Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-13
Roper Would Make Corpora
tons and Other Big interests
Provide Athletic Training for
Their Employees.

Bill Roper the former Princeton
football star. who was secretary of
the sports committee in the recent
United War Fund drive, IS credited
with rather a novel idea Roner is
just now interested in state and fed
eral legislation making It obligatory
on the part of CORPORATIONS and other
big interests to provide something in
the way of athletic exercises for their
employees every work day. Mr., Roper
doesn't partiCulariZe as to what the
exercises should be. They may be
settingup drills, dumb-bell classes.
swimming or anything else. He be-
lieves such a system rightly adhered
to would in the end prove profitable
to the employers. 1t would tend. he
says, to improve the morale of the
men and women and make for a gem
eral state of good health all around.
Already many firms of New York
! employing large numbers have seen
! the value of bowling both as an eXer-
else and Il diversion for their EN-
ployes, AMI have insisted on the form
alton of teams to roll regularly on
special nights or TO compete in the
various tournaments throughout
Greater New York and the vicinity.
Bowling is all right, in its way, but
it doesn't come within the scope of
| Roper's idea The teams as Il rule
roll at night on their own time. The
former football star would have the
workmens exercises part of their
daily toll, Just as the physical train
ing of our school bows and girls has
become part of their daily studies.
Talk IS rife in athletic circles about
n 1920 Olympic meet, and plans and
already under way to bring I to the
United States, Whether these plans
| will come TO a successful conclusion.
/ only time will tell. Some athletic au-
NthoritipS are of the opinion that n
( worlds athletic competition would not
I'he timely in 1920, following so closely
/ the termination of the war, and others
! are in the why not? frame of mind
about it, 1t IS known that the sports
committee of the recent United War
! Fund drive is interested, particularly
! Chairman II. l., Pratt. who probably
would do anything in his power TO
! make the meet possible.
Looks as il the proverbial ton of
money will be necessary to drag Jess
! Willard into the ring in defense of his
| heavyweight championship title. We
| hear from Dominick Tortorich. the
! New Orleans fight promoter. that Jess
has turned down cold an offer of
SIS, 900 to meet Jack Dempsey in Il
t20-round bout Tortorich says he has
been trying for two years to get VIII
! lard to defend his honorS. and that
his experience is only that of every
other promoter who has had any am
hiton along the same line.
Il have offered him $4,000 guar
santeed," writes Tortorich "and have
invited him repeatedly to name his
own conditions. Twenty-round bouts
are le"al in Louisiana, and he could
have no doubt on this score.
no other promoter has tried
f,harder to get Willard into the ring
than | have" continues the New Or
leans man Il can show no results
so | am forced to the conclusion that
Mr. willard will not fight
After this. Tortorich very prop
erly asks:
Must the boxing game, which has
the brightest future of all sports, wait
on the convenience of Mr.. Willard
who hasn't actually defended his title
since he won il from Jack Johnson
in April, 1915? What's the use or eX-
cuse for a champion who will not
fight? | think ii IS time for one OF
She promoters of the United States to
provide the means of producing a new
champion. a real champion. a fighting
champion"
Righto. We agree with you in every
particular Mr. Tortorich. and wish
you luck in your efforts to produce
1 an active heavyweight champion OF
the world