The Washington times., 1926-02-08
By LOUIS A. BOUCHER
Shorts Editor. The Times

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9Bullet joe Bush is coming to
Washington today from his home
In Philadelphia for conference
with President Griffith regarding
his salary for the season of 1926.
The pitcher, obtained from the
st. Louis Browns along with
Johnny Tobin in exchange for
Jezebel Tecumseh Zachary and
Win Ballou, has been quoted as
satisfied with the deal bringing
him East once more after his
many years in Philadelphia, Bos-
ton and New York, but his joy
has not been great enough to
cause him to sign contract with
out this conference.
Il don't expect to have much
trouble signing him, said President
Griffith today. Hes sensible
chap and has been in baseball a
long time. He knows what to ex-
pect and he also knows that he
win not be cheated by the Wash
ington club. / look for him to be
q big winner with this club. His
heart<will be in his work.
President Griffith arrived from
Tampa yesterday and is in good
condition. He suffered from a
severe cold for a while, he says, but
that has gone and today he was
looking forward to tomorrow's meet
Ing with zest.
ain many ways tOmOrrOw's
meeting is the most important in
our league IN years explained
the Washington magnate. After
two years of argument, we expect
60 adopt q rewritten constitution
that win endure as long as base
bah itself.
when the league had its fight
In the courts of New York over
the Carl Mays sale by Boston to
New York it was found that our
constitution really didn't amount to
much You see, when the league
was founded it was a small circuit
nd none of us dreamed 1t would
ever be what it is today. We could
not foresee that we would have to
cover so much ground as We now
have.
Well, when that case was finally
settled we began working on new
constitution. 1t has dawdled along
for two wears now. At every meet
ing we have taken out something
or put in something, but never
have we adopted any Of the re-
visions.
1T has now come down to two
forms and / expect one to be
adopted tomorrow without much
further argument. The powers OF
the president, of the board of direc-
tors and of the league as whole
are defined to the satisfaction OF
everybody and they have been ex.
pressed in a legal phraseology that
would be impressive in court.
AT our last annual meeting we
discussed this constitution. Law
yers had been working on 1t for
long time. but we were not quite
ready to vote on it. However, to-
morrow the league will adopt its
revised and rewritten constitution.
az, for one, am most DESTROYS
Of having in my possession q
COPY of the new constitution.
The last one was printed in 1914
and my not recalling some
amendment or other cost me $500
last summer when Eddie Collins
made his late protest against
cur postpOning game here.
"As soon as we adopt this new
constitution l shall see that / get
a copy and shall keep in the safe
under lock and key"
It is not likely that Judge Lands
candidacy will figure much at to-
morrow's gathering Of the clans at
the Washington Hotel. Colonel
Rupert, of the New York club, a
friend of both Judge Lands and
President Johnson as we'll as a
power in the league, advises cool
ness and a lack of haste.
LAS everyone knows, admire
Judge Lands personally and am a
strong supporter of his regime.
Rupert declares. But that doesn't
tionaI League was unnecessarily
premature in its resolution to ex-
tend his term ben years. What
was the big rush? The judges
contract has two years to run and
both leagues could have gotten to-
gether on an extension in due
course.
Now. however, we will have to
play ball or that resolution or be
rallied dispoyal to Lands. think
the National League went out of its
way to place us in an embarrassing
position. IL it wanted baseball to go
an record in favor of Lands. /
think it would have been more poll
tic for the other league to have
called US into conference and dis
cussed the proposition with us.
For the life of me. | cannot un.
derstand this inter-league rivalry
of a nersonal nature between men
whose business interests dovetail
30 closely.
"The very nature Of the resOIu.
fiOn would seem to demand mature
thought. Ten years is a long time
for any man to remain at the
head Of an institution. The Unit.
ed States elects its Presidents for
only four years.
Then, there is the matter of the
contract itself. 1t was only an ex
asrimentaI document and may be
subject to some changes, even II
Judge Lands cares to tie up with
baseball for as long a period as 10
years. which Is open to doubt. He
may have other plans, which would
not be surprising in a man of his
warranted reputation and ability
The American leaguers will go
into session tomorrow shortly after
noon end expect to have their bust.
neoo completed in plenty of time to