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Deadlock in Turf Dispute Continues Sandtop in Easy and Popular Score Hold Two Sessions Without Success SuccessBoard Board Reiterates Proposal To HBPA and Sportsmans To Arbitrate Current Strike StrikeBy By J SWEENEY GRANT GRANTStaff Staff Correspondent SPORTSMANS PARK Cicero 111 May 8 Following a second meeting this after ¬ noon between members of the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association and William H Johnston president of the Na ¬ tional Joclcey Club which again proved futile in breaking the existing deadlock the Illinois Racing Board issued another notice to both parties The letter approved by Stuyvesant Peabody Jr chairman of the governing body and associates Frank R Wharton and William S Miller reiterated that the board members have made re ¬ peated offers to arbitrate the present con ¬ troversy and that to date the horsemen have declined to voluntarily submit the matter to them Johnston earlier in the week stated that he would favor having the Board act as mediator in the disagree ¬ ment and would abide by its findings The Board stipulated that should both sides agree in writing that Peabody and his commissioners should be offered the oppor ¬ tunity of arbitrating the matter that their final decision should be final and binding bindingKohour Kohour Committee Reserve Comment CommentKohout Kohout vicepresident of the central di ¬ vision of the HBPA and his executive com mitteemen reserved comment on the letter for the time being Should the horsemen accept the Boards proposal they were given the opportunity of meeting with the gov ¬ erning body tonight at 800 at the Illinois Racing Boards offices at the track Should all factions work out an agreement in this proposed meeting racing could be resumed here tomorrow with entries for both Friday and Saturdays races accepted early Friday morning morningThe The complete letter from the Board fol ¬ lows lowsMay May 8 1952 Dear Sir SirAs As you are aware the Illinois Racing Board has made repeated offers to arbi ¬ trate the present controversy between horsemen and the track subject of course to agreement between the parties that the arbitration will be final and binding To date all reports to the contrary the horse ¬ men have declined 1x voluntarily submit the matter to the Illinois Racing Board for arbitration arbitrationIn In view of the public interest involved as well as your own it is requested that thatContinued Continued on Page Three Two Meetings Fail to End Strike at Sportsmans Park Board Reiterates Proposal To Arbitrate Purse Dispute Between HBP A and Track TrackContinued Continued from Page One Oneyou you and your committee submit the matter to arbitration as soon as possible possibleIt It is requested that you consider this matter carefully discuss it with your asso ¬ ciates and advise the board today of your decision and that of the committee committeeIf If arbitration is approved it can be held at 800 p m tonight in the Illinois Racing Board offices at the track and rac ¬ ing can commence Friday afternoon afternoonBy By direction of the Illinois Racing Board BoardJoseph Joseph P Broderick Secretary SecretaryJohnston Johnston met earlier in the day with of ¬ ficials and executive cpmmitteemen of the horsemens organization at which time the track president presented a new proposal His latest which came after three previous increases in purses from his original dis ¬ tribution was for a distribution of 23000 for Fridays program and 25000 for Sat ¬ urdays racing The HBPA committee unanimously voted to refuse the offer and made known that the dispute will not be settled on the basis of continued nominal per diem increases but only on a per ¬ centage formula based on the mutuel handle handleConfer Confer With Lincoln Officials Today TodayRepresenting Representing the horsemen at the closed session were Joseph Kohout vicepresident of the central division of the HBPA Dr Harry Lindy executive board member Thomas Shehan editor of the Horesmens Journal and conimitteemen William Hal Bishop E E Major Jr Frank Nugent John F Beck William A Mikel Harold C Hoffman Arthur Troutt and E H Mc Mahon Johnston and Ray Bennigsen sec ¬ retary of the National Jockey Club repre ¬ sented the association associationEarlier Earlier in the day Kohout and his com mitteemen met with Charles Aaron and Peter J ODonnell vicepresident and gen ¬ eral manager respectively of the Lincoln Fields Racing Association The officials of the track reported progress and stated that they would reconvene with the horsemen at 1100 a m tomorrow Kohout stated that favorable negotiations were made dur ¬ ing the session and that a very pleasant meeting was realized He said that the out ¬ look was both optimistic and hopeful He also added that another meeting for Friday had been planned plannedIn In a statement following his meeting with the horsemen President Johnston of Sportsmans Park said that the manage ¬ ment has now done all in its power to re ¬ sume racing here The management real ¬ ized that the interruption of racing had caused a great financial loss to the State of Illinois and everyone connected with the industry Johnston pointed out that Sports ¬ mans Park has kept their promise to the horsemen and to the State of Illinois IllinoisIn In order to show the purse distribution Johnston provided figures showing a list of tracks and their per diem distribution This was based on tracks which have al ¬ ready completed their 1952 meetings The tracks and their increases in purses per ¬ centagewise were Fair Grounds in New Orleans 235 Gulfstream Park 156 Hia leahj 160 Jamaica 168 Oaklawn Park 150 and Santa Anitar 130 Johnstons new offer would exceed by more than 25 per cent the total purses given at the cor ¬ responding Sportsmans Park meeting last year Original purses approved by local horsemen previous to the opening of the meeting called for a 16600 daily distri ¬ bution Want Percentage Formula FormulaKohout Kohout and members of the HBPA were not available for comment in regard to their refusal of Johnston latest offer It was known that they had definitely turned down that proposal and would continue to negotiate for anything other than a per ¬ centage of the tracks share of the mutuel wagering and breakage Their demands were for 50 per cent of the tracks share of the take takeJoseph Joseph Broderick secretary of the Illi ¬ nois Racing Board made known that the governing body has repeatedly asked both factions to come to an amicable agreement and that the board would continue in their allput efforts The board has stated time and again that it would be pleased to act as mediator in the dispute providing it was so desired by both parties
