THE BURNS-SQUIRES FIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 198, 19 August 1908, Page 7

THE BURNS-SQUIRES FIGHT.

NO GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE. ADMIRAL SPERRY'S OPINION. "NO MORE DANGEROUS THAN A PICNIC." SYDNEY, August 12. The Government will do nothing to prevent the Burns-Squires fight taking place, unless during its progress it develops into an illegal contest. "I have received a great many letters," the Premier said, "some requesting, others demanding, that the Government shall prevent the Burns-Squires contest taking place. So far as the granting of permission for the use of any land or buildings over which the Crown has control, we have consistently refused every application that has been made to us, and I find from inquiry that Sir Thomas Bent has taken the same course in Victoria, and has done nothing more. In fact, neither he nor this Government has any power to do more, unless the contest become illegal. "If, for instance, these two men set to work with bare fists there cannot be much doubt that the contest would be iDegaL On the other hand, in an exhibition of skill, where the men use gloves, and the prize is awarded to the person who obtains the greater numiier of points, such a contest would be perfectly allowable. The difficulty is to decide on these contests, in which the circumstances are infinitely variable, and which do not come within either ot the extreme classes I have just mentioned. "I do not think it could be said that every contest in which when a knockout blow being given the knocker-out is to be declared the winner is necessarily illegaL At the same time, it is near the line. "Boxing contests have been permitted in Sydney from time immemorial. At these the police invariably attend, and if after a time they see that one of the combatants is unfit to continue, the contest is stopped. I am not prepared to say the proposed contest is legal or illegal. All I can say is that the law will be observed without straining it in either direction. "I had some doubt in my mind whether the mere fact of this contest being of an international character might not, even assuming it was perfectly legal, lead to a disturbance amongst the onlookers. Contests of this kind are discussed before and after; heated arguments at hotels lead to blows, and followers of the vanquished man might feel inclined to retaliate upon the supporters of the victor. To clear up this doubt so far as members of the visiting fleet are concerned, I took the opportunity of consulting Admiral Sperry, of the United States fleet, and inquired by cable whether he thought there was any danger of this contest leading to trouble between members of his fleet and civilians, or Brintish sailors, and his reply, received to-day, is re-assuring on that point. He state that he does not anticipate any trouble of the kind arising. In fact, his words are:— " "There's no more danger of trouble to be anticipated from this contest than if the men were at an afternoon picnic'"