WANTS OF JOCKEYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17484, 31 May 1920, Page 6

WANTS OF JOCKEYS.

■Si -' '■' i . . .-'■>. X. ' ' ' SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE.

SIR G. CLIFFORD SYMPATHETIC.

REQUESTS MADE BY RIDERS. . .. .■'••-• /■- [B! ntBOSAra.-'OwM \ coftfijtsroNwwt.}

1 ' WELLINGTON, Saturday.

Tho jockeys who 'met Sir George Clifford in a conference to-day wore very pleased with, the result of tho meeting, which lasted for tlirco hours. Messm. R. Hatch and A. Oliver wero (spokesmen for the jockeys, arid the president undertook to ley their requests before the conference, and also to give his support to them. Tho principal requests were: ASO pe.' cent, advance in all losing fees, a fiat rate of 5 per cent, oil ell winning fees; and also on place money o v er a certain figure: a hurdle race or jumper*/ flat to be rJacwl on all programmes, and also one race for apprentices, Tho clubs, arc- to forego tho 24 per cent, for collecting tho riders' fees, and tho objectionable, practice of putting back the clock i* to be stopped at once.' At all inquiries an advocate' in the shape of another rider is, if desired, to be ' allowed."

DISTRICT COMMITTEE'S VIEWS.

REPLY TO MR. C. C. SHEATH.

The chairman of the Auckland District Committee^ the Hon. E. Mitchelson, has' forwarded -to the Prime. Minister a reply to the letter sent to Mr. Massoy a week ugo by the secretary to the New Zealand Jockey's, Association, Mr. C. C. Sheath, following one in which Mr- . Mitchelson set out the attitude of the District Committee. Mr. Mitchelson says: — '-:■' _." As Mr. Sheath traverses the points raised in my letter and questions some, of my statements therein, I think it right that I should give some additional information, or explanation in reply to his assertions. In tho first place, he invites' explanation as to why only three jockeys have been, dealt with. If Mr. Sheath had carefully perused my letter ho would have noticed that I explained that the Auckland District' Committee would only deal with offending jockeys whoso licenses had been granted by such committee, and that other offending jockeys would be dealt with by other district committees which had granted their respective licenses. One jockey, McCormac, has already been sits-

ended for a period by the Taranaki District Committee, and others are being dealt with by» tho Wellington District Committee. As far as I can gather those other jockeys to whom Mr. Sheath refers did not commit any offence under the Rules of Racing, as they obtained the consent of their ornployers to their breach of their engagements, or in other word?, their employers released them from their obligations and, in tho circumstances, scratched their horses. The Rules of Racing, "Secondly, I repeat my statement that the suspensions had nothing whatever to do with the offending jockeys' connection with the New Zealand Jockeys' Association. I invited any of the Labour leaders to inquire into the position dispassionately, but so far no person has thought it necessary to make such inquiries. Thirdly, Mr. Sheath questions as to whether the Rules of Racing have been observed by the Avondsle Jockey Club's stewards and the Auckland District Committee, and quotes portions of such rules, which are quite beside the question in dispute. However, Mr. Sheath, by his contentions,

quite stultifies the action of his association in regard, to the suspensions, as.it must be apparent to any impartial person that if his contentions wero sound the obvious courie which a suspended jockey should have taken was to have appealed immediately to the Racing Conference apainft the decision of the District Committee as being contrary to {he Rn'es of Rating. Had this course been followed, and his contention found to bo spund, the Racine Conference must have revoked the suspensions and reinstated the offending jockeys. Tho obvious conclusion is that Mr. Sheath knows there is nothing in his contention, otherwise an appeal such as I have indicated would have been lodged and proceeded with. " I do not deem it necessary to go into Mr. Sheath's argument of the cases, of the offending jockeys, as these arguments were all adduced bv the jockeys themselves before the District Committee on the hearing of tho charges against them, and throw no new light on the matter. The Avosdsie Incidents. " Mr. Sheath questions my statement that ' The suspensions had nothing to do with the actions of the jockeys on Abe first day of the meeting— 7.' It is quite true the jockeys were charged by the Avondalc Jockey Club with offences committed on April 7, as. well as on April 10, but the Auckland District Committee, on investigating the charges, disallowed the charges' of offences alleged to have been committed on April 7, and found .against, the jockeys only in respect of breaches and offences committed *by them subsequent to April 7. As regards Mr. Sheath's challenge to me to deny that it was an absolute ' fact that if Mr. Hewitt had not approached the Avondale stew-

ardg the first day not one jockey would have be*n suspended,' I give Mr. Sheath the emphatic denial he desires. The suspensions were brought about solely on account of action by the jockeys on tho second day—April 10. As to what actuate;! the jockeys in -thtiir ill-advised actions on that day, I cannot be expected to fumish an answer, as this must be best known to themselves. "■ " Mr. Sheath also desires information as to why representatives of jockeys were not allowed to attend tho meetings of the committee. In reply to him I. may state that this is in accordance with custom and tho committee were not disposed to set aside this custom to meet the wishes of the offending jockeys. It may be as well to point out that Mr. F. Earl is an elected member of the Auckland District Committee, and the jockeys hod the advantage of his able services in sifting the matter in dispute. Ho endeavoured to bring out in evidence all matters that were likely to bo in favour of the jockeys and in mitigation of tJieir offences. In fact, some of the charges were not sustained through the cross-examination bv Mr. Karl of witnesses brought forward in support of the same. At the conclusion of the hearing of the charges, each offending jockey, before he left the committee room admitted frankly that he had received a fair and impartial hearing. ," 1 * 19 unnecessary for me to traverse Mr. Sheaths statements regarding the reasons why his association had h<« ; , compelled to invoke the Glance- 0 the Labour organisations, except to state that his association as grossly misled and gti bed these organisations as to the true posit, and has been able to get them to accept his version as correct without making any attempts by inquiry 0 otherwise to verify the same." ' |

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