WHEN TOIL IS O'ER

NZ Truth, Issue 1230, 27 June 1929, Page 11

WHEN TOIL IS O'ER

Benefit Scheme For Jockeys And Trainers IDLE DISTRICT TRUST FUNDS It is practically certain.that the suggestion made m "N.Z. Truth" urging the establishment of a superannuation fund for jockeys will be brought under the notice of official circles m the very near future.

AS the horsemen and trainers them- -£»• selves are to be the beneficiaries under the proposed fund, it is essontiai that they should be the principal contributors. On the other hand, those who control racing m the Dominion must realise that without horsemen and trainers the sport -would languish, and if they wish' to maintain a high standard and attract decent youths to the game, some move should come from their side also. Once a substantial amount is funded, its a-dministration could be safely left to the sympathetic treatment of a small committee, but it is imperative that it should have one central control, and the Conference, with its organisation, is the body most fitted to do the work. At the present time the nine, dis-

from their district trust fund such money as they, m their uncontrolled discretion, think advisable for the relief of jockeys and trainers disabled through illness (not by accident) or m destitute circumstances, Many there are m the racing game who succeed, but the pro-portion of those who leave the game with less than they started is far greater than those who reach affluence from their association with the turf, o „, , , „ , . . . ? ome f. all through their own bad J^ 9men* v or . me. th,ods, of. livm9 ' °Jhers. t.^°. U£* . bad luck ' SOme trough ■» health, If the 'best classes of people are attracted to the game, racing will automatically reach a higher plane, and the funding of an old-age benefit would be an incentive to recruits, and

trict committees m New Zealand have accumulated trust funds shown m thc conference balance sheet just published to exceed £10,000. This money has accumulated over a period of years, and has been derived mostly from fines inflicted on jockeys and trainers. Its principal use. m recent seasons has been to provide the hire of ambulances and ambulance attendants on race days, but this infinitesimal cost could easily be borne by the clubs from the proceeds of meetings. The accident fund of the conference is carrying a capacity load at present, and can do no more, but even its small benefits assume magnified proportions when contrasted with the parsimonious grants made by district committees from their trust funds for relief purposes. Under the rules of racing, district committees are empowered to spend

would offer some security to the men who juggle with death every time they get into silks. At present the operations on the District Trust Funds are negligible. They are practically lying idle, yet if they were pooled and invested the interest on them alone would return over £500 a year, which is probably more than the nine committees jointly spend annually on relief work m destitute cases. The district committees cannot use the money for any other purpose thun relief and the provision of ambulances, so it might just as well be funded and placed on an interest earning basis. Subsidised by contributions from the jockeys and trainers themselves it would soon reach sufficient proportions to ensure for every jockey, trainer and stablehand m the game, security against penury when the time arrives for them to retire from the sport.