JOCKEYS' DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 222, 14 June 1920, Page 6

JOCKEYS' DISPUTE

THE ASSOCIATION'S VIEW

STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY

Before leaving for Auckland on Saturday, tho secretary of tho Jockeys' Association (Mr. C. C. Sheath) mado a statement to a Dominion reporter regarding the abortivo conference with representatives of tho racehorse owners on Thursday last. This conference was called by Hiu Government under the Industrial Investigation Act, 1913, and it failed to make any progress owing to tho refusal of the spokesman for the owners and trainers' (Sir George Clifford) to recognise the Jockeys' Association in any way. Mr. Sheath said that Sir George Clifford had refused to discuss thb claims of the Jockeys' Association on the grounds That the association did not sent all the jockeys. (2) That it would' be futile for owners to discuss proposals affecting matters controlled by tho Racing Conference. (3) That in any case he refused to recognise the Jockeys' Association or any other organisation of jockeys. Sir George Clifford produced a list of 90 jockeys whom ho stated had resigned from the association, and said that'he wife ready to listen to suggestions ' made by jockeys individually. Replying to these points at tho conference, Mr. Sheath 6aid he had not received anything liko 90 resignations. No other person had the right to recoive them. Ho 'had not seen the list, but the fact' of its production by Sir George Clifford proved that the owners and trainers were a party to these resignations, and confirmed the statement of individual jockeys that .pressure had been applied to them. No jockey, said Mr. Sheath, had resigned of his own free will. Many members who had resigned had since rejoined, and had stated, after consideration, that they would brave the displeasure of the owners. The delegates of tho Jockeys' Association represented 226 members and even if the association had only 15 members it hhd a legal status. The law laid down-that the other party to tho dispute must meet the a6spcia' tion and discuss its claims. Mr. Sheath added that tha association had made every possible effort to induce the Racing Conference to meet the representatives of the organised jockeys. The only coureo left open had been to seek tins aid of the law.- The Government, under tho law, had called tha conference, and if the owners and trainers refused to discuss the matter in dispute they must hear the onus of having defied the law. Sir George Clifford bad made, his attitude perfectly clear. Ho had. clearly stated and repeated that he would not recognise either the Jockeys' Association or any other organisation of jockeys.