Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-19
Little Opposition
To Proposed State
Athletic Commission

Inv JuuitidIy COInIHltIee gave
nearing. Wednesday afternoon, on
the Dill to create a State athletic
commission for the supervision of
boxing and wrestling. Senator Car
ter. speaking generally for clean
sport endorsed the measure, and in
troduced Stanley S. Atwood of Lew
iston a former sport writer who took
up the various provisions of the lii
with the committee.
In brief the bill creates a COM
mission. with secretary and depu-
ties: provides for the supervision by
the commission of all exhibitions:
provides for the payment of registra-
ton fees by all who participate In
the sport, directly or indirectly: and
Tor a ten round bout to a decision.
mere is also a provision that all
salaries and expenditures must be
paid from receipts-that Is, that the
State will not be put to expense.
John j. Magee, director of track
and field athletics at Bowdoin Col
lege. and Ben Houser, baseball
coach at Bowdoin, both appeared in
favor of the bill. Mr.. Magee has
been an athletic instructor for 10
years and for longer than that a
member of the Board of Managers
of the Amateur Athletic Union.
ANY bill of this calibre will be
of benefit to the State" he said.
Under the present law no one is
protected. while under the proposed
law everyone would be protected, in
Guiding combatants, promoters and
those who pay to see the bouts.
DIR. Z. f. Owen of the Maine
Civic League said that he had lead
about prize fights in other states and
did not want to see Maine going in
to the business. Mr.. Cakes of the
committee suggested that the State
already had gone into the business
and was protecting itself by the new
law. 1.-The present law has been
abused" said Mr.. Owen, land if
abuse eliminated" There was no
other opposition
Charity Cases at Hospitals
A. G. Eustis of Waterville con-
Quoted the hearing on the act APP
propriating $4,000 for each of the
coming two years for the necessary
care and medical and surgical treat
ment at a rate not to exceed $3.50
per day for a charity patient.
Mr.. Eustis explained that seven
hospitals during the past year re-
ceived two dollars per day for
free patient while six other hospi-
tails received less than 80 cents per
day for the same kind of service. He
wanted the hospitals to receive pay
in return for the free treatment
given.
Senator Miner Of Washington
county. who is physician, said that
he was opposed to the present me-
thod of the State in the distribution
of funds for the disqualification of
needy patients.
IF every one paid their bills nos
pitfalls would make money" said
Senator Miner.
will this bill reach the Healy
Asylum or the Girls Orphanage at
Lewiston?" asked Rep. Holmes of
Lewiston.
II certainly hope not" replied
Senator Miner.
W. n. sanborn Represents Augusta
General Hospital
w. NJ. Sanborn. representing the Au-
gusta General Hospital, was of the
opinion that under a pro rata division
of State money for charity patients
certain hospitals. as the Augusta in
stitution, would be unable to exist. He
felt that 1t would be better to continue
the present method of coming before
the Legislature, placing the. require
ments of the respective hospitals be-
fore the legislators and take what they
were given.
The question of how much a hospi-
tai in Maine can exist on was inno-
Gently developed into moot subject
by Senator Miner of Calais, himself a
physician and head of the Calais hos
pital. He said that the large hospitals
Of the State must be poorly managed
If they had to pay sass per day per
patient, as Mr. Sanborn had said the
Augusta hospital does. DR.. Miner
said that hospitals that paid out so
much should not be granted State
funds.
A volley of questions was fired at
Senator Miner by committee members
who were trying to find out why his
hospital could exist at a much lower
rate per day than the other hospitals.
Senator Miner said the average In his
hospital was about $275 per day. that
his hospital had everything that