The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-17

sociation directors tonight concluded busy two days session-the annual wln- IA as the opening date of the 1925 cham ter conclave-with the fixing of April pionship season, adopted a revised con stitution, increased the visiting clubs share of the receipts of road" games to a basis of 20 cents on each paid ad- mission and by unanimous vote adopted resolution giving the clubs in the three smaller cities in the league Chattanooga and Little Rock-a sub stantial guarantee of financial assls- tance.
 In the revision of the constitution greater power and authority was vested in the league president, John D. Mar tin, among other things making his rulings as to protested games and the lining and penalizing of man%e players and umpires during the playing season final and granting him the right to decline to approve and promulgate any contract between club and player when in his judgment and discretion such action would be to the best interest of the league or advisable for the pro- tection of the game itself.
 Another resolution adopted gave non- playing members the right to go upon the coaching line without being required to sign players contract and be counted within the player limit.
 To Settle Disputes
 Provision also was made that disputes or claims between the clubs and between the players and the clubs shall be de- cided by the league executive unless either party, at the time of the filing of the claim or complaint demands a hearing before the full league directorate composed of the league president and the presidents of the eight clubs.
 Another action taken at today's ses- sion-which began shortly before noon and was in continuous session for ten Mir. Martin as presi- dent of the league to enter into con- tract for a five year period with the Texas league for post-season series between the pennant winners of the Southern association and Texas league for the Dixie championship. In fixing the opening date for the coming season, an agreement was reached for the open ing games to be played in Little Rock, Mobile, Nashville and Chattanooga. Memphis will be the opposing team at Little Rock, New Orleans at Mobile, Birmingham at Nashville, and Atlanta at Chattanooga.
 Schedule To Be Fixed The allotment of holiday games was deferred. A. J. Heinneman, president of the New Orleans club, was named as chairman of the schedule committee to draft a tentative schedule of 154 games to be submitted to the spring meeting of the league in Memphis, March 3, or earlier if call for meet ing before that date should be found advisable.
 The schedule committee, composed of MT. Heinemann, Strang Nicklin of Chattanooga and R. G. Allen of Little Rock, will meet in New Orleans at the call of the chairman.
 Under the plan adopted to aid finan- cially the clubs in the smaller cities in addition to providing that the visit ing clubs share of the receipts in each city in the league be increased from 16 1-5 cents on each paid admission to 20 cents, a proviso was made guaran- teeing to the three smaller clubs that their revenue would be increased to the extent of $5,000 over the amount they would have received on the basis of last years division-16 1-5 cents-on road games.
 $5,OOO Guaranteed
 In the event there should be any deficit, the amount to bring it up to tht S5.OOO guarantee will be made up iron the league treasury. This decision wa' reached after lengthy discussion as thu most logical plan to enable the club in the less populous cities to compete with their .'big brothers" in the largel cities. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
 Authority to give the league pres ident the right to decline to approv contracts follows action taken last yea which required that any newcomer il the league as a club owner be requiret to have the approval of the directors b, three-fourths vote. The adoption O these rules was intended as means O excluding any undesirable club owne or ball player.
 To Affect BarOns
 The granting of permission to non playing managers to go on the playini field as coaches will affect five of tn eight clubs in the league - Memphis Mobile, Nashville, Birmingham an' Chattanooga-ea of which will hay "bench" manager next year.
 Atlanta and New Orleans will hav playing managers. The manager of tn Little Rock club has not been an I nounced.
 A resolution also was adopted, pro viding that in no case shall players un der contract with Southern association clubs play against each other durin' the playing season except in champion ship games.
 Provision was also made for staf of nine umpires for the 1925 pennan race and the president of the leagu was given greater authority than here