Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-01

STATE OF Maine.
Mr.. PRESIDENT: Has the sena-
tor any motion to make?
Mr.. THOMPSON: Mr.. President,
1 move that we indefinitely postpone
the bill.
Mr.. FOLSOM of Somerset: Mr..
President, I wish to heartily endorse
the statement of Senator Thompson
and 1 hope the motion will prevail.
Mr.. PARENT of Androscoggin:
Mr.. President and fellow members
of the Senate, this House Bill NO.
800, have not any particular inter-
est in. 1t is a matter which has
been presented to the Committee on
Judiciary and reported out unani-
mously, ought to pass. They nave
heard the evidence upon this matter,
and there were a large number OF
| ladies from different parts or the
State present. They were there lot
the purpose of opposing the DILL
some of them, at least. After hear
ing this bill taken up section by sec
ton. after hearing read the present
/ law on tn estatute regulating anu
permitting boxing exhipltions' they
withdrew all opposition.
There is more to this bill than per-
haps the Senator from Knox ana the
Senator from Somerset realizes.
| The hour is late and l shall not take
hit a moment of time. TINS Dill
| proposes a commission, not unoer
nay, which may license boxing eA-
hibitions. Under the present law
| boxing exhibitions are promoted anu
are carried on and conducted IN
MANY. many cases, over SO per cent,
nearer rs per cent. of the boxing ex-
hibitions as promoted and conducted
under the law as it is in our cities,
are conducted in this manner or q
similar manner: The contestants ar
rive and it comes down to the night
of the exhibition. and through a
mutual disagreement or dissatisfac-
! zion, after the patrons have PAID
their money, anywhere from dollar
| to two dollars and the war tax, much
to their surprise they are dlsap-
pointed, the exhibition is not to pro-
coed or it becomes a farce.
Under this new bill that cannot
! take place, and those who wish to
attend these exhibitions are secure
, in the fact that a real boxing exhi-
| bition will take place and that the
: patrons will not be deprived of get
| ting their money back if it does not.
l thoroughly believe that this bill
will promote the efficiency of the ex-
! hibitions, which are now authorized
! on our statute books, and have been
| for long time.
inly to 1,a 1,rfHy of O.
lature to recognize a unanimous COM
mittee report. 1t should be respect
ed, whether it is the Judiciary COM
mittee or some other committee of
! the members of this Legislature, I'M
, less, or in the absence of their over
/ looking some important feature.
/ believe the committee reports should
| be respected, as they have been in
| previous Legislatures.
| l hope this motion will not prevail.
! Mr.. THOMPSON: Mr.. President,
hope the Senator will not misappre-
bend the purpose of my objection. /
undertook to state that have no OBJ
| lection to the bill, if the Senate wants
! State wishes to enact in into law I
making no attack on the personnel of
: the committee or on their judgment.
was not able to be present. We all
know that when Senators are other
wise en-: aged in another committee
they do not have the opportunity. If
] l had had the opportunity l should
| have been there.
! / do not do this for the purpose of
making any attack on any commit
! tee, or upon the understanding or
design of any committee. This is the
only opportunity 1 have had to dis
cuss this question, and that is all
am going to do, and that in a very
| limited way. This is no more, in my
judgment, than a prize fight, and for
the purpose of justifying that obser-
vation--I only read the bill this
morning, for the first time, and then
casually will read Section 5:
+! No boxing or sparring exhibitions
shall be held unless one member of
| the boxing commission, or some per-
son deputized to act for said COM
mission, is present. The commits
sion shall have authority to declare
forfeited any remuneration or prize
or any part thereof offered for any
contest conducted under this act
where one or more of the contestants
do not act in good faith. The COM
mission may when satisfied that one
or both contestants are not acting in
sood faith order the prize, purse OF
any part thereof, confiscated and sold
and the proceeds given to the Local
charities"
1t is prize fight. that is all. And
there is great deal that may be said
more. and in my judgment it is teeminr
all over with the language of the ring
and the prize fight. 1t repeats the ex.
listing law in regard to the supposed
innocent subject and makes it stronger
So that the new law carries more bru.
tally with it.
AS I said. I do not want to go on
record as being in favor of this bill.
ti.nk it is a prize fight clothed in the
habiliments of responsibility. pure and
simple. l desire to oppose it for tina,
purpose and for no other.
Mr.. PARENT: Mr.. Presi dent, Just
one word more. Under our present law
one may attend boxing exhibition
in the city of Lewiston, and l know il
has been true in the city OIL Portland
and presume it is true in Bangor =nd
Augusta and other cities, and young
boys attend those exhibitions of any
age at the present time, eight, nine, IL
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