The evening world., 1911-11-23
Commissioner 0'NeiI Writes In.
teresting Letter on Boxing
I Situation and incidentally
Comes Out in Favor Of Ref.
cree Decisions.

cThe New York World.
- ~R- FRANK s. O'NEIL, Boxinl
w Commissioner. has written me
eA letter that comes near GOVERN,
air the Interesting points connected witt
the present boxing situation. Here II
IN fun:
Wednesday Eve.
Dear Bob-I imagined you might
attend the meeting OF the Commits
sion to-day. but having failed to APP
pear. I am compelled to write you.
In one Of your articles last week
you mentioned the ract that I voted
to allow decisions by referees. The
minutes OF u meetings. which I
intended to submit to you. prove
hat such Is not the case. / dis
cussed II with Major Dixon. but as
he was opposed to repeating our
''no-decision" rule ! did not urge my
argument. Nearly a month ago I
suggested the giving of decisions
By referees. but the matter was
never voted upon. Frankly l am in
favor Of decisions. but l never In
tend to let my opinion Interfere with
INC rpotI DtSHdbSntS rum AiDduy
read that Gov. Dix Is opposed TO the
giving OF decisions. The Governor
never gave me his views on that
subject. In n Of o u articles pub
lished a week you note that the
giving Of decisions caused the re-
peal OF the Horton law. In q meas
ue that q true. but theirs we're
other : caAses contributing to Us
early death. Read the Horton law.
Compare It with the Frawley act.
There Is no comparison. There were
no means under the Horton law to
discipline and blacklist q referee,
contestant. promoter or club for par
ticipating In a sham contest. The
State Athletic Commission has abb
solute control over all parties en-
gaged In the exhibition. 1t has
power to revoke the license Of the
guilty club. punish the parties who
conceived and engineered the plot
and blacklist the guilty contestants.
1t has larger Jurisdiction. which I do
not intend to discuss at this time.
] was prompted to suggest the CIV
Ing OF decisions In hope that Il
would result in q champion In the
different classes. There Is no Ques-
tion but what there would be q
gradual process OF elimination. The
contestants would prepare for the
encounter with more pains and
would. to my mind. strive with
greater effort on the night Of the
contest. having in mind the fact
TINT there was something else In
b house besides their share of the
pront-namely, the honor Of a VIC
tory. A boxer would rather have
champion OF the world tackled
after his name and only a meal
Ticket In his pocket than Chairman
Of the Board OF Directors. No. 20
Broadway"
My plan. concisely. as far as the
giving OF decisions liz concerned. is
first OF all to nave the commission
appoint a committee Of five reput-
able sporting writer's. They select
the referees and a absolute juris-
dlction over the referees. Let said
committee assign the referees to the
various clubs. move them about at
will and on the evening OF a contest
assign a certain referee to the club
giving the contest. not notifying the
club or the contestants as to the
Identity OF the referee until he APP
peared In the ring with his authority
from the committee. This plan Is
only an outline. OF course. and. II
the idea vas satisfactory to our
Governor and Major Dixon. could be
worked out with more detail and
along better lines with the help OF
the sporting writer's.
OF course you will say that rambling
viii result. Men gamble to-day and
will tomorrow and all the kings
horses and all the kings men IAN
no change human nature. You can
not leg!slate virtue In the genus
homo" Bear in mind that many a
wager is lost and won on the deci-
sion given by the sporting editor. but
the great trouble Is. you gentlemen
do not agree on a winner. The
people want a verdict by the jury.
not a disagreement.
! am unable to state at this time
II Gov. Dix will insist on a repeal
of the Frawley law at the next
term OF the legislature, ! an Ger.
tain he will hear a defense OF the
sport before he condemns II. There
IS nc question that the Governor nc.
celves many letters condemning tn,
sport and in nc uncertain language
I receive letters every day from
certain CLASS Oh people, utnounclpt
me with a zeal that could be put {,
a more worthy cause. for remaining
on the commission. One v!rtuoui
old gentleman wrote that j woul,
perish In a horrible catastrophe. An
other gentlemen wrote the commits
sion complaining Of a certain clul
because the officials did not c.v,
him q programme Of the contes,
We can't please everybody. Tn,
persons who write Gov. Dix gener
ally inclose = sweet little tokel
clipped from some ne wspaper writer
by a long-haired reporter who. in
stead Of being assigned to write VI
Prof. Highforehead's Lecture q
the Sunday Afternoon Club oil
Ethical Culture" Is instructed b,
the sporting editor to report a boxing
contest. The Charge OF the Ligh
Brigade" fades into obscur!ty whel
said reporter finishes his report o
the bozing coLtsst.
r. we must ooncede that thWe ar,
some persons IN this State who r We
Attandsd . boxing contest. Their In
NJ k~A~A~ ~.a-a~.-