park. and it is doubtful il the prices
were doubled that he would remain
away. Still he has his arguments that
you should and you shouldn't" He
says, in the first place. that the play
ers should all have their salaries
boosted. then he yells when il is men,
toned that the admission is going to
be raised.
This is just one of the many argu-
ments that you hear pro and con
over this question.
But a raise in prices has to come IL
the players are to get what they
want And the argument that will be
brought up next week is going t. lie
- lively one in more ways than one.
But II is a moral certainty that a
uniform plan of increasing club rev.
sTu"S will he adopted.
Whether such a plan will be unani-
mOusly agreed to il a question that
cannot be answered at this time.
Higher Salaries.
The demands for higher salaries by
ever in the past and backed up by
more reasons. The ball players have
felt the high cost of living just as
much as have their brethren in any
other profession.
A salary of 10000 a month sounds
big. but when il is considerd that
his salary runs for only six months
in the majors and five in the minors
and that the player must stretch
that out for twelve months to cover
his living expenses. it does not
seem so much.
Moguls who turned a deaf ear to
the entreaties by players for more
coin in the past feel that they can
not refuse now to listen to the pleas
of their employees. for they know the
existing conditions of things. and
how hard II is for the players to
make ends meet.
Demands Unreasonable.
OF course. some of the demands
made by the players are unreason-
able, and will be turned down, as
they should be. But the majority
of players who are asking more
coin arc basing their requests on the
fact that they cannot get along on
what they considered fat
salary a few seasons ago.
That is the way the fans look
at IL and say why this OF that play
er should have what he asks for as
he is a drawing card and il he is
not given his advance he won't
do good work.
New We will take the opposite
question. With equipment and para
phernalia almost three times what
it was a year ago. bats. baseballs
ard uniforms costing many dollars
more than ever, il is out of the
question to ask the magnates why
they talk about raising the price.
Increase in Cost.
Uniforms that cost each major
league club a few years ago $40 a
player cannot be duplicated for over
twice that amount now. With base
balls practically 100 per cent higher
today than a year ago and railroad
fares way above the old . cent rate
and hotels charging as much or
more now for a room than they for
merly charged for both meals and
rooms it is no wonder they are
talking about advancing the price.
must come
GrifY Against Increase.
President Grifith is very much op-
posed to any advance in the price,
but as re Is only one of the sixteen
club vners his negative will
not count for much. nor will that of
Comiskey. who also is against any
advance. Grifith very seDsibly
says: Il do not favor doing away
with 25-cent seats. Those who pa
troniZe that section are the most
devoted fans We have, and it is the
same everywhere. 7 .ey are loyal
to the club and should be protected.
''Of course, this applies to the
fans who pay higher prices. So it
goes all the way down the line. but
let one player hold out for an ad-
vance and not report for the spring
trip, the same people who raise the
question about the advance in the
&c of tickets would be the very
first to yell their heads off about
,.e club owners not being liberal"
Reseryed Seats
1t is known fact that hundreds
of letters have been received at the
Washington clubs headquarters and