TRAINER’S PLEA

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 121, 17 February 1944, Page 7

TRAINER’S PLEA

“Hardship For Everyone In Industry”

. The following letter commenting, on the restrictions on the travelling of racehorses has been received from the Bulls trainer, A. E. Neale: — “As a licensed trainer in New Zealand, may I draw attention to the serious plight of every .person professionally engaged in the horse-breeding and racing Industry 'brought about by the restrictions on railway and float transport of horses. Firstly, there is the position of brood mares which are visiting stallions, in Other districts. Most of these districts are suffering from the effects of one of the longest droughts experienced for many years, and it would be more satisfactory to the owners of these mares to have them returned to their homes so that they could be hard fed till much needed rain restores the pastures. •By doing so the studmaster would be relieved. Most of these mares have foals which cannot be ‘done’ properly on these parched areas. Most studmasters have from 40 to 50 mares additional to their own to care for, and normally they would remain visitors at .these studs till February arid then be returned to their owners. The authorities must be aware that drought conditions during the summer have created a serious feed problem, and that every effort should be made to have these mares returned to their homes. "From the racing point of view, the cessation of this side of the sport means preventing every licence-holder from earning his bread and butter. Trainers, jockeys and stable employees have contributed willingly to' the war effort and to the armed forces. Speaking from memory, I do not know of a single trainer, jockey or stablfehand who appealed against service or who shirked his responsibility to the armed forces. “Trainers are trying to carry on as best they dan. There arc some of them up to 00 years of age riding work every morning and working up io IS hours a day because, of the shortage of labour due entirely to jockeys and stable 1 hands being called up for service. “Surely those responsible for this curtailment can look at the position more tolerantly. If conditions remain as nt present, it means that we are going to run into debt. IlorsOs still have to be fed • and the grain merchant has to be paid. The revenue derived by the State from breeding and racing, and the money put into circulation by racing, is enormous, yet our cupboards and our oat bine are quickly becoming empty, and everybody knows what it means to get behind with payments. Surely we in the racing industry are entitled to some consideration in our effort to keep the wolf from the door instead of being prevented from working? The position is something like a convoy of food ships arriving to relieve a starving population and being prevented from berthing. . ~, , "I trust that the authorities will give sympathetic consideration to this question and do what they can to organize and permit the minimum of transport that, will allow us to carry on so that wc may at least earn sufficient: to pay our expenses and not. fall into debt. There is a large body of people who have no other means of earning a living than from racing, and it. does not appear fair to me that' any section of the community should be so severely penalized when they have done everything they can to help the war effort' and at. the same time have already been severely penalized for the past two years by a 50 per cent, cut in their earnings.”