OWNERS AND JOCKEYS.

Southland Times, Issue 18852, 18 June 1920, Page 2

OWNERS AND JOCKEYS.

To the Editor. Sir, —I notice a controversy has arisen between your sporting contributor “Sir Modred” and Mr P. T. Hogan, part of which is relative to the Jockeys’ Association. While giving “Sir Modred” credit for the best of motives in his advocacy on behalf of the Association, I think the great bulk of the people to whom racing is a matter of any interest, will endorse the sentiments expressed by Mr Hogan. The primary' object, I take it, for which most people race horses, is not to make money, but for the sport which it entails, though every owner, no doubt, likes to see his horses pay their way. That comparatively few achieve this object is pointed out by Mr Hogan and should effectually dispel the idea that owners wax fat by reason of the efforts of underpaid jockeys. As is to be rightly inferred from Mr Hogan's letter, owners taken collectively are the last class of employers that desire lo see their employees under paid and when he states that jockeys are better paid than any other workers connected with the sport his intimate knowledge of their approximate average earnings should well qualify him to express an opinion. It has been made so abundantly clear by the secretary' of the Racing Conference why it would be detrimental to the interest of the sport, to give official recognition to the Jockeys’ Association, so long as it adheres to its present platform, that a further enumeration of the reasons is unnecessary here. —I am, etc., ERIC M. RUSSELL.