Daily Kennebec journal., 1925-04-08
levised Statutes /. AM ahsolute pro-

Revised Statutes is an absolute pro-
hibition against prize fighting.
thlnl there is a distincting between
prize fighting and boxing contests
and such a distincting is recognized
IN our existing law for Section five
OF the same chapter excerpts from the
provisions OF Section four, which
prohibits prize fighting.-excepts
trom that section boxing contests,
purely boxing contests of any more
than six rounds if conducted under
certain conditions; and this new bill,
Senate Document 312. relates solely
to boxing contests and amateur box
ing contests. and contains all of the
conditions which are in the present
law relating to boxing contests with
the exception of one, and that is a
provision that no decision shall be
rendered.
The low now before us, in addi-
ton to the rights which are allowed
| under the existing Statute. provides
that organizations incorporated un-
der Section one of Chapter 81 of the
Revised Statutes, and known as or
ganizations without capital stock,
which includes American Legion
Posts, lodges of various fraternal
bodies and other, similar organiza-
tions, allows these organizations to
conduct purely amateur boxing con-
tests provided the receipts from
| of such organization or to some pub
lie charity. The possibility of such
contests being carried on for private
protit-or gain is we'll protected
| against in this bill. 1t does allow a
decision to be rendered in an anna
, teur contest if that contest is not
longer than four rounds. and that is
| the only material change in the law
| regarding amateur boxing contests.
| Nine of the committee on Legal Af-
| fairs felt that this was a proper
| change and an extension of the law
which would do no harm.
L might in passing refer to an
! other bill which is before this Leg
! isl2ture because l feel that there is
some confusion. perhaps. in the
| minds of the members of this House
as to the two bills. The other
measure is the so-called State Ath-
! ietic Commission bill. That bill con-
| templates a regulation and control
| OF professional boxing by a State
| Athletic Commission, but it in no
| way affects amateur boxing. The
| TWO DIS cover aDSOlutely dlfferent
| fields and one is in no way incon-
sistent with the other; and l hope
| that the members of this House will
! not think that because l refer to
! that bill. l am antagonistic to it be-
| cause l am not. | am heartily In
! favor of the passage of that bill: but
| | do feel that this bill to which /
am now addressing myself is also
| very proper legislation, because
cannot conceive that it is the sense
! of this Legislature. or of the people
| of this State. to pass one bill allow
/ ing professional boxing and at the
/ same time shut down absolutely on
! amateur boxing. That is Just what
! you would do if you passed the COM
! mission bill and did not pass this
I bill, because the commission bill re-
/ peals Section five of Chapter 12o,
! and that is the only section of the
| existing law under which boxing con-
| tests in any form may now be con-
Quoted. That bill gives authority for
the carrying on professional boxing
! under the control and regulation OF
the commission, but it does not re-
new the authority for the carrying
on of boxing contests which are
| purely amateur contests.