The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-06
TELLS MINOR MAGNATES TO
RETURN TO SAFE AND SANE
POLICY OF MANAGING CLUB

cost of operation per year to be
about as follows:
Glass A-From $4,000 for the
cheapest club to $150,000 for the
highest, or an average of $I01 900
This means SIS, 1873 per month and
1851 for each game for one team
Glass B-From S34 Isl to s53.711
or an average of $43,826 per year
for each club. This means SO, 200
per month at IL months per sea
son, or $323.23 per club for each
game.
Glass C-These clubs were appar-
emily too busy trying to make ends
meet and would not send the infor
nation.
Glass D-From $22.54o to $50 ,28S.
This was a daily expense Of $26S.56
per game for each club.
These figures, gentlemen, are
placed on our 1920 experience and
would, l believe, show considerably
higher for 1921, transportation costs
alone having advanced 20 per cent.
About one-third of this cost is rep
resented in salaries, another one
third in war tax and money paid
out to visiting clubs, and the bal
ance is covered into numerous
items, many of which could be ma
terially reduced and some entirely
eliminated For instance, why
should clubs report a small army of
players every spring four, five and
six weeks before their scheduled
season is to open? Wouldn't it be
advisable to fix a limit on training
periods for each classification?
Can't we devise some way to cur
tail the tremendous waste of money
each spring on the cost of trans
portation for players reporting?
Why should any club stand for the
cost of round trip transportation to
get player report? Why is it that
you frequently pay transportation
for the players wives, or some
other relatives, clear across the
continent, only to find after you
have locked the player over that he
doesn't answer your requirements
During the regular playing season
you could reduce your sleeping car
charges just SO per cent by subst-
tuting tourist for standard sleep
ers: Your hotel expense could be
more reasonable rates, or by posi-
tive refusal to patronize the high
priced hotels. Your daily allow
ance to players for food while traV-
cling, should not only be reason
able, but uniform by every club in
each league. The daily expenditure
of from 81 TO S., by travelling clubs,
for taxicabs from hotels to ball
parks and return is an eXtTaVagant
waste. The mad scramble to pur-
chase rain insurance has become
alarming. Insurance companies
were not actuated by a spirit Of
philanthropy when they inaugural
ed this idea and prior to a short
time ago We meyer thought of such
an expenditure. Travelling secre-
taries are a luxury that should be
confined to major league and class
IA clubs. If your club manager
is, not competent to handle your
receipts on the road, make proper
accounting of expenditures after
each road trip and make prompt
settlement with the proper official
at the proper time. Many of these
practices, gentlemen, are fads
copied from the MAJOR leagues,
foisted upon US by our more pros
porous clubs, or by careless and
Indifferent club officials, and have
become a heavy burden upon one
half or more of our club mem bers.
League presidents should insist
upon league rules prohibiting most
of these practices. should dispense
with the double umpire system
wherever possible, stop the indis-
criminate consumption of baSeballs
and make a determined effort to
compel observance of player and
salary limits"