RACING AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 30, 4 August 1939, Page 11

RACING AFFAIRS

AWARD UNDER DISCUSSION

<By I'Piesrraph—Press Association

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day

"Are we to become a sort of chopping block for any of these boys who come along?" asked Mr. J. B. Pearson in pointing out the difficulty of obtaining suitable labour for stable work when the question was discussed at the annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Racing Owners', Breeders',- and Trainers' Association last evening.

In stating that members were bound to keep to the terms'of the agreement entered into with stable hands, Mr. H. Nurse said he was sorry to see some trainers who had promised to honour the agreement had not, don© so.

"Some trainers seem to have, the fortune to secure decent boys to work for them, but a lot; cannot get them," said Mr. Pearson. "What redress have we if we can't get reliable boys? Boys have their union, and they are going to stand with their backs to the wall and say they want this and that," said Mr. Pearson. "You do not, expect to get a genius for 30s a week," retorted Mr. Nurse. "No, and if they were overburdened with intelligence they would not be in the game and neither would we," was Mr. Pearson's parting shot. '

Referring to stable-hands later Mr. Nurse said that the boys had drawn up conditions forming their demands to replace the old award, which had expired.

Mr. E. C. Parker said that in his youth he had worked in the North Island, and conditions and wages were no better there than in the south, the average wage being 25s or 30s a week "Some do not pay that here," said the Hon. G. K. Hunter. "Some even pay as low a wage as 10s a week."