THE ACCIDENT FUND

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1932, Page 21

THE ACCIDENT FUND

OBLIGATION OF OWNERS

FEES DUE PAYMENT

; Among the various branches of work I controlled by.', the New v Zealand. Racing Conference; there are few: more important than . the administration - of. the- Accident Fund; which has proved of- incalculable .benefit to' owners; trainers, jockeys, and their dependants since its establishment. For the very; reasonable fee of; £1 for each horse. (reduced from £1 10s. at the recent annual meeting of the Conference), owners, are • indemnified against liability tor accidents causing injury or death to trainers, jockeys, or stable.hiro'ds) and the payments made are on a much more generous scale than would be aljbwed' by an ordinary insurance 'company 'fir a similar premium: ' ■ ■.■•••- ■*■ ■ ■-. ■

The accident fees for the new season, which opens on Monday, are now due, and an important duty, falls on owners to see that the ; . necessary fees are paid promptly. Se~ far as owners themselves are concerned the payment of the! fee is obligatory .before a horse is,weighted out wr- a race, and should it happen" that payment has not been previously paid or collected disqualification would follow if $he horse finished in the money. By the payment of the necessary fee before a horse .is weighed out for-a race an owner makes.his,position secure from that stage. However, an owner should view the- obligation from longer range than this, for. he ought not" to overlook the fact that; there is risk of accident during training operations, and he "is not covered for this Tiskuritil'the" accident fee on at least one of his horses in training has :been paid.- • ■ --~ '■*■!...:-■.-. The nile (Rule 402, 1) reads: f'The General Trustees shall not apply- any moneys forming part of the General-Trust Fund in making grants or, payments by way of indemnity to any owner in.' 'respect of any death, accident",. or disability caused (1)' by a horse in training,' -unless-the accident fee has previously-been paid lor that horse,-; or- another horse- owned by the same owner, for the year "(i.e., racing season), in which the death, accident, or disability, occurred;. (2) by a>horse not in training/'-., ..--., ..'■ •■ ~, It is-, possible, that ..some relief, might be obtained, where an .accident lee has"not been paid Jrom ;th> District .Fund, but the fact remains that the failuresto'pay the general accident fee will have deprived'1 a seriously injured horseman, trainer, or, stable hand from ' receiving any benefit* from a fund that was established: to, meet just-such-cases -as his. - There, is only one satisfactory course for. owners-' to follow whether rttey..,reside.in: country districts or. larger, centres, and that is for .them; to; pay 'their "accident fees before or.-at "the r very beginning'of thfe new sea-, son,, or in any ! case" before ofie of their horses is put'into -work, •'; ,?. '•;..- J ; Another! important point for an owner to remember, is that- if vie .^purchases a I horse for. which .the accident .fee has previously .been paid, during the purrent season^he.is.not inde'mniifi,ed on his part against liability for accident, it'is essential that such new owner fchall Save' paid this fed for one or more of Ms "horses before he has any claim1 on-th§ fund." ■'■*