The evening world., 1919-03-13
ONLY ONE VOICE /, !
HEARD AGAINST
NEW BOXING BILL
Assemblyman Marty McCue
Scores Many Verbal Punches
in Encounter With George
H. West of New York Civic
League.

ALBANY. March 13.--Only one
voice was raised in opposition to the
Gibbs bill to legalize boxing in this
state in the public hearing held in
the Judiciary Committee room OF the
Senate. The voice belonged TO
George II. West, who spoke for the
New York Civic League. Hc declared
that the history OF professional fight
ers proved that they invariably ended
their days in the down andout club
why legalize professional hghting?
You don't legalize dog and cock
fights, do yours
"Oh. they're brutal" snapped AS
scmblyman Marty McCde. veteran
boxer, who was on the job defending
the sport.
And so is prize fghtIng." insisted Mr..
West
Jack Skelly. the man who fought
George DIAou during the week that John
l.. was knocked from under his crown by
ddpper Jim Corbett, stepped forward
from his place along the wall, and look
Ing directly at Mr.. West. asked:
DO you know the difference between
a boxing contest and a prize tght?'
Mr.. West wasn't quick on defining
thai which Is prize lighting and that
which is not. and Skelly enlightened
him. He told West that bareknuckle,
spiked shod, beef brined and naked fist
nghting for money was to be found only
in ye olde English prints, There was
quite. a difference as Jack Skelly pic
tured hstic yesterday and to-day.
And then AssemOlyman McCuc found
his lighting legs. Every hair OF his
like the quilts OF "A porcupinc. lie looked
the fighting man OF the then and the
now. And how he did talk for boxing.
lie challenged any man to question the
health, the intellect or the morals OF
Sammy Kelly and Jack Skelly present
and the health. intellect and morals OF
such gladiators as Donovan. Mace and
sullivan. gone to the great beyond.
lie told Mr. West and he told every
one there, that man had to lead a
clean life or he could not endure, pugi-
III We don't have professional boxing
we won't have boxing that is worth
the time spent lesali2ing II. Profess
sional boxing fires the youth OF the
atRc,ie aR esiy yes mem EtoTmed om Mecue Hean'
And sinking his big fist into the pine
TOP OF the committee table. mecue
drove home with. professional boxing
with decisions viii bring back real box
ing. and any man who opposes boxing
Is a mollyeoddle-and mollycodd 10
not ~ to trail around In decent COM
McCue told them that he favorei a
tnree man commission. lie believed that
one man could not properly supervise the
sport He insisted on referees decisions.
lie suggested $1,000 as the salary for
each Commissioner. lie thought that two
Deputy Commissioner should b. made
possible through the bill at $1,000 per
dep.
$500 he questioned the proposition
" bonds anI actually beamed when
charles J. Murray OF Buffalo argued that
the bill should make II compulsory for
any man to deposit 10000 cash before
ne was allowed to open a boxing She
bang.
McCuc mentioned ;hat it would be
good plan to dole out permits ac-
cording to population, that New York
with five clubs; that any promoter
should be willing to give the state
I per cent OF the gross receipts In
return for favors received; that no
place save one that could show scat
ing capacity of 1900 or more should
be allowed 10 operate as a club.
And then everybody seemed to want
to talk at once. the giSt OF the word
fest being about deah old Madison
Square Garden. Some argued that II
Gotham fans were to hope for the real
thing in boxing talent, no clause in
the bal should be 80 constructed as
To- bar il as an arena And then Me-
Cue put over his final punch.
81 always said that II l had boy
he'd be able TO put up his hands and
defend himself. and ! vowed that II my
boy went over the top that he'd havs
bunkies around him who would know
how to hit from the shoulder.
well, he went over and he tells me
that the reason that he and the fellows
on each side OF him that went with him
are coming back (oh, that poor pine
tablet is because the three OF them knew
the shortest distance between an Ameri-
can shoulder and a German chin"