Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-06
MINORS PAY PLAN
BLASTED BY JUDGE
Leagues May Adopt Gross
Maximum Only Under New
Base Ball Order.
BY JOHN b. FOSTER.

n YEW YORK, January g.
~ Judge Lands has put his
> l Y big official boot down fiat
on an individual salary
limit in minor league base ball.
He refuses to permit the "bushers"
to exploit their ignorance Of COM
mon law and run counter to their
own best interests.
The Texas League adopted an indi-
vidual salary limit. The commissioner
of base ball heard Of it, naturally, and
sent word to all minor leagues that II
one of them attempted to make perma-
nent any regulation that limited an in
dividual player to certain sum per
season he would squash it.
When the Texas League heard that
it rescinded its action about an indi-
vidual salary limit and adopted a gross
monthly salary limit instead. The
league, under its new resolution may
pay a certain gross sum monthly to its
players.
But it does not say to any one player,
you can earn just this much, not a
cent more, and if you don't like it,
you can get out" With a gross sum
appropriated monthly each club can
divide it's individual remuneration to
fit the case.
Minors Keep Moguls on Edge.
1t is the minor leagues that keep
organized base ball fidgety. Some
owners in the minor circuits never
mother much about ethics and some Of
them never heard of the antitrust
laws.
Indeed, there are minor owners who
think they are public benefactors be-
cause they run base ball clubs, and it
is these who make the most trouble for
base ball. They continue operating a
club until they have spent all Of the
cash they wish to spend Then they
want to knock off right there and let
the players go hang.
When the minor association was
formed one of the best things that it
did was to establish financial RESPONSE
bility on the part of its members as
best it could. When the minors wished
to hook up with the majors, the latter
would not agree to any union unless
all financial liabilities of the minors
were made an obligation.
NUW, IL d LHlIlOF ledGue COSSn 40 as
it should, organized base ball holds it's
territory responsible for shortcomings,
and there can be no more base ball in
that neighborhood, under official sane
ton, until all claims are adjusted to the
satisfaction Of the creditor.
Salaries Are Guaranteed.
The salaries of the players are guar
anteed. When a club falters in pay
ment, the league must make good for
the debts of the individual club if the
league wishes to remain in business. If
1t goes out Of business, base ball can
not be resumed in that territory, even
under new owners, until the liabilities
of the old club have been cleared up.
The stringency Of this regulation has
made big difference in minor league
base ball and there are few attempts
now to operate a minor team on
shoestring. In former days, there were
men engaged in minor league base ball
whose principal aim in life was to es-
cape everything they could financially.
The fact that players were not always
paid in full meant little to them.
From the moment Commissioner
Lands took Office, he informed those
in organized base ball that when there
seemed to be anything wavering in the
balance as to the rights of the player,
he would give the player consideration
over the owner. He said the player
would have justice, and his present rul-
ing is in line with that declaration.