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Congress, Courts To Eye7 Baseball Will See That Big Leagues Carry Out Recommendations Contained in Probe Report By MILTON RICHMAN United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., May 24. Congress will continue to keep an eye on baseball, Rep. Emanuel Celler said today. Although his monopoly committee decided against passage of any special legislation, Celler said that both Congress and the courts would keep a close watch on the game. "We recommended that the rule of reason be followed with respect to baseballs exemption from anti-trust laws," explained Celler. "Baseball has said it intends to benefit from our report and we are going to see that it will suit its action to words. "Were going to see that baseball doesnt pay merely lip service to our recommendations. The courts throughout the country will see to it, also." Celler revealed that a few of the con-i gressmen on his sub-committee that studied organized baseball for almost nine months were vigorously determined "to be tough" on the game. "I preferred a unanimous opinion, however," he said. "Besides, a majority of the committee did not feel baseball should be punished." Most Objectionable Aspect The aspect of organized baseball that Celler found most objectionable, he said, was "the congealing of locations of clubs." He said there had been no change in the major league alignment of cities in the past 30 years and such a status quo was unfair to the fans. "Baseball doesnt want a third major league," he insisted. "They prefer to control players on their farm clubs rather than expand and allow the formation of a third league." Celler said there were many requests for the committee to set up some special code, by which baseball should be run, but the group voted against any such legislation. "Some people wanted us to institute something like the NRA for baseball," said Celler, "but we didnt think that would be wise." Although baseball, for the most part, was found to be operating "in a clean and honest manner," he added-, various abuses were discovered in the game. "Baseball would be a lot better off if it treated its players better in the minors," he said. "It would give such players more of an incentive to go higher and it would give fans in the various minor league cities a greater appreciation of their individual teams." If treatment of minor leaguers was improved, Celler added, more young men would look to baseball as a possible means of livelihood. "Our committee learned of various young ball players who quit the game in disgust because the salaries were so small and the conditions so deplorable in the lower leagues," he declared. The investigation by Cellers committee was the most comprehensive examination of baseballs "books" sin"e the game began. "We brought many of baseballs abuses to the fore," Celler said. He denied that the investigation was a waste of the taxpayers money. , "The whoie investigation only cost about ,000," he said.
