Evening star., 1954-11-24
Spencer Agrees
10 Study Move
fterk|i|IerPIea
Heinie Seeks Revenue
For Ring Commission,
Control Of Wrestling

The District Commissioners
have agreed to consider the pos
sibility Of taxing televised the
ater showings Of boxing events
here as a means of raising sag
ging revenues Of. the local box
ing commission.
Commissioner Samuel Spencer
said he feels such q study is in
order. His conclusion was irn-
PEELED by an hour-long plea by
Col. Harvey L. ''Heinie" Miller.
chairman Of the body that reg
ulates the whitening boxing pro-
fession in the District.
Col. Miller pointed out that
some cities, like New York.
charge a S per cent tax on adj
missions to the closed television
circuit showings In movie houses.
In the District. where many Of
these showings have proven to
be sell-outs. 5 per cent levy
would mean from $1,000 to
$4,000 for each event, according
to one commission official. There
are three or four of the movie
events each year.
$500 Deficit Anticipated.
Revenues such as this would
go a long way toward offsetting
the anticipated $500 deficit of
boxing commission during the
current fiscal year, Col. Miller
said.
The burden Of his argument
to the District Commissioners
was that TV has been dealing
too many low blows to the box
Ing commissions pocketbook.
In addition, Col. Miller said,
the commission should be en-
powered to regulate the wrestling
profession here, even though
wrestling In the District is
sicker, If anything, than box
ing and would produce only
piddling revenues. Wrestling is
unregulated here at present.
Jack Foxe, public relations
director of Loew's Washington
theaters. including the Capitol.
which has been televising heavy
weight championship fights, feels
that the proposed tax would be
unfair.
'The entertainment industry
has been fighting for a long
time to reduce the Federal
amusement tax and has finally
succeeded in getting q cut from
20 per cent to 10 per cent" said
Foxe. NOW the city is con-
sidering adding q tax. OF
course it would have to be alb
sorbed by the public and we're
against any additional taxes the
public would have to pay"
Foxe pointed out that price
Of admission for the last theater-
televised fight, the Rocky Mar
ciano-E o-Ezzard Charles champion
ship bout, was $3.50. OF that
price, IS cents went for Federal
amusement tax and $1.90 went
to the International Boxing Club
and Theater Network Television.
The remaining $1.25 went to
the Capitol, but the cost of adj
vertising, line charges and other
incidental expenses had to come
out of 1t.
Col. Miller also tossed couple
Of uppercuts into the District
reorganization program as it has
affected his commission.
Repeatedly. he insisted that
his relations with Robert F.
Cogswell, director Of the newly
formed Department Of Occu-
pations and Professions - Of
which the boxing commission is
q unit-are pleasing"
Housekeeping Excluded.
But, Col. Miller said, while
Mr.. Cogswell's function is sup
posedly a housekeeping one in
volving purely administrative
details for the 10 independent
boards, there have been some
instances recently when. the
housekeeper has seemed dicta-
torial to the boxing commits
Sion."
He recalled q recent instance
when, he said. Mr.. Cogswell or
dered a boxing bout postponed
because the weighing-in Of the