The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-25
s(By James J. Corbett) Former Heavyweight. Champion lof -a.S 5f the World.
Special to the Farmer.)

J.
 Former Heavyweight. Champion lof
 a9 the World.
 Special to the Farmer)
 New York, May 25.-When Patsy Haley. referee at the National Sport ing Club. grabbed Heavyweight Jim Stewart by the right duke and rais- cd said member in the general direc- ton of the rafters. he surely started something. While the elevation of the elephantine Stewards trusty right finn was of no special importance to she lay brother. to the initiated, or I might say talent" the deed was fraught with significance in that it denoted the intention of the National people to take the bull by the horns and give the sports what they have been crying for-decisions by referees at the conclusion of boxing contests. For be it understood referees de. cisions have been strictly on the ta. boo. list since professional boxing has heen ein~ bloom. under the -Fraw1ey law and-tho-suPeryisio ision-ef-a-state conn mission This .state. of affairs natural iy created considerable dissatisfac- ton among supporters of boxing, and the National Sporting Club in in structing its referee to indicate the winner. was lowing to the wishes of the people who contribute their cash to the support of the game.
 Commissioner O,Neill has gone on record as being in favor of permitting the decision thing. His colleague. Major Dixon is strenuously opposed to changing the present system, and there you are. There is nothing in the Frawley law that prohibits ref erees. .Xerdicts: if is optional with the members of the s.cemmish'' whether they he permitted or no
 As MessrS. O'Neill and Dixon fram- ed the ruling against decisions it is 10 be expected that those who violate such ruling will be forced to suffer licenses will be revoked. But the matter will not end there.-~s-Its is a cinch, that the National Club, for one, will appoGl from such z jt7aEment and ask the opinion of the higher courts on the question, if necessary. s The rule against decisions applies to pro- fessional contests alone; verdicts in amateur bouts are allowed. It ap- pears to me that this discrimination against professionals is decidedly ul,- fair to promoters and boxers, as well as the public. and it seems only req sonable to expect that the courts will take the same view of the matter. The regret.able part of the affair is the fact that the agitation will do the game little good; too much public- ity is always bad medicine for pro- fessional sports and particularly box ing.
 believe the removal of the ban would act for the good of the sport. | hare been an advocate of decisions since the Frawley law has been in operation. and have contended that the prohibitory ruling is a. knock in- stead of a boost for the pastime of swat and duck. Those who argue that official decisions encourage gam bling on contests are of the pessimis- tic kind who never see good in any body or anything. and who figure that all men are crooked. It is extremely doubtful if there would be any more hettins if referees selected winners than there is under existing condi- tions.
 The argument that referees would fall for ..propositions'' from gamb- lers and Sfender decisions accordingly is absurd. A referee might get away with the rough work once, but that would be about all. The law gives rie Boxing Commission authority to issue and revoke licenses of referees at their own sweet will and it would he up to that body to keep the arbi- ters on the straight and narrow path. And for that matter I do not know of any man who officiates in local rings who would stoop to dishonest methods. The majority have estab- hshed reputations for honesty and ca pability by years of good and faith f4il service. Such men as Tim Hurst, Charley White, Patsy Haley, Billy Johnson and Sam Austin have envia- hle records. these are the sort of men who preside at the principal Gotham clubs.
 Give the public that support pro- fessional boxing what they want, Commissioners. as long as you can do so within the letter of the law. If you have any doubts concerning the integrity of your referees, it lies in your power to reduce the possibility of .eyn fp that direction to a minimum. A 11yery segood plan. would be- as sug- gest4d in this column months ago, to assign boxing referees to the different clubs on the same plan that the base ball authorities lay out the work for umpires If this plan is adopted it will he an exceedingly difficult job for interruptions persons to 'get to" the right man, inasmuch as assignments will not be made public until the last moment
 Jim Flynn and his retinue of train- CTS have settled down to the hard work of training. and reports emanat- ing from the little town of Las Vegas tell H M spirit sof confidence that per vad4 the camps of the white challen- ger for the championship. The op- position to the fight that for time threatened to develop into serious trouble has been smoothed over and everything indicates that the big hol- iday event will take place as origin allY planned.
 Jack -Curley.. acting in the double capacity of manager of one of the contestants and promoter: of the bat tie is. very confident the attraction will draw immense crowds, and that Flynn -wiil defeat the negro Johnson. T4v1--.-- hoy never talked with a man with more confidence m his ability to win a fight than the Pueblo Fireman mani feeted during our recent conversation. If courage and belief in ones own powers is half the battle, as many kr ho1;ovo fhon FTlwnn corfa ir.