THE BOXING YEAR

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 338, 25 April 1928, Page 7

THE BOXING YEAR

NORTHERN ASSOCIATION’S MEETING MR. ERNEST DAVIS’S GIFT “With regard to the lack of interest of the sporting public in boxing I am still of the opinion that it is largely due to the financial depression which has obtained for the last 12 or 18 months and to the fact that there have been few contestants of outstanding ability with a boxing reputation,” said Mr. E. A. Craig, president of the Northern Boxing Association, at the annual meeting on Tuesday evening. “The committee,’ continued the speaker, “is handicapped in getting first-class professionals from abroad by the present New Zealand regulation which limits the purse to £2OO, and this purse is only payable in exceptional cases, £l5O being the limit otherwise.

“From the amateur point of view, however, we have every reason to be proud of our boys and every encouragement is being given them directly and indirectly through gymnasiums, clubs, sports organisations, colleges, etc.” Dealing with the income and expenditure account, Mr. Craig said that the Town Hall takings were £317 less than last year, but the total income was £ls more than last year. A saving of £3lO had been effected in the expenditure. “I think it stands to the credit of the committee that a loss of only £SB was incurred, considering the heavy expense of sending representatives to the New Zealand championships at Invercargill, the liberal assistance given amateur boxing, and the donations to the Olympic fund and to the Roy Overend fund,” said the president. The speaker stated that 47 professional and 671 amateur contests were staged in New Zealand for the -•'ar ending March 31. These figures, he said, were interesting as showing the great regard associations had for the amateur side of the sport. The New Zealand championships were to be held in Auckland next August and members would be able to judge the high standard to which amateur boxing in New Zealand had attained. MOST PROFITABLE FIGHT Replying to a question, the president said that the best fight from a financial point of view during the year was, the Purdy-Jamito fight, on which a good profit was shown. The best actual fight of the year was that between Broadfoot and McDonald, but the next fight staged, which included one of the principals of the previous bout, proved a fiasco as far as finance was concerned.

A most generous. offer to the association was made by Mr. Ernest Davis, who stated that it would give him great pleasure to send a cheque for £9O to wipe off the year’s deficit and enable the association to start the new year with a clean sheet. In thanking the donor for his generous gift, the president humorously remarked that Mr. Davis was establishing a dangerous precedent and that probably the deficit next year would be much larger. He accepted the gift on behalf of the association. It was decided that a sum of £lO 10s for the relief of unemployed returned soldiers be given by the association. Officers were elected as follow’: Patron, His Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Sir Charles Ferguson; president, Mr. E. A. Craig; vice-presidents, Messrs. J. M. Connolly, D. R. Caldwell, J. L. R. Bloomfield, G. Baildon, .T. Gillett, J. ITodgson, G. Henning and Ernest Davis; hon. secretary, Mr. J. H. Watts; hon. treasurer, Mr. E. Dean; auditor, Mr. P. R. Fraser; committee, Messrs. J. W. Russell, J. W. Brown, F. Bur's, W. E. Dervan, R. W. Rugg, J. GMies, M. Ricketts, W. J. Hammill, J. A. B. Hellaby, W. Luke,. T. P. Pountney and G. Bush.