BOXING CONFERENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 9877, 26 July 1923, Page 2

BOXING CONFERENCE

HELD IN ASHBURTON.

CENTRE SYSTEM DISCUSSED. The annual conference of delegates of the South Island Boxing Association was held in Ashburton yesterday afternoon. There were present:— Messrs T. Nightingale (Oamaru), J. C. N. Grigg, H. R. C. McElrea, and E. J. O’Brien (Ashburton), R. A. Row and T. C. Robson (Christchurch), T.

Henry (Invercargill), and W. G. Atack, secretary of the N.Z. Boxing Council, Christchurch. Mr J. C. N. Grigg extended a welcome to the delegates. Ashburton, he said, was as keen a centre as it was possible to find, and ho was pleased that Christchurch was lending its assistance to run the tournament. The fact of Christchurch’s assistance would make it quite plain that there could be no bias in any respect. Ashburton was out to run a good, clean tournament. Mr Grigg went on to deal with amateur boxing as against .professional boxing, saying that they were entirely different things. When a referee saw an amateur had no earthly chance of winning, he had every power, and rightly so, to stop the bout. On the other hand, the professional match usually went to the finish. He hoped the delegates would find the arrangements for the tournament quite satis-

factory; the best under the circumstances was being done. Mr McElrea, in thanking Mr Grigg, said his Club had always instructed their referee to stop a. bout if he was certain a competitor was unable to adequately defend himself. This made for a good' clean sport, and eliminated much unnecessary punishment. The conferencei business was then proceeded with, Mr McElrea acting as chairman. He said Southland wished to move the following remits, which had been drawn up that morning:— (1) That the centre system is in the opinion of the Southland Boxing Association not practicable as a system of government for the control of boxing. (2) That Southland is too large a district to be controlled from outside, and Southland moves that this conference recommend the Council and Minister of Internal Affairs to register Southland as a centre. Moving the remit, Mr Henry said the Southland Association had a long time been fighting for reforms in this direction, as under the present conditions there was a danger of them losing their identity. Southland was too large to be controlled from outside. It bad several towns which desired to hold tournaments, but these had 1 been held up pending the result of tho conference.

Mr Nightingale seconded the motion, and supported the Southland delegate. He said it was a slur on Invercargill that it should have no identit.y, and it was to bo regretted that the control should be vested in the Otago Association. Unless something was done fori Invercargill, interest in boxing would not grow; in fact it would lessen. Mr Robson dealt with the ethics of amateur boxing. Ho pointed out incidentally that Mr J. C. N. Grigg one of the original founders, and a most sturdy supporter since the inauguration of the sport. The sport

owed a lot to him for his support through thick and thin. Mr Robson said the Southland people did not apparently seem to see eye to eye with the> administration. Mr McElrea said 1 the remits opened up a big question. It was adopted for the Auckland province, and had caused a. lot of controversy. At first Ashburton had resisted the system. In

discussing the question they must take a. broad view. The system did not probably suit all, but they would have to go' about amendments in a constitutional way. The only thing that could he done was to draw the attention of the administrators to Southland’s position. Probably the “centre discontent” could be got over by removing the from one town to another every three years or so. There was not doubt Southland, which was so far away from Dunedin, should be encouraged, and the Council should be recommended to grant it the status of a centre. He would support the appeal. Mr Robson asked how many clubs ' there were in the Invercargill district.. ’

There was onlj- one association, said Mr Henry. Mr Robson said Invercargill really wanted to become a centre Ttself. It would be better if Southland went on under Dunedin for a while until she had three or four associations or clubs, and then apply for a centre.

Mr Atack outlined the incidents leading up to the formation of centres, and said that in tho centre system the Council, instead of having to deal with a large number of secretaries, it dealt directly with the secretary of each centre. The division of the Dominion into four or six centz-es emanated from the Minister of Internal Affairs, though as to who had approached him he did not know. Mi- Atack said the Wellington Association worked its centz-0 admirably, and if others could' do likewise the system would be a great success. They must take a. broad view, and they must have laws and regulations for the general good, and not for the individual good. However, he did not want to see Southland suffer unduly,, and urged that the remit be passed, and discussed at the General Con fere-nee in Dunedin.

Mr O’Brien pointed out that one* of the remits contradicted, the other. The one protested against the system, and the. other asked for a centi-e-.

The meeting recognised this, and the iemits were then amended to read: That the Council he recommended to form a. separate centre for Southland, with headquarters at Invercargill. Xli' Henry said the matter had come up because they had had no representation at the Conference before, but they would be getting z-epzesenta-tion next time through their centre. Mi 1 Robson was inclined to agree with Mr Atack in that once the Southland people “got going” under the system they would wonder why they had not got on so well before. The aim was to, have a standardised system in administration right through New Zealand. After fui'ther discussion, the remit in its amended form was carried, and will be discussed at Dunedin.

Site of Next Championships. Mr He my made a strong claim on

behalf of Invercargill for the 192-1 South Island Championships to be held there. He. moved that the Conference support the request. ’Mr Nightingale seconded, and ' tho Conference carried the motion, sevei-al delegates stating they would strongly support Invercargill’s claim when tlie time for. final decision arrived*