Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-26

ais who oppose ref
erees' decisions on
the ground that they encourage gambling
and are therefore menace to boxing. a
clause in the bill specifies that decisions
are not TO be made at the ringside. The
plan calls for the appointment of "in-
spectors.' who shall attend all contests
and make notes of the points scored by
the contestants. etc, and who must file
these notes with the commission within
, twenty-four hours after each bout, the
commissioners to later make public the
Official finding.
/ have been given credit in the press
for assisting in the framing of the Mas
sachusctts bill. Whatever credit is due is
coming TO Eddie Keevin, the Boston
sporting writer. who has engineered the
bill from the beginning of the agitation
TO place boxing under state control. The
only assistance / rendered Mr.. Keevin
Was to suggest that some plan be incor-
porated in the bill that would provide for
decisions. | Informed him that the no
decision contest was unsatisfactory to
boxers and patrons alike. as a thorough
test of it in New York state has demon
strated. The plan to appoint the in
spectors is Mr. Keevin's, and. in view of
the fact that it was pointed out that the
bill would likely be defeated if it called
for ringside decisions. 1 approved the
scheme when my opinion was asked in
the matter.
My stand on the decision question is
too well known to call for further COM
neHt mere l have contended right along
that the New York commissioners made
a mistake in ruling that decisions should
not be given. and believe that the men,
bers of the board will come to the same
conclusion before very long. However.
should the bill now pending in the Mas
sachusetts legislature become a law it
viii be interesting to watch how Keey-
ms plan will work out
Although Johnny Kilbane. the feather
weight champion. easily outpointed and
decidedly outclassed both Johnny Dundee
and Eddie O'Keefe in this city last fall.
he failed to earn the good opinion of To-
cal CRITICS Those young men were prac-
ucaily unanimous in denOuncing him as
an imitation of what a title holder should
De- Apparently taking their cue from the
experts. Gotham promoters have side
stepped Kilbane ever since.
III the truth were known however If
would be found that the real reason of
his long absence from New York is not
due to a lack of appreciation of Johnny's
ngntins sklil. but to reluctance of the
promoters to come through with the
amount of money the champion demands
and considers i'm keeping with his dignity
as and the drawing powers of, a feather
weight title holder.
Local fight handlers complain of moor
patronage. but fail to realize that the
FALLING off in attendance is due to their
own failure TO provide attractive matches
MI winter long there has been a dearth
OF good bouts Many of the cards Of
fered for the entertainment of New York
1ans would shame a tank town pro-
moter.
But to get back to Kilbane Although
the Gotham clubs can't see him as an
attractive card. the promoters across the
bridge think differently. When the fact
became known that Johnny would con-
slder proposition to box in New York
Lott 'ltrI
jumped at the chance to sign him. Evil
IDENTIFY the Irving people have faith in his
drawing powers, as they have offered
substantial guarantee. which the cham
plon has accepted, by the way to box
Young Driscoll promising local feather
weight. next Tuesday night. With all
due respect for the opinion of the wise"
Manhattan promoters would like to go
on record right here that Kilbane breaks
the Irving Clubs record for receipts
Leach cross made a number of friends
by the game battle he put up against
Joe Rivers. There have been times when
Ieachle was suspected of a desire TO
dog IL. but IL such a thought entered
ms mind during the Rivers mill he man.
aged TO Keep 1t under control. But for
that matter Leach had little choice i'm
the style of fighting that prevailed dur
1nS the bout. Rivers carried the ba tile
10 ms man all the way and Cross had to
itsht To protect himself or deliberately
Mexican more than made good
IN discussing the bout before leaving
Tor Los Angeles. Rivers said that il was
inc hrSt short contest he had taken part
IN Tor d long time. He is accustomed to
the longer distances. and for that reason
DID not get going at top speed until the
latter rounds Joe also claimed that
better understanding of the rules gov
ernlnS bouts in this vicinity will enable
nm to do better worK the next time he
starts. 49,
Compared with the manner in which
iackey Mcfarland and Jack Britton have
handled Cross III the past Rivers work
could hardly be called impressive but If
Is not as an exponent of boxing thar this
younSster shines. He is more on the
w olSaSt type and depends on strength
hittlnS power, agSreSsiveness and STAN
ina TO carry him TO victory IL he can
maintain his speed and strength throurh-
out tWenty-rOund contest and fight as
fast and as hard in the closing rounds
vi the Cross match there are very few
nShtWeights who can hope to beat him
lie was as fresh as a daisy. at the fin
Ism or the bout Joe is one of the tough
est and strongest lightweights deveIoped
since Wolgast and, If Willie Richie had
not mashed so suddenly on the lightweight
horizon would very likely have been rho
boy TO take Wolgast's title away.
Billy Nolan again rises to announce
that Willie Richie will not enter the
ring before July and that the next en-
SaSenent VIII take place in either San
Francisco or Los Angeles He fails To
mention the name of Willie's next op-
ponent, but hints that Packey McFar
Iand can have the match by agreeing to
make the lightweight limit KNOWING
very Wen that there is not the slightest
chance In the world of McFarland's max