BOXING ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 501, 7 May 1909, Page 8

BOXING ASSOCIATION.

■ LETTER AND A .REPLY. /'; -•.■'/' 'A special mating 1 of/tho ! Wellington Boxing Association ,was-..held' last ; night, .Mr: ■ E. W. ITVilly .presiding.' "■■-■'. .' , : , «'' A- ■ A letter from Zealand Council in regard to the proposed visit of T. Burns was considered' in committee,, and it was, decided to reply stating that, if. tho association s. officers are called- on to perforih, any'.services in .connection with' tho' visit- they should• bo recompensed for their i trouble. '■ The matter of fitting dates would depend.;upon' tho -definite. ■ date arranged for tho .visit.. ,• -,- ;-' •' .'.-■■' • It was resolved that, nominations for 1 the provincial to, bo held .on, June .8 and 9, should close on, June 3. A nomination fee of -25. ; "6d.- was. fixed .on,"..the money, to be refundedto all who put in an appearance. v 'The value.of the medals- for events,was decided,on as ;£3 3s.' for first. ;T'iie trophies for 6econd prizes are tb bo open,orders for £lls.'> . '"V\' :; " : ' '-, '/'/'■''-' /In refcrenco to a letter headed:"Boxing Con-, tests,".. published -in'-- The Dominion recently and signed "Fair Share," the, chairman said he should like to make' a 'statement-'as. to-tho correct,position of tho association's affairs.,Tho writer of tho letter' stated:—.'.' ■•';■'.■'-."-.■' >. ' / ■: If .'they ; (tho association) can't/ give ..the ■ sporting community more of-the-art.'; of . self-defence let somo. private I concern /take.-:, it over that will give a.deceht purse, say,.a-, . £100:' purse .or. more, 1 not: the' paltry cno.'■'■ ; : that is;given : at the' present time.-. It -is/ : .practically rightwhat Billy Murphy said in'-' //last week's .'Referee":.-, They' give about 'one-; pound; in-fifty; and, stiff prices l 'aro." charged for'admission.-We, th» public, do .;' ' .not : mind tho charges,-' provid-'ng ihat tho ; .boxers get a fair share, of the profits., Just V. fancy; giving a: £60,purso outof abput a£42s' = ./.house.. 'This.-cannot be/denied./; '1' have".: /.known somo of tho opera companies to take ' .over £360, and their p'ricasiwere not nearly, /so stiff as those charged,' by tho ■ Boxing , -Association;;;'-,/;,,, .'■';_ ';;' :'..-■■■-.■■■■' During;' the' five; years of- the association's operations,' said ■ Mr. their" receipts had; amounted to £3299' Gs., and : the expendi'ture'.sq'.£2B9s;6s.'Bd;- [ The, expenditure 'ihclude'd trophies,'- purse monoy and expense's of; competitors abroad",£ll22 15s.' id, \ advertising 43320 Is.'; 3d.,-rent £345 105., ! paid .to New Zealand Council' £.131 os. id'.y - contributions .Blewdon's expenses to London; .£25/ Gosling's expenses to A'.A:. ; Championships, at Brisbane, £30 'Os.'.Gd., ring, : platform and other material £172 lis. 4d., eloves, £41; professional "purse (lost); Turner and Tracy. £100, Henley and .Godfrey £97.105., .Gosling . and Ireland.- ;£ll7. - 25., ' Godfrey.. and Elliott £70, Keys. and'.Tracy £105; : annual/fees, to , New Zealand Council £31'. Is.; : wages . to Opera; House staff £124;. 3s. 4d.' The Wellington Boxing Association, ;.ho continued,, was, not .the.big fat concern that it was 'believed to. W. While they earned a'great deal of .money, .they also-circulated almost as much. .They pnt up a;- certain class of : entertainment, at a certain price, "and.-, if the people thought it -worth while they paid that; price, they .were, not .forced to do, so. . The members of.the association .were .going, to a 'great .deal of /trouble .for pure love of the sport.-If, instead, of writing to tho press and making a lot of; misstatements, the people who wished to criticise-the , association .would take ■ the trouble, of .analysing /the,balance-sheets .and .'seeing what'.the association had 'done, and was "'doing,' - they ; would: bo much obliged, toZthem. With regard to the suggestion that the 'association should delegate its powers to private individuals, h« stated' that'they could not do any. Buch. thing, ; By law they were entrusted with the governing of the sport, and any departure from the exercise of their proper -powers would bo promptly interfered with by the police.■"! They had beer approached more than'any other body in'the country with requests to allow contests to be held, but they were, not .there for that pur- . pose. It wastheir business, to promote matches . in. the best interests >of boxing. .Their-" policy was to pnt before the public, from timeto/time the-best.talent they'.could/get,'and they'werc not, as an'association, going to drag down the . sport by arranging or. permitting third-rat< ; . contests.- There.was,no question that, by theii operations the sport had been elevated, and it would not now he in tho position it was' had they; departed at any time from'their presenl policy and allowed indiscriminate displays tc be given. _-,",' .■'■■.■ ' ■'; ■'/ The chairman's remarks were endorsed bj others present,'and unanimously approved. ;