Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
HEAVIEST DEMAND
|SFOR GOLF STUFF
Foot Ball, Basket Ball Buys
Large-Base Ball Fifth
Best Seller.

n n MANUFACTURERS Of sports
Mk goods, inventorying their 1929
IVl production, report q trernen-
dous increase in the sales Of
equipment used in amateur athletics.
The sale Of golf supplies Is greater
than in any other branch Of sport, and
the supply barely satisfies the demand,
even with overtime production.
Foot ball and basket ball rank second
to golf, with tennis next in order and
base ball no better than fifth. The sale
of base ball equipment has been falling
of steadily for the past decade, but
through the efforts Of the American
Legion to stimulate the game among
youngsters there was a slight increase
last year.
The sale Of soft balls and bats. how
ever, is increasing rapidly. Where much
equipment and a large plot of ground
was necessary for the regular game Of
base ball, the soft ball may be played
on small corner lot with only one ball
and bat necessary. With growing con-
gestion in metropolitan areas the soft
ball game is increasing in popularity.
Manufacturers are fllrthering the
game Of foot ball in the small towns of
the country by producing a medium
priced line of equipment that permits
high schools Of the more rural centers
to completely outfit an eleven at a mod
crate cost. and each year finds the game
growing in new spots.
Basket Ball Thrives.
Basket ball, which is almost the ma
tional game of the Middle West, also Is
making many new converts. There are
numerous towns in the corn belt that
have high school gymnasiums capable
of seating crowds several times in excess
of the population of the hamlet. In
such places basket ball also Is played
out Of doors in the Spring and Autumn.
The growth OF the game in amateur
circles also is heavy and manufacturers
believe that the production of basket
ball equipment soon will be second only
to golf.
Tennis, according to the production
barometer, also will continue to grow
A few years back manufacturers be-
lieved tennis was en- the down grade
but 1t has enjoyed a revival and now
Is one Of Americas most popular sports.
Squash racquets, squash tennis and
other varieties of the game also are
growing.
There are now 10 major manufac-
turers Of golf equipment in the country
and an innumerable number of smaller
ones. The big plants are kept on the
alert all the time to supply the demand
for clubs and balls, and since the game
has become an all-year sport, manufac-
turers have little time in which to &C
quire a surplus of material.
AS a side issue, many of the larger
knitting concerns of the country are
devoting much time to the manufacture
of sweaters and hose; the making of
golf shoes has become quite an item and
there are other by-products that con-
tribute quite a revenue to their makers.
The reports of the sports goods
manufacturers would indicate that
Americans have come to the realization
that it is better to become active rather
than vicarious participants In sports.
There are more fishermen and
hunters each year and the trend of
modern thought seems to be getting
into the open for some form of recre-
alton.
Manufacturers are looking forward to
an even greater year In 1880 than they
have enjoyed in the past, for sports are
one phase of American life that seem
untouched by financial crashes or any
thing else that may occur.