The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-05
FREDDY WELSH NOT GOOD
 SPORTSMAN LIKE WILLIE RITCHIE
California Boxers Invading East Since
 New Law Went Into Effect

(By James !. Corbett, Former Heavy
 weight Champion of the Worldly
 Especial to The Evening F'armer.)
 New York, Dec. 5.-Now that Gov ernor-eIect Whitman of New York is thought to be in favor of boxing ex- hibitions if conducted as the Frawley law stipulates, ho is due to have a fine young time listening to every Tom, Dick and Harry with an ax to them all While MT. Whitman. has neither affirmed nor denied the re- ports circulated concerning his atti- tude in the matter, it is my belief, based on what have heard from re- liable people who are in position to know that the governor-elec has practically decided to appoint an en- gtirely new board of commissioners to supervise tic sport in this state. And also it will not surprise me if MT. Whitman even went further and rec commended that the Legislature pass a bill making it legal to conduct bouts over any distance up to twenty rounds with decisions by regularly appoint ed referees. Thiss of course, is not official-the governor may change his mind after the politicians have given him several ears full of their sides of the question. But from what Know of MT. Whitman I will be- very
 
 one. or anything ,but his common sense,4 to influence him in the matter. ! Here's hoping my information is correct. It is about, time we had 6, man at the head of our state gov ernment with courage enough to rec ognize the manly and attractive qual- 1 ities of boxing matches. No doubt the l governor-to-be, judging from his con duct as district attorney, would be courageous enough, if the, question was put to him. even to admit that he | enjoys a. good contest now and then. And that takes consid deraJble courage I in a man occupying high office these | days.
 The. incumbent commissioners, in I he opinions of a number of good 1 Judges. have fallen far short of ex- | pectations Time and again eases l have occurred where prompt action on their part would have helped to l strengthen the. cause of the sport as. for instance, in matches where one l or more principals have. failed to ap- Ipear and the clubs have been per | rnitted to fi1l-in with cheap subst- | tutes without first notifying the pub lie that the bosrts as cheduled would -l not go on Only last week the Brook 4 Iyn Sport Club had billed 2 match 1 between Al Reich and Colin Bell, the
 Australian heavyweight It appears
 
 that Bell could not appear, but con- I tinued selling tickets and did not in
 form the crowd of Bells error of
 omission until it was time for the
 contestants to enter the ring. The
 spectators were then informed that l Jack McFarIand would be substitut-
 ed for Bell. No offer was made to
 refund the money to those who wish
 ed it, so understand Still the box
 ing commissioners did not sec fit to Il Investigate, although all the crowd
 got their cash were several cheap pre- T liminary bouts and a worse than one I sided exhibition between Reich and
 Mcfarland.
 Boxing patrons have had little pro- lection extended them by the pres
 ent board. and no doubt, MT. w hit
 man. who since holding the office of district attorney has made it a point 1 to become pretty we'll posted about Ethfngs in general. has taken all this into consideration, hence the report
 circulated of the contemplated change 1 in the personnel. of the board.
 When the anki-boxing law goes in to effect in California the middle of this month number of young men who have been calling the Golden State home for a long time will cop per Horace Greeley's advice and hike towards the east. New York; New yI Orleans and Milwaukee will be asked l to take care of the overflow of fistic
 talent which will be headed in this
 general direction shortly, these l cities practically will have a mo-
 nopoly of important contests with
 San Francisco and Los Angeles ou1
 of the running.
 l In way it will be good thing
 for the game in the eastern cities A
 new face now and then adds interest
 to boxing matches, and so far as New
 York goes an occasional strange
 map" would indeed be welcome 1 provided the gent has anything in the i, way of reputation to back it up
 Among those who are expected te
 take the "rattler for this section i'm
 mediately after the holidays are Will
 lie Ritchie, lightweight champion, Joe
 Rivers, Frankie Burns and Harry
 Fso1ey'S latest discovery. Ralph Grun-
 ans the Portland lightweight scrap
 per who is ltouted by many westerr
 writers as 8 very promising member
 of the fraternity Jimmy elabby
 swell the list of eligible middle
 weights already here.
 By the time the boys begin to ar
 rive there will be a new governor LII
 at Albany, and more than likely a new bunch in charge of boxing in thil state. All this may mean that de cisions will be allowed in this city . and. if so, we may well look for
 big boom in the sport. The fans don ( take half the interest in a boxint
 match which promises to be merel!
 an exhibition is sure to be hot1y con
 tested because something more than
 percentage of the gate receipts is a
 stake. With referees allowed to giv'
 decisions in boxing matches the spor . would take a sharp jump in popu1at N favor-and after the last lean yea or two promoters would relish some I thing like that I fancy
 I read recently where. Tom McCare. was quoted to the effect that he woult S try to- break into the boxing game il New Orleans, and that Dominfck Tor { toricL.L who has had a m rnor1onnIv il