The Wilmington morning star., 1945-02-04
LEAGUES DRAFT
new ARCEEMEv1
Election OF Commission,
Will Require Three.
Fourths Vote

NEW YORK, Feb. 3.-OIp.
The major leagues decided .o.,
to operate in 1915, named ,,..
presidents to represent bsseb.n
in Washington, and adopted No,
agreement curbing the powers !,
any successor to the late Kere,.r
Mountain Lands as commisgor,.
of baseball.
Election will require b,s..
fourths vote OF the l6 major lsssr,
clubs. The old agreement ,M5a,
which Lands served reopir,
only a majority.
The curbing Of the commissio,
ers powers came in a clause wbc,
eliminated the provision md..
which the office could operate a,
its own authority in any matte,
considered detrimental 10 bae.
ball. That provision gave Land,
power to rule the game with an
iron hand, but his successor must
submit proposed actions Of ba,
manner to joint meeting Of The
leagues, with action up 10 the club
owners themselves.
Thus, the clubs which Lsndjs
held over the owners was rp.
moved.
At separate meetings, preceding
the adoption Of the new agreemen,
the leagues named their presidents
Ford Prick Of the National and
William Harridge of the American
to represent baseball in discus
sion with Government officials and
officials of the armed services in
all matters pertaining to baseball
operations during the war emery.
ency."
It marked the first time that the
game has permitted its represer.
tatives to 60 to Washington-a pol,
icy which Lands rigidly opposed.
At separate meetings, the two
leagues, after hearing reports from
Frick and Clark Griffith, owners
of the Washington Senators on
their conferences with ranpoWer
officials in Washington, voted 10
60 ahead with our plai for the
opening of the regular champion
ship season"
Major league baseball Twill con.
tinue it's policy of cooperation with
the country's all-out war effort
Joint statement said Like every
one else our manpoWar is avail
able whenever and wherever need
ed most.
1--WE welcome the recent direc
tives from the War Departmen
relative to the re-examlnation o
At players and any Legislator
that will assure the public and TN
players that the teams on tn
field are not needed elsewhere
"Whatever the government doe
is right. 1t is our job to contlnu
so long as the Government want
us to do So
Leslie M. O'Connor, chairman
the temporary three-man commS
sion ruling the game sald D
would call meeting for the cleo
ton of a new commissioner as 500
as requested to do so by el'ne
league president" The leagu
presidents, Prick and harrds'
are the other members OF the c00
mission. -, =.
The new commissioner VIII :,
ceive $4,000 a year, compals
with the S65.0O0 which LandlS II
ceived, but the term OF Office VI
be the same seven years.
Action on new comlllSS'on'
at today's meeting was oiocA.
by a technically, no cluo o"N'
having advised the COMMISSION
days in advance that it desired
bring the subject up. Ihat owe :,
sight made it necessary ioI u.
forces supporting Frick 1of !"
post to obtain consent OF a.
club owners to bring the n1at'er u
The clubs opposed 10 FLICK nv u
fused to give their consent -
delay was believed to nave w
Prick, the only active campals4''
for the post, as it did a1teI u
Black Sox scandal Of 1917, "ou4u Z
outside the game for its next rue
Former Postmaster General JAM
A. Farley was menuoneo INV
prominently among horde
candidates.