BOXING BOXING COUNCIL DROPS BOMB: JONES & MURPHY QUESTION IS UNSETTLED

Grey River Argus, 22 March 1947, Page 6

BOXING BOXING COUNCIL DROPS BOMB: JONES & MURPHY QUESTION IS UNSETTLED

"Now that the New Zealand Boxing Council has at last dropped its ‘atomic bomb’ to the detriment of at least two boxing associations and to two of the best boxers in this country, the question of where the present impasse is going to end arises,” writes a leading sports writer of Wellington in a recent boxing review. “I am sure the public will agree with me when I say there can be only one ending and’ that is the abolition of the council,” he said.

In his opinion, he continued, Mr Lon Stewart, chairman of the Hutt Valley Boxing Association, should receive the highest praise for exploding the council’s bubble.

Part of Mr Stewart’s statement read as follows: —

"It is time to make it clear to the public that the N.Z. Boxing Council has no legal power to forbid a contest nor indeed any legal power of any kind. The boxers (Jones and Stevens) were under contract to my association and the members of the Boxing Council will now have to face individually the legal consequence of having unlawfully interfered with that contract.”

The Valley Association instructed its solicitors to write to the secretary of the council asking in the interests of the sport that an -early conference take place between their respective legal advisers to see if the difficulties could not be ironed out. Mr Stewart said no reply to that letter had been received and it was obvious that the only result the letter had had was to make the council hurry on its purported suspension of Murphy’s and Jones’ licenses. “I know nothing of the manner in which Jones’ license was suspended,” went on Mr Stewart. “As to Murphy’s, I am advised that the proceedings were illegal. Here again, however, it should be made clear that what is called a ‘license’ is merely a permission to box in New Zealand given by a body which has no power to prevent it. The only way in which an ‘unlicensed’ boxer can be got at is by the council doing its best to induce others to refuse to give him matches. It is for the council to consider how far such attempts are lawful.” Mr Stewart made it clear that his association would continue to promote contests in its own district, with or without the approval of the N.Z. Boxing Council. UNUSUAL PROCEDURE “The strange thing about the whole show is that Mr Aldridge, having all the evidence before him (at least in his own mind) to suspend and revoke Murphy’s and Jones’ licenses, forced Jones under pain of suspension to go to Dunedin and give an exhibition there. He also signed that

boxer up to fill Murphy’s place in the contest at Hastings against Hanham. Yet a few days later he refused permission to the Hutt Valley Association to hold the Jones-Stevens fight, but informed Jones that he would have to fulfil the Hastings contract,” said the writer. "If Murphy, Jones and the Hutt Valley Boxing Association take legal action against the Boxing Council, will it use the money it has accumulated from fees collected from boxers and associations to defend itself and perhaps to pay for any damages they may be called upon to find? I think that the money held by the council should be frozen until such time as a properly constituted inquiry should be held.”

COUN Cl L CONDEMNED “To-day the Boxing Council stands condemned at the bar of public opinion, and can no longer ' justify its existence. Legally it does not exist, so the way is now wide open for the Government to set up a boxing commission to organise and control boxing in this country.” Every sportsman and sportswoman throughout the length and breadth of this country would applaud this step, went on the writer, and would acclaim such a procedure as the only step to be taken. u ADMISSIONS” BY JONES The Boxing Council said in its statement that admissions made by Willie Jones to its secretary brought about the suspension of Jones’ and Bos Murphy’s boxing licenses. Would Mr Aldridge tell the public what was the nature of such a statement? Did Jones put his signature to it, what witnesses were present, and did he make the statement voluntarily, or under duress, with the gun pointed at him as it was when he was forced to go to Dunedin?

The public had a right to know, and Mr Aldridge should come out in the open and tell the people why he suspended both boxers, and why he refused a permit (which he had no legal right to withhold) to the Hutt Valley Boxing Asscoiation to hold the Jones-Stevens contest. Eight lovers who are anxious to see Willie Jones in action will just have to wait a while. It should not be a long wait, for the council, having got itself into the devil’s own mess, has had its day. How many true sportsmen would mourn its passing and how many boxers would cfemand the pound back they paid for their licenses is a matter yet to be decided upon. What stand would associations take now, when they could stage a fight and give what purse they desired without consulting the council? the writer concludes.