The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-05-03

E>-.,e. T. the first nation to recoG-
,t-e officially. the fact that athle tics are
rar, ~ the life OF n nation and first 10
litt athletics to the dignity OF a govern
,n.n,al aepartment The Minister OF
ATHLETES is the new member OF the
Graz RritaJn, during and since the
v-Hr' has sshsidized athletic games, as
sfsfinE athletic organizations t',hiic
ally and otherwise from INC p'
italy has adopted a government ae-
partmsntal scheme Of encouraging N'"
leties among the people, nSr,r,es, Of course.
LONG have had their State ana ututiSI-
paIfy aided athletic and SymhAs''e
SnlSns-,h. REV. Puland-is planning
.he extension OF the old State aided anu
municipaIIy controlled turner socieues'
ard 10 planning outdoor athletic de'eT
0p WhnI =. m, United States doing"
We read a speech made in the con
gress in which one statesman aSsia Io,
thsf the war was won on the SAND IoI
baseball holds Of America. ne si5 Mi
WAS not referring to. professional pa,
nlayerS winning the war or he was
frifle muddled in recent history. ne
meant that the athletes developed on
the lots provided the athletic youths
who were the backbone OF our amy,
We rad presidential candidates
90, in which ne gives our sport low
ing lads credit with enabling the oh'tsu
States TO produce. in record tlr,s' ~
finest physical armies the Worlo nos
ever seem. ,,s,-o,, 81
There appears to be no difference Oh
oninlon among foreign governments; or
among our own statesmen ana Po
clans, as to the value or athleuc Spots
an developing boys and men; nor Is
there any difference OF opinion amons
military and naval leaders as TO the
value OF athletics as creator anu &"
R,,t what are we doing about II?
Answer: We are taxing II ten per
cent ,oor
For more than year I have been pee,
yowlinr wildly against the ten per cen!
tar on athletic goods, which has helpeo
increase the price Of athletic equipment.
especially baseball equipment. 70
p6int where a great percentage OF the
kids of this country cannot aftora 10
For the last month I have been writ,
ing TO friends. sporting editors ana
others in all sections to md OUT now
this high price for baseball equipment
Is affecting the amateur game. nave
reports and estimates from Akron. u
Cleveland, Cincinnati. Chicago. Boston.
louisville, st. LOUIS; two sections has IN
bail) from Baltimore. Omaha. Fort
worth, Salt Lake city. Denver. Des
Moines and Cedar Rapids.
what these estimates contain. Some OF
them are from secretaries or amateur
ORGANIZATIONS. some from sport writers
who devote their time TO the ana.s ,,,r
some from other Officers OF amateur
organisations. \ combined report
Iarxe decrease in number Of organ
lied teams; Evidently more ine1rSSt
out OF the reach Of the average kid:
rode around Brooklyn on SATURDAY.
stonpin1 at every lot where kids were
playing ball and asking them question: hons
scarce, masks and balls scarcer. uni
forms and shoes Impossible.
II now costs almost third as much
to uniform one kid complete as II did
~ uniform the entire team four years
- A fair BOYS uniform costs s.. n de-
cent pair OF shoes So; and these are not
Kid teams al SEA for uniforms and
StockinRs, and shoes at SO.
leSRus baseball costs $3.50. glove
IS or more. a mttt six or seven dollars.
Prices or material. OF course. have
Kono up. The higher they go the larger
the ten per cent tax Is:
Why should the United States tax
its young athletes when tss,,, The severn Scsrl
one alsam OF Light
However. in tho discouraStng stu
alton we ind some cause for rejoicing.
Over In the F12lDuSn SeCIlOh u
Iyn discovered an instance OF youth
full acumen which. besides showing that
the Kids are clever, gives one more hope
for democracy"
composed Of kids twelve TO fifteen, and
the cost OF equipment. due largely to
the ten percent tax. hits them hard.
They are natural rivals and have done
derca battie against each other. One is
composed Of Jewish lads, the other of
Americans with a trace OF Irish.
Neither team could scrape up enough
money to get uniforms this year. 50 the
LEADERS got together and made a plan.
fhey pooled and purchased ten uni
forms. The Jewish nine Is not able to