San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-13
EFFORT SEEN TO MAKE
NEW JERSEY RIVAL OF
NEW YORK IN BOXING
Republicans in Legislature
Rushing Through De-
cision Boxing Bill.
BY FAIRPLAY.

Copyright. by The San Antonio Light.
Trenton. n. j., March i3.-The
making of New Jersey a rival TO New
York as center for important cham
pionship fights is the chief motive
ascribed today by sporting men to the
activity of the Republican majority In
the state legislature in projecting the
Stevens bill. This bill which makes
significant changes in the boxing law
has passed the house and is now up to
the senate.
In its essence it is explained that
this bill is political. Republicans are
in. Democrats are out, and TO the vic
tors belongs the spoils. The two prin-
cipal clauses of the measure make
decision bouts legal and do away with
the present boxing commission. body
appointed with the Democrats while
in power.
There is talk in the capital about
future plans. 1t is said for example
that. once armed with the legal right
to hold decision bouts in the state,
the Republicans will forthwith launch
big drive to put Jersey on the fight
man ms q rival TO New York. Atlantic
City has been named as a place which
might become q great center for cham
pionship bouts. With the accessibility
Of this resort TO Philadelphia. Balti-
more. New York and other populous
communities. no one here has any
doubt that immense crowds could be
drawn, provided the fights we're at
tractive. ~ -. y ..s, IS. ~
Just at present. New Jersey is sui
fering from competition of Greater
New York, even more seriously than
other states of the East. In fact. no
one. in Jersey is maklng money out
of the fight game except perhaps Pad
DIV Michigan and Gus Troxler in
Newark who own their comparative
ly small fight pavillions and thus arc
free of lot of overhead. And even
these men are not making big money.
Armory fighting is not lucrative; IN
fact. IL the promoters break even they
are lucky.
This being so, one gathers that II
the Republicans are looking forward
TO expansion of the fighting game.
they have job ahead. They could
make some money with the big fell
lows-if they were good-but it Is
not often that even Richard can hook
up an attractive heavyweight fight.
Another angle of the situation is the
highly interesting battle between
Mickey Walker and Pete Latzo. set
for March 30. the first time Walker
has defended his title against a star
contender. Suppose the Stevens bill
passes before this bout is held and de-
cisions become legal? What will
Walker do?
To speak plain, refereeing in Jer-
sey runs from rank TO rotten. The
only really able arbitrator is Harry
Ertle. The rest are men who are re-
garded az more interested in their
thirty or forty dollars per night than
in perfecting themselves in their pro-
fession.
Waller might not be willing to risk
his title on Jersey decision and II
he were not. few would blame him.
All in all. future events in the Jersey
fight world will be worth following.
With regard to the doing away OF
the existing boxing commission, the
bill provides that control of the game
be placed in the hands of the state
comptroller. Newton X. Bugbee. One
Of his present duties is to handle the
state tax on boxing and the Republi-
cans cannot see why E. he shouldn't
handle the whole business. To assist
him. a commissioner would be APP
pointed at $4,000 year. Deputies who
are to receive ten dollars a day when
they work will also be named.
1t is not so certain that this az
rangement would work MS efficiently
as under the existing well-organized
commission. If the senate passes the
bill-which Il probably will-Gover-
nor Sulzer. Democrat. will surely
veto it. Thereupon. the measure will
in all probability be re-passed over the
veto and become n law.