SOLDIERS ON LEAVE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 234, 4 October 1943, Page 1

SOLDIERS ON LEAVE

NO WORKING FOR MONEY. ( Sydney, Sept. 21. Several prominent Australian 1 jockeys and ’boxers will be affected by an Army order which will be issued short]/ prohibiting soldiers from in-! dulging in civilian occupations for profit while on leave. The order will strictly enforce existing Army regulations which were tolerantly interpreted after the Minister for the Army (Mr. F. Forde) announced on July 14, last year, that: ' “As long as a soldier attends his training regularly on the days' he is expected to be in camp, we won’t dictate to him what to do on leave. It is far , better for soldiers on leave to engage in healthy sport than to be hanging around the town with nothing to : do.” It is believed the Army decided to enforce the regulations strictly when it was found that many former taxidrivers, musicians, bookmakers’ clerks, and club stewards had been doing casual work at their old occupations during leave. When officers remonstrated with them they claimed they had as much right to work on their days off as soldier jockeys who rode professionally on Saturdays. If the order is enforced soon leading jockeys like Darby Munro, Billy Cook, and Jack Thompson will be unable to ride in the major October racing fixtures —the Epsom and Metropolitan Handicaps and the Australian Jockey Club Derby. The Rugby League might not have enjoyed its all-time record gates if the order had been enforced earlier. Many of the League’s leading players were at military sta- : tions from which they were able to ' travel each Saturday to participate in matches.