DEFEATED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1299, 30 November 1911, Page 7

DEFEATED.

CR. ATKINSON'S BOXING MOTION, TOWN HALL PERMITS. THE CONTESTS TO CONTINW;. Tho City Council last evening endorsed its previous decision to permit the Wellington Boxing: Association holding professional contests in tbo Town Hall. Prior to tbe discussion, the council, at thn instauco of tho Mayor, adjourned for a quarter of an hour and all tho moml*rs present, with tho exception of Councillors Atkinson and Smith, visited the Town Hall and witnessed the first throo rounds of tho contest between Haunnn and G.iuK. Councillors were thus fortified by § radical experience when they came to iscuss tho motion tabled by Councillor Atkinson, which read as follows:— That tlio permission granted by tbo council on May 18, 1011, to tho Wellington Boxing Association to • hold professional boxing contests in the Town Hall be rescinded. What Are Prize Fights? Councillor Atkinson stated .that ho was not one of those who had acquired bin knowledge of boxing within tho last hour. Ho did not hold that tho sport of boxing wan disreputable, but ho confessed that tho claim that a contest between boxera for ;i big money prize was not a prizo fight was a subtlety too deep for him. The -Mayor suggested that a prizo fight; was ». fight between two men with bare lists or with skin gloves. ' ' j Councillor Atkinson denied that tho di;*Unction was a rational one. The paper's had: recently reported the death'of. a boxer who had received a kidney punch in a contest conducted undo.r the auspices of the National Sporting Club and something of the kind might very well hap-, pen here. The universal experience of what had happened all over the world should 'carry greater weight thau tho guarantee ol even the. uiost unexcepliounblo local committee. Everywhere proboxing contests had' degenerated into objectionable exhibitions, and no doubt the sumo experience would bo repeated in New Zealand. This sort of rhing was not indigenous to the country. Tho artists who participated had tn bo imported for tho purpose. Councillor Atkinson then wont on to tav (hat his sympathies wero entirely willj pure snore. He was fully sensible of Iho value of boxing contests in supplying good models, but lie desired to keep the sport clear of the "dollar fighting" element. If the council did givo its connfonanco to these professional contests tliero would inevitably be a lowering of the moral (one of tho community. Councillor Smith seconded the motion. He said that no argument raised would prove to him that a prize fight was not a prize fight. "Better in Town Hall Than Down Back Alleys." The Mayor congratulated the mover of tho motion on the temperate and generous way in which lie. had dealt with tho subject. r<3 him it seemed that a boxing contest was one in which gloves wei-o need, and that a prize fight was one in' which the Contestants used bare knuckles or wore skin-gloves, and fought for n. money-pme. MnHers of this kind should bo kept tall in the light. If bosing con. tests were to be allowed at nil thev should bo permitted in the Town Hall. In such a contest as all the councillors, out two lind witnessed that ovening trained men wouid hike no hurt. His Worship confessed that ho did not know what the kidney punch was. Councillor Jf'Kenzie remarked that i<l was "barred" in Now Zealand. Tho Mayor went on to state that'it was ( better to hayo cleau toxing contests in the lown IkII than- to have less reputable contests down back allov= Councillor Fletcher said that the members of a certain deputation which Iwaited upon (ho council had made cxi". ge.rnted statement? which showed that they wero unfamiliar with the sport. How tho Voting Went, At this stage Councillor l-'ullor , moved: "I hnt, the question be now nut " J Ins . wa.c snooiuled . l.y Councillor ■U Kcnzio and carried on a division bv 11 voles to 3. , ~" ' A division was then taken upon Connfjillor Atkinsons motion, and it v,,, ,i P . featcd by S votes to 6. Following is ho division lish-.\ycs : Councillors AtSmith, and Trovor. Noes: The Maw' and Councillors Gimcron. Colon, KiVmn ad, lietcher, Frost, fuller, and li/iZ