FLOUTING THE LAW

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11785, 22 March 1924, Page 6

FLOUTING THE LAW

TEX RICKARD’S ADMISSION SECRET ASSURANCE HIS FINES WOULD BE LIGHT. “GET MY MONEY BACK.” 9y Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian and N.Z Cable Association. (Reoeived March 21, 7.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, March 20. Tex Rickard, the boxing promoter, appearing before the Senate Committee that is investigating against H. M. Daugherty, the Attorney-General, testified concerning the illegal distribution of the Carpentier-Dempsey fight films in inter-State commerce, that knowingly he arranged for their distribution upon a secret assurance that prosecutions would not be pressed. Rickard’s mode of procedure was to exhibit the films and submit to a light fine, and then continue the exhibitions with impunity, apparently through the connivance of officials of the Department of Justice. Rickard stated that he was first fined 1000 dollars in New York, and added: “Then I went out to get my money back.” The committee, however, showed that he more than recouped his initial loss, by producing Rickard’s own expense accounts, indicating that his average fines within each State averaged 500 dollars, against receipts averaging 26,000 dollars. Rickard declared, however, that these methods involved other heavy expenses, which made his own net profit only 1000 dollars.