HENNEY AND LECKIE

Evening Star, Issue 20060, 28 December 1928, Page 11

HENNEY AND LECKIE

LETTER FROM GRAS. HARVEY Writing from the_ International Boxing Bureau, New York, under date of October 31, Mr Chas J. Harvey, president of that concern, and well-known manager of boxers, gives some interesting reading in the course of a letter to Mr Earl Stewart, of Wellington. That gentleman forwarded “ Olympia,” of the ‘ New Zealand Sportsman,’ a copy of the letter, from which the following passages have been taken “ . . , This also reminds me that I received a cable from Tom Heenej from Auckland under the date of October 18, advising me of a good lightweight named Leckie, who is anticipating coming to the United States, in the same cable Heency told me to cable Mick Stewart, Wellington, my terms for management of Leckie, and ho also told me he was sailing on the steamer Niagara, October 24. Upon receipt of cable I immediately cabled you stating that 1 would manage Leckie on terms of one-third, and that 1 had same terms with Heeney. 1 also asked you in the cable to forwar: the name of the steamer in the event of Leckie sailing. Have received no answer to my cable, and had intended to wait until Heeney arrived here before doing anything further by correspondence. However, the receipt or you:- card this morning prompts me to write this letter, anyhow, and ask what Leckie intends doing regarding the visit to this country. Would amplify my statement of terms

by stating that I hare worked with all boxers here under a one-third arrangement, which means that alter all legitimate expenses are deducted we divide on the basis of one-third and twothirds, which means that I take onethird and the fighter receives the other two-thirds. This is the arrangement I have made for the last thirty years with all boxers, and can say that I had the same arrangement with such boys at Owen Moran, Jim Driscoll, Ted Kid Lewis, Roland Todd, and for that matter, all the boys I have had under my management. Can add that I have worked with some boys miner a l;Uyfifty arrangement, but that now 1 am making a regular one-third arrangement, which I might add is the arrangement or terms recognised by iho Boxing Commission here. It just came to my mind that 1 managed Hugh Dwyer, who was then light-weight champion of Australia, on his only visit to this country, and he worked with me under the same arrangement. Have this arrangement with Tom Heeney also. “Talking of Dwyer reminds me that he did not do so well here, as the light-weights of that day were too tough for him, and while Dwyer was a very good boxer, he did not have punch enough to make the impression necessary to got decent money. What they like here is a puncher and fighter rather than a boxer. I mention these things, because it is a long trip from New Zealand to this country, and unless a fighter is really equipped and likely to make good, it is a question whether it would pay him to make the trio. I do not write this with tho idea of discouraging any tighter from making the trip, but want to make the situation here very plain to him, so that you can use your own judgment on the matter. However, I figure that, if Tom Heeney has talked to you personally, he could explain far better than 1 can write what type of fighter will make good here. Nevertheless, I am mighty glad to be able to address this letter to you,' as Tom Heeney has talked of you in the very highest terms to me, and it is indeed a pleasure to correspond with a man who had the keen judgment of boxing sufficient to discover that Tom Heeney had great promise in him. Heeney has fully justified your belief in him, and it is really idle and superfluous for me to add that Heeney lias proved to he a hundred per cent, man, aside entirely from bis boxing abi’ity. Heeney is a wonderful fellow—very human and honest—and I was delighted to have Iho good fortune to have come in touch with him. . .