BOXING CONTROL OR MONOPOLY?

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 108, 3 November 1923, Page 13

BOXING CONTROL OR MONOPOLY?

•P? . TO THE EDITOR, •■' .. . . a| Sir.—lt was . reported _in Tuesday fi night's "Post" that the members of the Jj Boxing Corifereh.ce were desirous of. £j new legislation governing boxing being |>| submitted' to them before being ore§j seiited to the -House. . This is as it 1| should be, but jn the very next para-: 'if graph they decide' against secondary' |1 schools holding boxing competitions, un§3 less they comply with-the .regulations governing boxing. ■.. ■/■,.' . ... ■ |s ... Ii appears to me that the;council is j| di'f irons of controlling.. school boxing, |j b« is not prepared-to give -schools a % hearing before passing' legislation' cpn?4 ceriiing them-, though, the: council ex- || pects.to be consulted hy Parliament with j| legislation concerning it.,; To the .'lay'M roan.it may.,seeni .all' right—^Boxing fi Council to .have. control of -boxing—but 'g we have to remember that it is a professiqnal amateur body .which handles S$ a. lot of money from sport, and where M there is money in sport ther& may be *| monopoly. It miiy also seem all right J| that schools should be asked to comply -% with tlie council's own home-made reft gulations, but does-this-mean that

schools will have to conform to the regulations which have been created for the wealthiest and least-giving of all sports bodies. If so, then I feel sorry for, the schools. The Police Offences Act of 1908 was intended to protect the sport and not to give a monopoly to any section of the community. If this is carried into effect, what chance has the smaller school of fostering boxing? xhe assistance given to schools in tho past by the association would not help them to conform to the regulations governing tournaments, and why should'the association view with disfavour the granting of affiliation to military and other organisations (who would probably' do more for the amateur than the association) desirous of conducting boxing contests. What is the objection? • Is-it that the association wants the monopoly : for itrelf. To my mind these other .organisations would do a great deal of good in fmthering boxing amons? the masses, instead of among the selected tew, as at present.—l am, etc., I"i'w \_ SPORTS MASTER. Ist November.