New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1927-07-26
RICHARD WANTS
TAX ON RADIOS
Says Cheaper Seats Not Now in
Demand at Fights

New York, July &c LP-Tex Rick
ard is quoted in the Evening Worlt
today as saying that radio is driving
away the purchasers of the cheaper
seats at boxing shows and that II
fights are to show fair profit radio
fans face some sort of voluntary
tax.
Fifty million persons. it Is es-
.tfmated, got a word picture of the
Dempsey Sharkey contest he said
''just as quickly as those seated In
the Yankee Stadium, and got some
thing for nothing that the onlookers
had to pay well for.
II have an Idea that II the I'M
mense radio public was appealed to
donate anything they wished from
rs cents to 81 for the entertainment
furnished they would be glad to con-
tribute rather than have radio priv
ileges denied them.
II know this will raise an awful
howl at first, but when they grasp
what it really means they will see
the fairness of the Idea. These
donations could be divided In such
q way that a percentage would go
toward defraying the expenses OF
staging the contest, and the balance
toward improvements of the broad
casting arrangements so as to Insure
even further projections to the ad-
vantage of the listeners IN"
Richard said that although he had
no definite decision az yet it began
ito look as though the Dempsey
Tunney championship fight would
have to be out of New York be-
cause Of the financial situation.
II would like to bring the match
10 New York for various reasons,
he said, "and while I have tried to
scheme how it can be brought
about. it begins to look as though
Iconditions will make such a move
impossible. -,
ut has come to pass where 1t
Il impossible to stage a heavyweight
championship contest any more at
an expenditure Of less than slightly
over $1,000, 900. Even with $50
ton could not go better than 81
100000, so that the return even I'M
der the most favorable conditions
would not promise a profit that
would make such a heavy invest
ment advisable
Richard said that he hoped to see
both major league ball clubs play
ing in one of the city's stadia, so
that the other might be improved as
"a fight arena. II this proves I'M
nossible he hoped that ball fields
would be prohibited for fights and
then a great stadium specifically
CONSTRUCTED for boxing might De
'built by the Madison Square Garden
corporation.
"Where you have to carry your
r;ngside seats more than 30 or 40
rows back on the fat you cannot
give patrons fair return for their
money"
Richard said that he had not yet
given I'D hope of acquiring the Polo
Grounds. and if he did, the playing
field would be dropped 10 or IL
feet below the level of the grand
stand to permit graduation OF the
seats on the playing field. He SAID
that Thursday when he took one OF
the rear ringside seats and 'reailz-
cd how little could see Of the ring
7 could not help but feel that pur-
chasers of those seats had been i'm
posed upon. :,
THAT is one thing" he continued
"that has interested me In my inVes-
legations of Soldiers Field. Chicago
as a possible site The Stadium is SO
immense that 1t will be possible TO
incline every one Of the field seats.
This will mean satisfaction to the
spectators who l certainly must ad-
nit had reason to complain at the
Dempsey Sharkey match"