PRIZE FIGHT PICTURES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 399, 7 January 1909, Page 5

PRIZE FIGHT PICTURES.

A REPLY. In yesterday's Dominion appeared a copy of a s letter 'which has been forwarded to the Prime Minister protesting against the exhibition in New Zealand of kincniatograph pictures of the Burns-Johnson fight. A ropiy to that letter has been forwarded to Sir Joseph Ward by the firm of entrepreneurs who are "interested in the display of the latest fight film as follows :— , "6th January, 1909. "The Right Honourable tho Premier, V :..." Wellington. . ' '. . r 'Sir," \ ' . , ~ , ■ : "We notice-by. this morning's paper that a'letter of protest has_been sent to; you re 1 -the kinematograph exhibition of the BurnsJohnson Boxing Contest. As wo are about to show this ■ film throughout New Zealand, we would like to point out that although the letter says that ' inany representative'organs of the English press, the Australian press, and the New Zealand press have de-' :nounced in scathing terms'the repulisivc and degrading character of this contest, every; paper of the Dominion is to-day publishing full accounts'of this so-called 'brutal boxing contest.' The letter also goes on, to say, 'If the kinematograph production is permitted in Now Zealand wo shall bo in a worse plight than,even Australia.' As. a matter of fact,' the film of the fight is now being displayed all over Australia, and 110 attempt has been mads to stop it anywhere." "This letter of. _ protest has been sprung quite as a surprise, otherwise we venture to assert that we could have attached to this letter quite as representative a number of signatories. The press reports say that Burns was all right the day after the contest. Johnson,; as might have been, expected from what has already been, told us,' received from the'fight' scathless. Burns, ; . received£6ooo, Johnson £1500. _ It is' very obvious to any ordinary thinking person. that , the fight was"very 'brutal' to the contestants. '' "In conclusion, wo emphatically assert that the . letter of protest is . not against the exhibition of the picture, which softens the actual affair by 50 per cent., but is against boxing in any form whatsoever, and they seize upon the Burns-Johnson pioture as the thin end of the wedge. Wei feel' confident to leave the matter to your judgment, and that, you will not allow ono seotioil to'deprive the other of reasonable liberty. Yours faithfully, : "JOHN FULLER AND SONS."