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SOMETHING OUT OF KILTER IN THE SYSTEM. Case of Jockey Radtke Illustrates the Need of a More Equitable Form of Contract. "Jockey Herman Radtke is more tobe pitied than blamed for his present trouble suspension for the Jamaica meeting, witli every prospect that he will not be allowed to ride again tliis season," says the Morning Telegraph. "Only a few months ago Radtke was an humble stable boy earning living wages only. Now by his ability in the saddle he has been able to make as much money in one season as many brilliant and successful men accumulate in a half dozen years. But he has enjoyed little of the fruits of his labor, liaving been bound by a contract whereby others were enriched by his work, while he still gets a stable boys wages, supplemented by such presents as owners who have a call on his services for a particular race may le inclined to give him. "Briefly the case of Radtke is that of any other boy apprenticed by parents or guardian to a trainer of thoroughbreds, except that Radtke is one of a thousand to get beyond the simple work of the stable. The contract or apprentice papers signed by his parents, the boy having no voice in the matter except an expressed preference for this calling above all. others, gives his services for a term of years at a small monthly salary, possibly 5. So long as he continued to exercise horses this was all right, but when he liad arisen to a jockey star of the first magnitude and was in a position to earn thousands of dollars each- month he found that he was little better off than formerly as others reaped the benefits of his skill, that the personal dangers he encountered daily were only that others might wax fat financially while lie was forced to pursue the even tenor of his way on Ads measly monthly stipend. "After Radtke began to make a name for himself his contract was sold by J. F. Davis to J. O. Keene for ,000 and by him last spring to Paul J. Ralney for 5,000. That Mr. Keene was entitled to a share of this no one will deny, as he had no doubt aided the hoy greatly in attaining the position which commanded such a sum. But that he declined to allow the boy or his parents any part of it until advised to do so from a source that he could not very well ignore, and theu only gave up a very modest portion of the amount, seems to be very unfair. The contract gave the services of the rider to Mr. Ralney absolutely and did not compel the payment to the boy of one cent more than the monthly wage he had received as an exercise boy. Subsequently Mr. Rainey sold second call on the boys services to James R. ICeene, the consideration in this case said to have been ,500. But again the boy or his lawful guardians did not profit by the transfer. "His ability made him a medium of barter, with big sums of money as the considerations, but not : one cent of which was directed his way. It is ; doubtful if he could under the terms of his contract have collected for riding outside mounts or mounts 1 other than those of his contract employers, though it is not probable that this has been enforced. "Is it any wonder, therefore, that Radtke would i become discouraged and listen to the voice of the tempter, though so far the boy has been Judged on suspicion only, with no actual evidence given to the public yet that he has been guilty of wrongdoing. . He is little more than a child in either years or experience, and unfortunate in the possession of a surly disposition. "Radtke has been on the down grade in the estimation of the public for some weeks. Several of his rides have been of a questionable nature, and trainer Rowe, of the Keene stable, who had been I one "of the boys stanchest supporters, weakened in his loyalty after a bad ride on Ballot in an ira-I nortant event. No actiou was taken by. the stewards, who arc proverbially conservative in such matters until the Tommy Waddell case of Tuesday. "The case of Radtke makes it apparent that there is something wrong In the system of apprenticing boys now in vogue in racing. There Is no equity in a system that compels a boy to take chances of his life daily for the enrichment of others only. At best the career of a rider Is brief, and with the emoluments of his most active and greatest money winning period going to others he has little chance to accumulate the competency to which his ability entitles him, and the temptation to do the wrong thing -is not always easily overcome. "There are two sides to the case,, .of course. The trainer who takes the raw material and shapes it into a rider of ability is entitled to his reward, especially as in only one case of a thousand docs a boy rise above the level of mediocrity. Then, too, some sort of contract between employer and employee is necessary for the discipline of the turf, bujt thje, system should be revised in some manner whqreby a rider could share to a large extent at least -the fruits of his endeavors."
