Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1960-01-01
Jackie sharkey.

Jack Britton, Johnny Dundee. Sam
my MandeIl, Bud Tayler, Fidel La
Barba, and Frankie Genaro invad
ed st. Paul and Minneapolis Il
battle Minnesota's wonderful ar
ray Of pubilists.
Boxing in Minnesota experienc'
ed other prosperous eras at diff
ferent periods later on with Ny
sullivan. Billy Light and Al Var
Ryan leading the parade In st
Paul; and the sensational Jackie
Graves drawing capacity crowds
in Minneapolis.
More recently, Del Flanagan
has been carrying the burden alone
and drawing gates in st. Paul that
have caused eyebrow lifting among
devotees Of the cauliflower-ear cult
in much larger cities like New
York. Chicago, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton, St Louis. Los Angeles and
San Francisco.
The Upper Midwest Golden
Gloves Program sponsored by The
Minneapolis Star and Tribune
since 1886 has contributed approx
mately $4,000 to the tubercul-
osis fund during the past % years.
Affiliated with this program are
American Legion, fraternal and
civic groups Of st. Paul, Duluth,
Rochester, Hibbing, Slayton, Blue
Earth, Wadena and numerous
smaller municipalities"
The State Of Minnesota, from
a boxing standpoint, is unique in
another phase. Its State Athletic
Commission, which supervises box
ing, is one Of the few boards in
existence in America whose men,
bers, other than the executive sec
rotary, serve without pay. The
five members Of the Commission
are paid only SIS per meeting,
not to exceed 16 meetings an
nually.
The executive secretary Is paid
$500 a year. This salary was es-
tablished by law in 1915 and never
was increased.
Moreover, the Commission, since
the inception Of the boxing law in
1915, has been required by law to
be self-sustaining. Even during
lean years in boxing in Minnesota,
due to the inroad made upon gate
receipts by nationally televised
fights twice weekly, the Commits
sion never has received a penny
of appropriation from the State.
The State boxing law stipulates
the Commission must operate in a
budget Of $4,000 annually. In
addition to the Executive Secre-
tary's salary Of $500 a year, the
following operations must be main
tanned: salary of one full-time
civil service employee; deputy com.
missioners, office supplies, travel
telephone and incidental expenses
An office also must be maintained
and must be in operation five day.
a week from 8 am. until 4:3o pm
Due to rigid adherence to econ
omic measures by the Commission
the boxing boards annual expens,
seldom exceeds $4,000.
Current members Of the Com
mission are: James M. Waters o.
st. Paul, chairman; DR.. Cyril M
Smith Of Duluth. vice-chairman
Judge L. Howard Bennett Of Min
neapolisi Jack Gibbons Of St Paul
Bruno o. Lid Of Rochester; and
George A. Barton Of Minneapolis
executive secretary and commits
sioner.
That boxing has been efficiently
conducted In Minnesota under tn,
guidance Of athletic commissioners
past and present, since the sport
was legalized In this state In 1915
is proved by the fact boxing has
been free from scandal during the
past A years.
Also, despite the fact thousands
upon thousands Of boxing contests
professional and amateur, have
been held in Minnesota during that
lengthy period, only two fatalities
have occurred and very few ser
iouS injuries have resulted. Few
other states can boast such an en-
viable record.
The Commission has attempted
at every session Of the State Leg.
islature during the past ten years
to have the boxing law amended 70
place professional wrestling under
its supervision and impose q five
per cent tax, the same as profess
sional and amateur boxing. The
Commissions efforts were stymiec
at each session.
The commission presented the
bill at the 1859 session Of the Leg.
islature. One Of the provisos OF
the bill was that amateur boxing
would be made tax exempt II the
wrestling bill were passed. In 9th.
er words, the five per cent tas
on professional wrestling woulc
supplant the similar tax imposed
on amateur, or Golden Gloves box.
ing.