El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-21

EW YORK June 2l.-After ser
M ing two years as member Of
- the commission in charge Of
boxing under the FrawIey law. chair
man Frank Omen has gone on record
as in favor Of referees decisions for
all matches to be decided in New York
state. Mr.. O'keu has realized for q
long time that the 'decisionless" bout
is knock to the sport and hopes to
revive interest in the grand old game
by restoring TO the arbiters the privi-
lege OF naming the winners in future
events lie has learned by experience
that the socaled popular verdict is
anything but what its name implies
with the people who foot the bills
and IN these days Of commerclalIsm IN
sport Ln4l IS one Dig item the com
nissioners can hardly afford TO over
look
For several months past the boxing
game has suffered from a big falling
of IN patronage Few, II any pro-
moters have made money the past year.
This IS surprising in New YORK eSpe-
Cially during the cold months and
those interested in a financial way
have been trying to trace the cause Of
the slump Evidently they have de-
cided that popular interest can be re
.VlFed by a return TO meInoOS y nlcn
have In the past contribute a great
deal to the success Of the game from
a promoters viewpoint Which,
Imagine, mas something TO do with
ar O'NeiTs proposal to permit deci-
siOns-if he can bring mis- two assoc
iates on the commission TO his way
Of thinking
There IS no doubt that the de
-cisiOnless" bout has injured the sport
locally and that a rule giving referees
authority TO render TerdlcLs viii help
boxing great deal AT the same time
those who are most anxious TO sCimu-
late public interest-the promoters
need look for little increase in box
office receipts while they continue 10
deal out the same quality Of bouts
that have been programmed the past
season The best way and the quickest
they viii find TO revive interest viii
be to furnish a better class of enter
tainmenL BY bringing the best mate
nal to be obtained TO New York and
exercising judgment in the matchmak-
ing, they viii discover that New York
ers have not only lost interest in box
ing. but that they viii pay literally
for what appeals TO their liking in
New york is the best boxing city in
the world. bar none, but the fans viii
not parrOniZe inferior or unequal
matches The sooner the GibsOns. Nc
1dahOns and other leading promoters
learn this lesson the better for all
conCerned-publics boxers and prOmOt-
ers-
I have long been a booster for a
return TO decisions in boxing matches /
IN New York, and for that matter have
always been at a loss TO figure the
objection to them A referees deci-
sion is no more likely to encourage
gambling than an umpire's rulings at
a BAH game To the average fight en-
thusiast the question of winner and
loser is quite as important as il is
TO a baseball fan The secret OF the
popular success Of sports of any sort
lies in the competition for superiority I
and in any game where that impOT-
tant detail is left TO the imagination
the interest is naturally bound TO
slump
It has taken a long time for those in I
control to arrive at the sensible con-
clUsiOn that reforms are needed in
the manner Of conducting the sport in