The graduated system of assisting players, step by step, from the least important leagues to the most important is the most perfect plan of its kind that has ever been devised. There may be flaws in it, but if there are they will be remedied, and if modifications are necessary to make it more perfect there is no doubt that such modifications will be agreed upon.

As proof of what the new National Agreement may do, although it has barely had time to be considered, the editor of the GUIDE would submit the following for consideration:

Ever since the National Agreement was organized the members have always striven to aid the players in their efforts to gain the top rank in the great national game. They have had a hard proposition in handling all of the cases that have been brought to their attention, but their decisions in all cases were absolutely fair and impartial. Then the matter of the new agreement occasioned many hours of laborious work on the part of the members of the Commission, and when the instrument was finally announced it meant that all of the parties to such an agreement were satisfied and that there could be no improvement. There was one detail that covered a wide field, and that was in the matter of players; drafted by the two big leagues and later sent back to the minors. Under the old National Agreement it was possible to pick up a player by means of the annual draft from one of the Class C leagues and just before the opening of the season send him back to the club from whence he came without ever having given him a chance to land with a club in some higher organization.

Realizing that such players were not given a chance to advance in the Base Ball profession, this matter was thoroughly thrashed out and the new ruling under which all of the National Agreement clubs operate was adopted. Now it is possible for a player in any of the smaller leagues to be drafted by a major league club, and when the latter party does not care to retain possession of such a player he is first offered to the Class AA clubs. All of these clubs must waive on him before he can be dropped farther down in the list, and if such should be the case he would then be offered to the Class A clubs. In that way the player, although he is not fast enough to remain in the two major leagues, is always given a chance to advance, for if any of the clubs in those classes higher than that from which he came had grabbed him he was bound to receive an increase in salary. That meant that he had his chance to advance, and that was the sole purpose of the National Agreement in drafting such a rule.

During the past drafting season there were sixty-nine players drafted by the two major league clubs, and of that number twenty-seven have already been sent back to the minor leagues. The Class AA and A clubs claimed all of these twenty-seven, and it is more than likely that there will also be many more who will be given trials by the big league clubs during the spring training season and who may later be turned back to the minors. Of the twenty-seven players thus far sent back seventeen of them advanced in their profession, a tribute to the sagacity, wisdom and impartiality of the members of the National Commission. The decision, as announced by Chairman Herrmann of the National Commission pertaining to this return of drafted players, is as follows:

------------|-----------------|----------|-----------|--------------
Clubs. | League. | Players. | Drafted | Drafted By
| | | From |
------------|-----------------|----------|-----------|--------------
Louisville |American Asso. |Stansbury |Louisville |St. Louis N.L.
Chattanooga |Southern Asso. |Balenti |Chattanooga|St. Louis A.L.
Sacramento |Pacific Coast |Berghammer|Lincoln |Chicago N.L.
Sacramento |Pacific Coast |Orr |Sacramento |Phila. A.L.
Sacramento |Pacific Coast |[1]Young |Harrisburg |New York A.L.
Sacramento |Pacific Coast |Drohan |Kewanee |Washington.
Indianapolis|American Asso. |Berghammer|Lincoln |Chicago N.L.
Indianapolis|American Asso. |Cathers |Scranton |St. Louis N.L.
Indianapolis|American Asso. |Metz |San Antonio|Boston N.L.
Indianapolis|American Asso. |Kernan |Oshkosh |Chicago A.L.
New Orleans |Southern Asso. |Bates |Newp't News|Cleveland.
New Orleans |Southern Asso. |Wilson |Knoxville |Cleveland.
New Orleans |Southern Asso. |Betts |San Antonio|Cleveland.
New Orleans |Southern Asso. |Drohan |Kewanee |Washington.
New Orleans |Southern Asso. |Williams |Newark, O |Washington.
Portland |Pacific Coast |Williams |Newark, O |Washington.
Portland |Pacific Coast |Drohan |Kewanee |Washington.
Portland |Pacific Coast |Bates. |Newp't News|Cleveland.
Portland |Pacific Coast |Grubb |Morristown |Cleveland.
Portland |Pacific Coast |Wilson |Knoxville |Cleveland.
Portland |Pacific Coast |Betts |San Antonio|Cleveland.
Milwaukee |American Asso. |Beall |Denver |Cleveland.
St. Paul |American Asso. |Berghammer|Lincoln |Chicago N.L.
St. Paul |American Asso. |Miller |Harrisburg |Pittsburgh.
St. Paul |American Asso. |Booe |Ft. Wayne |Pittsburgh.
St. Paul |American Asso. |House |Kewanee |Detroit.
St. Paul |American Asso. |Drohan |Kewanee |Washington.
St. Paul |American Asso. |Beall |Denver |Cleveland.
St. Paul |American Asso. |Balenti |Chattanooga|St. Louis A.L.
St. Paul |American Asso. |Agnew |Vernon |St. Louis A.L.
Omaha |Western League |Wilson |Knoxville |Cleveland.
Omaha |Western League |Williams |Newark, O |Washington.
Omaha |Western League |Betts |San Antonio|Cleveland.
Omaha |Western League |Drohan |Kewanee |Washington.
Buffalo |Internat'l League|Schang |Buffalo |Phila. A.L.
Buffalo |Internat'l League|Dolan |Rochester |Phila. A.L.
Buffalo |Internat'l League|Cottrell |Scranton |Chicago N.L.
Buffalo |Internat'l League|Clymer |Minneapolis|Chicago N.L.
Columbus |American Asso. |Drohan |Kewanee |Washington.
Rochester |Internat'l League|Dolan |Rochester |Phila. A.L.
Montreal |Internat'l League|Connelly |Montreal |Washington.
Toledo |American Asso. |Hernden |[2] |St. Louis.
Toledo |American Asso. |Stevenson |Oshkosh |St. Louis N.L.
Toledo |American Asso. |Bates |Newp't News|Cleveland.
Toledo |American Asso. |Wilson |Knoxville |Cleveland.
Denver |Western League |Heckinger |Racine |Chicago N.L.
Denver |Western League |Drohan |Kewanee |Washington.
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1: Subject to investigation as to whether New York American League Club has title.

2: Subject to investigation as to whether St. Louis American or National League Club has title to this player and how secured.

A WORLD'S SERIES PROBLEM