IRON HAND

NZ Truth, Issue 1305, 18 December 1930, Page 12

IRON HAND

Council Should Act

MAKE, NOT MAR

The Mussolini type of -referee may be all right' with the black shirts, but some of the New Zealand disciples of right is might be doing the game a service "by refraining from accepting engagements. THIS type of referee gets it into his head that he is the most important person on the evening's bill of fare, and the mere fact that the audience has paid to witness a flght is a mere nothing to him. j A referee's main duty is to make ai fight, not to mar one. I Richard Meale, one-time amateur champion, apparently has plenty of spare time on his hands, for he does a fair amount of travelling round the country to referee. He is a railway servant by occupation, and the department ' must be paying to allow him so much leave. Now, Meale is a rather important person m the ring, and he has the boxers know it. If he waited till he had the boys under his jurisdiction — the moment they clamber through the ropes — it would be excusable, but Meale has ai system of his own. Sometimes he calls the, two principals and their seconds together and gives them the works. He threatens all sorts of dire penalties .if they should attempt to do a "don't{" Other times he. takes them one at a time. Last week he paid Edwards a visit — we presume he also dropped m on Donovan. Why boxers, fall for this, "Truth" cannot say. Meale has pot the power to demand these audiences, and he cannot call on the rules to back him up. The referee who knows his job gives his instructions m the ring. Meale does not miss this opportunity, either. He gives a second . rendition when the gloves are on. This iron hand stuff only succeeds m putting a boy off his balance, and then, when the fight starts, and cautions are being thrown about with great freedom, the boxer, particularly if he is a visitor, is prevented from showing as he could show. He's scared stiff by the number of threats that have been hurled at him. "Truth" has witnessed the effect of these nagging tactics, and boys, who we're quite good fighters, have been reduced to a class below novice company. The secretary of the Boxing Council was present at New Plymouth last Saturday night, and he could not help noting that Meale interpreted the rules m a manner » all his own. Edwards was, cautioned and threatened ad lib., while Donovan was allowed to imagine himself the perfect It is the duty of that gentleman to report to the Council on Meale's exhibitions, particularly his failure to stop the Furze-Mansfield fight, a bout Which brought police condemnation. New Zealand has some good referees, hut they are vastly outtoeighed by the bad ones. . Meale, m the opinion of "Truth," is not m the former category.