BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 300, 12 May 1913, Page 8

BOXING.

PROMINENCE OF rHOI'&iSIONA^S. MASTIC C!lAN::!• DEMANDED. Christchurcli, Saturday. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Boxing Council, Mr. C. T. Ashman, in seconding the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said that, while on the whole the report wa* a subject for congratulation, still there wore features in connection with the control of the sport that.needed the earnest consideration of those interested in its welfare. One of the outstanding weaknesses was the undue prominence given to the professional side. Mt. Me- < Villy had sounded a note of warning fa _ this direction, and that gentleman's long ; ;. association with boxing since it was plac- ■ % ed on a properlv organised basis, clothed his words with' more than ordinary an- ■•_'; I thoritv. Mr.' Aschman declared that the , : original aim of the Council had been , widely departed from, for now in some quarters the amateur was not catered ff . J for to the extent intended, and the constant call on the professional's services $ had given too roanv of the "pros." an , - exaggerated idea of their own value. •;? Their exorbitant demands would in the end work 'their own ruin, but in the meantime the size of the purse and the amount claimed for expenses made the professionals certain winners,, And the J promoting associations almost certain , losers. Time after time this limitation of the purse had been brought up at the annual conference, but outside of agreeing with the resolutions no tangible improvement had resulted. The balancesheets of most of the associations far 1912-13, arid the disbanding of the Waipukurau Association, spoke eloquently in favour of some drastic change that would . make payment to professionals more \ proportionate to skill and drawing poweT. Matches were made last season -,' that should have been vetoed by a con- > trolling authority. This, he said, brought ; him to the outstanding weakness in the constitution of the Council. They occu- , pied the anomalous position of a governing body that had neither legislative nor '". executive functions. The making of the law had been practically handed over » the annual conference of associations, and the enforcement of any ruling liepended ou the associations agreeing- to - it. The position was not far removed .': ' from the farcical, and, while existing . ' conditions continued, .not only could , J \ there be no improvement, but the Coun- ';| , cil must also face the possibility «£•s•&' ",*• worse conditions arising. He did not" '. wish to convey a wrong impression coa*,.'Vj i ceraing the attitude taken tip by the ,'V ," associations. The relations existing > tween the (Souncil and molt of the ««' w I filiated associations had been of the han- „ . pießt—a loyal support, unhesitating te- "<. r ceptance of rulings, courtesy, and ■ promptness in correspondence, and genj erally a desire to assist the governing [ tody in every way possible, but in a few ; cases—unfortunately very few—loyalty [ to the Council was mere lip service that • professed loyalty only when things want r smoothly. Directly difference in the porn* j of view presented itself, these profes* t sions of loyaltv dissolved into air. Mr. ' [ Aschman repeated that cases of thto [ type were rare, but the unpleasantness P that resulted made members wonder ' , whether it was worth while to give their time and their attention to the affairs r of the Council, when their opinions weije . t thus flouted and their interitSon wilfuVJjr t' misunderstood.' He went on 'to say that , s he hoped the association would not losje t sight of the intention of the founders, I but would make an effort to place am*> 1 teur boxing in a more prominent postr tion than it occupied at present. Not - only was it desirable from that point of i view, but even from the financial stand- ; t point it would pay, for last year two of r the largest associations came out with e credit balances on their amateur tour--8 neys, while the majority of their pro- - fessional contests produced constern*j tion in the treasurer's department.