A CLAIM FOR CONSIDERATION.

NZ Truth, Issue 416, 14 June 1913, Page 2

A CLAIM FOR CONSIDERATION.

The widowed mother of : tfie deceased jockey, Harry Mdntosh, who was killed at Blemheim la&t year, has not, so far, received any compensation from the Accident^ l?und of the Racing' C onf erence^ ," anil ' it 'is • ITlmly that litigation will shortly Tje resorted to, for the purpose; of proving her claim. .It will be ' rememjjered that the youngster, fell, off- a- mare called Biddy, m a Trial race at -the Marlborough Spring Meeting, arid, after ling-ering ' for some iime m the, Blenheim j. Hospital, %the little chap died, without 'regaining conscious■ness. lln due course, , ;the widowed mother' of the lad applied to the Racing. Conference for the usual grant of £400, but was met with the reply, that as the horse was not insured, .i.e., the ' accident fee of £l had not : been paid, the Conference could- not hold itself responsible. Here, then, is a fine state of .affairs. The horse, Biddy, had bean allowed to start at several meetings without its accident feo being paid, which is a direct contravention of the Rules of E,acing, and should not the pacing clujbs, which allowed the horse to start with its fees unpaid, "be" responsible ? As the Racing Conference is not being sued, it looks as if that body has a gtiod defence m law, but it does not say*mucn for it when it will shirk a jnst; claim, like this. It is not always so hard "to get money out 'of the Accident Fund. The writer has some recollection of the Conference votf ng some money out of this fund for a purpose .that it was never, intended it should be used for. But let that pass. Surely it is but reasonable to expect that -in ths event of the widow failing to v get satisfaction from the: owner, of the horse, that, on the proper, facts of the - case being represented to the' Trustees' of the Accident Fund, they. ; will, see that "a compassionate : allowance" is made, , which will be equal to ' the amount which could be rightly claimed if ' the usual formalities had been, complied with.'