Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-04-02

by Jacob J. Singer, Of Jersey City,
and which was passed by that body.
has been lost in the shuttle, and a
measure that would provide for anna
teur bouts only Is to be offered as an
amendment at the session Of the Sem
ate next Monday night. The bill as
it now reads Is a travesty on boxing.
Il provides for eight gloves
and the bouts are limited TO four
rounds. Really, it is worse than no
law at all, for as things now stand
there Is always some one who will
take q chance and open o boxing
club. With q law providing for four
round bouts no one will care to open
shop, for the show would surely be a
icser. Another thing, the amend
ment, If passed, will be an incentive
for law-breaking. Promoters will en-
deavor TO hold professional shows un-
der an amateur cloak and smaller
gloves will be substituted for the
larger ones. 1t has always been said
that the best way to repeal n law is
to enforce it. In this case, the best
way Is not to pass tho amendment to
the Singer bill.
C
Boxing is q good enough sport, and
it is certainly popular enough to be
possible under q safe and sane law.
The word prize-1ghting has a bar
barous sornd, but the most brutal
prize fight doesn't compare with the
brutality ot football, which Is the
best lnoney-maxer at al! our great
institutions of learning, except Co.
lumbia, and Columbia, understand,
is going to put team in the field
next aason. Polo, the sport OF
society, is more dangerous in 4 thou-
sand ways than boxing, yet the
manly art OF self-defense is ever held
I'D to criticism and blasphemed by
those who 90 not understand 1t. at
ALL It is true that some Of the fol-
lowers OF the game are not the most
desirable citizens In the world, but
the same. thing can safely be said
about all sports and about affairs
that are not sport. All In all, though,
| boxing, properly conducted, Is en in
teresting and amusing recreation.
Men with real blood IN their veins
would go thousands OF miles to see
what promises to be a good contest.
ana men who might be loud in con-
demning the boxing game are sone-
times the most anxious to learn the
outcome OF certain big bouts,
@
When tho Singer boxing bill was
first introduced 1 was told that 1t
would not become a law. It passed
| the Assembly, but 1t has met its fate
In the lily-pure Senate, where a
namby- -pamby measure Is to be sub
stituted. The amendment is not @
good thing, and the boxing enthu-
siaats should not accept it as q sub.
stitute. II II passes the simon-pure
Senate tho Assembly will probably
kill 1t. II it becomes a law, it will
mean much harder work to get bill
providing for ten-round bouts passed
in the future.
o
The Singer bill, It is said, would
have passed the Senate and have be-
come law If Austen Colgate, the
senator from Essex, would have given
his support TO the measure. Colgat,
has always been considered a very
human fellow, and only recently put
$500 into tho Jersey City Baseball
Club. However, the senator WASH
FOR it this time, but maybe he viii
be for It another time. Some tirnt
ago was tipped off that the bill wal
doomed, and @ very good friend o.
mine went TO the front" for tht
measure, but it was no so. The lily
whites couldn't afford to vote fol
the measure, tho amendment Il
which is herewith reproduced:
'1. It shall be lawful for any in
corporated organization or associa
ton Of at least three years. stand
ing. where physical culture is regu
larly taught, to conduct friendly con
tests OF skill with gloves in the ar
of boxing under tho supervision o
the municipal police authorities ant
in conformity with the provisions o
this act; provided, all such contest
shall be regularly sanctioned by th
governing body OF the Amateur Ath
letio Union or Intercollegiate Ath
letic Association.
'2. Such exhibitions shall be con
Quoted with gloves of not less thai
eight ounces in weight, and shall b
continued for not more than fou
rounds of three minutes duratioi
each.
"3. Such contests shall be conducte
purely as amateur exhibitions Q
skill TO show the art of self-defensC
-. Such contests shall be unde
the supervision of the local munich
pal police or other authorities, VIII
shall issue permits to hold the sam
to such persons only as they deem t
be proper persons TO conduct then
and shall prevent all disorder, bru
tality or abuse of the permission con
ferred.
SO. The governing body OF any mu
nicipaIity may pass ordinances pre-
scribing terms, conditions and regu
lations not inconsistent with this ac
under which such exhibitions may b
given.
So This act shall take effect i'm
4 | y,oe.Ifo4al.r