JOCKEYS’ DISPUTE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10632, 3 July 1920, Page 11

JOCKEYS’ DISPUTE

AND COMING CONFERENCE 4N APPEAL TO RACING CLUB DELEGATES. ■ The secretary of the New Zealand; Jockeys’ Association has forwarded to a "New* Zealand Times’’ representative copies of communications ho has sent to members of the Racing Conference. The written address to the delegates begins:—“On the eve of the conference my executive are of the opinion _that you should, .as a delegate, be made conversant with the facts in reference to the above association. In the first place the h«ew Zealand Jockeys Association was formed for the purpose of endeavouring to bring under the notice of the New Zealand Racing Conference the many disabilities that jockeys suffer from whilst following their profession, and, further, to see that all jockeys led decent lives whilst off the racecourses." After covering the early history of the association the communication proceeds: —“Having failed to get any satisfaction from Sir George Clifford we proceeded further and circularised every Racing Club in the Dominion, giving them details of our requests. Directly the circular was issued and many clubs wore considering it, the president of the New Zealand Racing Conference caused to ho inserted in the official calendar a notice to all clubs, owners, trainers and jockeys, directing them to take no notice of the Jockeys’ Association’s circular until after the next meeting of the conference in July On reading the notice we made a final appeal to the President, on March 22nd last, for a hearing, stating that wo were quite prepared to wait until July when the Conference would meet, but up to the time of writing we have not received a reply. PUZZLED. "It does sqem extraordinary to (my executive that from tho day that my association handed Mr Sellars a list of our members (December 6th, 1S19) all of onr letters to the New Zealand Racing Conference have remained unanswered. What puzzles us is, why are we treated with silent contempt? Surely you will admit it is only common courtesy to answer a letter. It now resolves upon you, as a delegate ,to the conference, whether you are in accord with the attitude taken up by Sir George Clifford or not. - The only thing that we. as an. association, have asked for, is to confer with a committee of the Conference to discuss the coiiditiohs of our members. We' do not, as assorted by Sir George Clifford and others, wish to usurp the powers and authority of the Now Zealand Racing Conference in any shape or form, as w© fully recognise that there must bo a governing body. , "Sir George Clifford says in a circular Jotter issued to jockeys: 'lt is unwise to have outsiders controlling or directing any particular portion of racing.’ The owners and trainers employ outsiders to act as their secretary, yet Sir George Clifford wishes to deprive the jockeys of the same right. Also, another pertinent question arises in connection with the matter: Is Mr Sellars an owner or trainer? Or. Mr Wanklya, or any secretary of any racing club, an owner or trainer? Surely this is a very childish suggestion of Sir George Clifford’s, ‘ and is not worthy of consideration. POSITION INTOLERABLE. Is it feasible to suggest that any jockey should represent his fellow jockeys to ventilate a grievance before, any body of stewards? He would not feel free to properly state the case for his client as ho ..may be in the position of defendant the very next moment; the position is absurd, and further we vonlure to state that there axe practically no jockeys in the Dominion at present following their , calling capable, or would care to place themselves in such an invidious position. Out members have a very vivid recollection of the experience of one of our members at the last Avondale mreting, when the representative of the association was refused., permission to see the stewards, ’and one of the licensed jockeys was deputed to interview them, with the result that a charge was formulated against him, his license taken away, and he was deprived of the means of earning his livelihood. The position that exists'at present is an intolerable one, both from the owners’ and jockeys’ point of view. The Transport Federation erf Workers have placed an embargo upon racehorses and jockeys, and refuse to carry them until the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association ig recognised by the New Zealand Racing Conference; this embargo affects jockeys everybit as much as it does owners and trainers ;.. the raising of • this embargo rests entirely in your hands. "A great cry has been raised because Labour has taken a hand in this dispute; opinions have.been expressed freely that Labour has no connection with sport, and that the Labour organisations had, no right to interfere. ‘ The facts aro vthat organised Labour came into the dispute for the reason that the sacred principles of unionism had been assailed, namely, the right of any body of workers to combine to endeavour to better their conditions of employment. ALL THAT IS ASKED FOR. "Why, do you know that this principle was laid down at th© Peace Treaty when tho League of Nations was being formed, that the Labour section of the Peace Treaty made it one of their nine items of special and urgent importance for any class of labour an the world 'to have tho right of association for all lawful purposes by the employed as well as by tho empoyers.’ This right has beeu denied the New Zealand Jockeys' Association by the New Zealand Racing Conference through their president. Sir George Clifford. If you, as a delegate to the conference, wish to restore peaceful conditions, it is within your power to do so on July 15th next, by advocating and supporting the recognition of the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association., If a decision is arrived at, by tho conference refusing to recognise the Now Zealand Jockeys’ Association we are led to believe that the embargo will remain on until such, times that the conference changes its mind. "In conclusion X must repeat that all the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association has ever asked for and now ask is, that the New Zealand Racing Conference appoint a committee to confer with a committee of the New Zealand. Jockeys’ Association to review their conditions of employment, and to recognise the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association as representing'tho licensed jockeys and apprentices of New Zealand."