New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-16
Lads of Ability Usually
Enrich Only Those Who
Hold Contracts.
ABUSES ARE SLOWLY
BEING ELIMINATED
But Youngsters Still Wait Long
Before They Begin to Share
Their Own Earnings.

Much plant has been made over n.
hard lot Of the baseball player, shack.
led by an iron-bound contrrc, 70 p!ey
for a pittsnce Of several thousand dol.
lars y season. Consider the case o.
the apprentice Jockey.
Bound over in his teens, he star,
his career az $40 month and hi,
board. paid by the agent ~no holds hi.
riding contract Above and beyond this
his income is governed b. ne number
Of mounts he gets a. the minimum fee
of s25 for a winner and sl5 for a ron.
winner fixed By the Jockey Club Even
at that life is not all skittles and beer
There il not 20 much tratscklnz n
the services Of boys as in the old dsyi,
but there arc still many problems the
solons Of racing might solve to smslio-
rate conditions in the jockey room and
eliminate disputes between agent. end
owners in the paddock. The Jokes
Club made a move toward this end las,
year when il passed rule Withholding
licenses 70 all boys under sixteen.
There have been many instances IN
which the jockey has not shared in h.
own betterment. For example. an 40
prentice shows especial promise and IS
much sought after. The owner Of big
racing establishment, keen % secure
the services OF a good lightweight, boy.
will pay we'll sometimes as high ~
$40 900, for mis- contract. Il. or rather.
the boy, is sold, and the agent gets the
purchase price FOR his rights The boz
goes on working for his go or s25
month and his fees.
The jockey Is frequently not even
considered in the deal, Tor in most
cases he is q minor, and the parents OF
guardian, eager for his advancement
and chance with a bigger stable. will
get only a moiety OF the price paid for
the contract in consent!ng 70 the trans
fer.
Il isn't ell the fault OF the sgsEL
either. A jockey is born, not made,
and the work of developing a good ride.
is sometimes costly. II q man can
bring out a Sloan, Miller, a Garrison
or Mclaughlin, there is no reason
Why he should not share monetar.ly u
his advancement. Unfortunately, there
are still sharpshoOters who can ard %
profit By the youth OF their charge and
The gullibiiity Of the parents Of tie
boy. Five hundred dollars 10 a lump
looks big sum, even az the racetrscA.
There il case on the records Of %.
Western Jockey Club where the fathe
Of a boy who later developed into quite
good rider sold his son until ne was
twenty-oue years old 20 an agent to-
81. The contract was drawn IN Mica
igan, but was nullined By the emane.-
patton clause.
They tell story Of trainer who 70
his day developed some OF the best
riders on the American turf applying
the bale stick where IL would DC the
most good 10 one OF mis- charges be-
cause ne did not turn over, withou,
being asked, the 800 GIL owner hsd
given him az present for winning
race on one of his horses.
There have been any number Of In
stances, especially on the Western
tracks, where the boys under contract
did not share IN their earnings even
TO the extent of Jockeys fees and where
holders OF contracts would order the
boys to ride q certain horse just Tor me
exercise. This abuse was abolished witn
the passing OF a rule that forbade an
employer sharing in the earnings OF
rider outside OF his own stable.
Another problem-one that constant
ly contronts racing officials the as
putes over the services OF Jockeys. Any
number Of riding engagements are mace
on the margin Of stake books, and u
more likely offer i. made later IN me
day the agent not infrequently writes
the name of the favored owner aoo,,
the one that should have had first esll,
German efficiency is not without ~
good points. There and in Austria We
Jockeys are furnished with engagemens
books giving the condition. OF eseh
race AZ the meeting. These are siSheo
by the owner and the rider ara forh :
contract, the owner having the rrst o.,
on the boys services, FOR which no mus.
pay whether he rides or rot, i there -
no one who has the second call
A plan which might well be trled oeis
was suggested by man prominent ~
racing circles. This was nothing more
nor less than engaging a rider ~ v.
same way that one engages o ger srs,
a Pullman car. The name OF the nrs,
applican, for a place TO sleep : written
down, and IL ne does not pay by GER
tain hour the berth is sold 70 the new
applicant. o, A.,
Il has been said that the reason
better class OF boys DO not AXE up 'ns
profession OF the pigskin Was ther g,
vironment during their FIRST YEAR
the tracks. Many mother sl'Ss AR
saw that her son had to clint, d 's 90.
to a loft and sleep on a sheeetlesrs ,n I'M
bledown bed, has taken her nog'iiJ
gently but firmly By the hand sn1 t,nm
him, despite all protests away '
there.