Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-26
LOVERS
BOOST PASSAGE
OF MELADY BILL
Business Mems Committee
Visits Lincoln and Urges
House Roll No. 88
Be Voted On.

A representative committee COM
prised of, substantial business men
went to Lincoln Monday to appear
before the miscellaneous committee
in behalf of House Roll No. SO, the
boxing bill. ....
The committee was headed by
Francis Sheehan, an attorney who
has just received his discharge from
the army and a member of the firm
of Smith, Schall & Howell; Thomas
Davis, vice president of the First
National bank; Clark Col Of Lee
Coit-Andrecsen Hardware company,
L. v. Nicholas of the Nicholas Oil
company, G. M. Durkee, manager
Parlin & Orendorff Plow company;
Harry Zimman, city commissioner;
Thomas Swift, William Lynch, at
torney; Frank McCaffrey of Nc
Caffrey Bros. Coal company; Gene
N. ]. Weston, physical d.
rector of the Y. M. c. A., and sew
eral prominent bankers and bust
ness men of Lincoln.
Ask for Original Bill.
This committee appeared before
the miscellaneous committee to pro-
test against the amendment sug-
gested by Representative Barton
Green and asked the committee to
put out the original III as it stood
and advised the committee that they
were not interested in anything but
a clean, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES bill
to legalize boxing in this state, such
as House Roll No. SO. Under the
amendment suggested by Green the
law would have to be violated by
the Y. III. c. A., Knights of Column
bus and the Omaha Athletic club in
case they staged any boxing exhi-
billions, due to the fact that the
amendment called for no fee to be
charged for admission and the menu
bers of the Athletic club felt that it
was not their intention to sell a
ticket for a dinner and then allow
their members to see a boxing ex-
hibition, and they demanded fatty
that House Roll No. So be put out
on the floor for a vote.
Mr.. Weston, physical director of
the Y. M. c. A. of Omaha, appeared
in behalf Of this association and
recommended the original bill. Mr..
Weston realizes. that boxing is lille
gal at the present time and that if
House Roll No. 88 did not pass the
Y. M. c. A. would be compelled to
discontinue teaching boxing in this
state.
All members Of the committee
claim that under the Green amend
ment that the sport would be cheap
ened and degraded and there is no
question but what the committee
will recommend House Roll No. IS
to the house for passage.
The Green amendment provided
that boxing bouts be permitted
where there was no admission
charged. The passage of a boxing
bill with such a provision would
mean a return to the old days of
prize fighting" A body of men
could pick up two men, put them on
TOT scrap III some cellar or out
of the way place. and just so the
spectators would be charged no adj
mission it would be entirely legal.
Passage of the original bill would
mean that any working man could
enjoy this greatest of all sports
without the necessity of joining one
of the fine clubs out of reach of his
pocketbook or joining gang OF
hoodlums to see a bout in cellar
or out in the woods. Even if steps
were taken to prevent the cellar and
woods fights, the common iaboring
man that is the backbone of the
country could not witness boxing
bout.
All the sport fans are not in the
moneyed class. The poorer men
are just as good sports as the rich
fellows if the sport is within reach
of his pocketbook. The most rabid
sport fans in the country are the
fellows who can only pay a dollar
or two for admissions occasionally