The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-01-16
MAYOR WILL GIVE PERMIT,
Jefrries- Rubin Fight Can BE Held In
Cincinnati,

NEW YORK, JAN lS,--The Herald
says;
Whether or not the championship
battle between James ]. Jeffrles and
Gus Rubin takes place IN Cincinnati on
February Is depends entirely upon the
action OF the directors OF the Saenger-
fest Athletic Association OF that city.
Mayor Flelshmann, OF Cincinnati, said
last night that he would certainly is
sue permit for the contest two days
prior to the date OF the event.
AS the chief executive OF the Queen
City he believes the law gives him
the power to sanction or disapprove OF
a boxing bout The directors OF the
Saengerfest Athletic Association as
sured his honor that the bout between
Jeffries and Rubin would be strictly In
accordance with the laws Of Ohio
Mayor Fleishmann said he believed
that the Cincinnati promoters had not
made any Misrepresentation to him.
In explaining the situation In con-
nection with the proposed bout, May
or Fleishmann said:
For the last ten years We have had
sparrlng contests in Cincinnati. These
events have been held by athletic clubs
in some cases, and in other instances
in our theatres. They Were given under
permits issued by the mayor. The law
is that permits may be given to orga-
niEed athletic clubs TO hold sparrlng
contests.
In this case a number OF prominent
merchants, bankers and other leading
business men petitioned me for this
permit, for the purpose OF liquidatlng
deficit which had been Incurred in
giving a Saengerfest jubilee in lSaS,
This permit promised six weeks ago.
There were number OF protests made
against permitting the contest. have
stuck to my promise, which believe TO
be thoroughly in accordance with the
law. a number Of attorneys in Cincin-
natl. however. have taken the opposite
stand. claiming that the Saengertest
Athletic Association is not a duly or
ganized athletic club. as defined by the
law. and that the athletic club was in
corporated for the sole purpose OF Civ
ing this contest.
That is. however, techncality, and
it is something that am unable TO de-
eide. There are many precedents to
support my position in the matter
"A few days ago l was called upon
by the directors Of the Saengerfest
Athletic Association to issue a permi;
at once so that the matter could be
tested in the courts. asked them
whether 1t was their idea to yontest
themselves, to which received re-
ply that that was a matter which they
were not at liberty to make public but
that undoubtedly test would be made
within twenty-four hours after the per-
nit had been issued.
In the meantime one OF their at
torneys called upon a friend OF mine
and requested that ne use his influ-
ence toward inducing me to issue the
permit at once or not at all. He eX-
planned that on account Of the contro-
versy that had arisen the directors
were anxious TO get out OF the diff
Guilty and that this way would be sat-
isfactory.
"At the meeting the following day I
informed the committee that had ORR
ginally agreed to issue the permit for
the purpose Of giving a contest to help
raise the deficit As it now appears to
me, they wanted the permit issued at
once. in order to kill the project, and
permits were not issued for that pur-
pose.
MY position in the entire matter is
this:
Il will issue a permit for the contest
two days before it is scheduled to take
place. There is no reason why I should
issue it before then. II my permit is
good today 1t will be good then. When
1 left home l read in the papers that
the Saengerfest Athletic Association
had decided to go ahead with their ar
What may have transpir-
ed since my departure I do not know
You will understand that under the
law have only the right to give a
permit for a sparring exhibition"