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No Change in Turf Strike Situation Bashford Manor Divided at Churchill Sessions on Lincoln Distribution Fail FailPeabody Peabody Suggests Charity Racing at Sportsmans Today As Purse Deadlock Continues ContinuesBy By J SWEENEY GRANT GRANTStaff Staff Correspondent SPORTSMANS PARK Cicero 111 May 9 Two meetings between members of the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective As ¬ sociation and officials of the Lincoln Fields Racing Association held in the executive offices of Hawthorne race course failed to iron out difficulties in regard to daily purse distribution between the two parties The first session which got under way at ap ¬ proximately 11 am concluded at 115 pm for an hours recess No comments were available from either side following the initial meeting meetingThe The second session started at 245 pjn when again William J McCormack presi ¬ dent of the association vicepresident Charles Aaron and general manager Peter J ODonneli sat down with Joseph G Kohout Dr Harry Lindy Thomas Shehan and members of the executive committee of the horsemens organization At this meet ¬ ing the officials of Lincoln Fields refused to meet demands of the horsemen for a percentage formula in reference to the daily purse distribution but offered the HBPA members a distribution of 140200 for the first six days of the Lincoln Fieldsat Hawthorne meeting which is to get under way Monday President McCormack guar ¬ anteed the horsemen that the proposed monetary offer would not be less than the named amount even though the association should not enjoy as successful opening week of sport as anticipated The 140200 offer is approximately 16 per cent greater than the amount offered for the corres ¬ ponding six days of the 1951 spring meet ¬ ing McGormack stated that we do not recognize the percentage formula handed down by the HBPA officials and that we do not want added partners in our busi ¬ ness He said Uncle Sam is our only partner and we do not wish others The 140200 offer was said to be the final pro ¬ posal by McCormack and his associates associatesRefuses Refuses Lincodns Offer OfferFollowing Following the issuance of their offer Mc ¬ Cormack Aaron and ODonneli left their offices and permitted the horsemen to have a conference among themselves Several minutes later Kohout and his horsemen walked from the chambers and stated that the body had refused the tracks terms arid were still intent on receiving a percentage of the mutuel handle and breakage1 With that statement the HBPA members re Continued on Page Five No Change in Horsemen Strike Here on Purse Distribution Two Sessions Between HBP A Lincoln Officials Break Up Charity Program Suggested SuggestedContinued Continued from Page One i iturned turned to their offices on the grounds of nearby Sportsmans Park ParkKohout Kohout promised to make further state ¬ ments in regard to their refusal of the plan extended by the Lincoln Fields executives but neither the vicepresident of the cen ¬ tral division of the HBPA nor his asso ¬ ciates would issue a statement at this time timeImmediately Immediately following the second meet ¬ ing which was conducted behind closed doors Dr Martin F Kent veterinarian representing the Illinois Racing Board issued a letter from Stuyvesant Peabody Jr chairman of the governing board re ¬ questing both parties resume racing at Sportsmans Park tomorrow Saturday without definite commitment and that all sums including purses after payment of operating expenses and taxes only go to charity Peabody stated that It is felt that if racing is resumed for charity persons who are now suffering will be aided the states revenue and public interest will be protected and the horsemen will benefit The chairman requested an immediate reply to his proposal At this time both parties were noncommital and reserved comment to a later hour hourThe The complete text of Peabodys letter follows followsMay May 9 1952 To all parties partiesDuring During the controversy between the race tracks and the horsemen the Illinois Racing Board has made every effort to bring the parties together to negotiate their differences with an open mind While the board has received the cooperation of the parties to the extent that they have agreed to meet at the behest of the Illinois Rac ¬ ing Board their discussions have resulted in no resolution of their differences differencesAdditional Additional efforts by the Illinois Racing Board to arbitrate the matter have been declined because of the horsemens belief that to submit the matter to arbitration at this time might create afpattern for their negotiations Additional efforts to mediate the matter have also been rejected by the horsemen on the basis that they would not until after the meeting with Lincojn Fields agree to any open minded discus ¬ sions or mediation mediationThis This controversy has caused a great loss of revenue of the state funds for vet ¬ erans their widows and orphans as well as groups both organized and unorganized continue to suffer as the result of the dif ¬ ference between the parties Among these groups are the jockey platers mutuel clerks people working in the concessions admission clerks and the cleanup squad etc The boafa in an effort to protect the livelihood of these persons and the im ¬ position of undue hardship without cause of justification upon them as well as to protect the states revenue and the public interest makes the proposal to the horse ¬ men and the track that they agree to resume racing tomorrow without definite commitment that all sums including purses will after payment of operating ex ¬ penses only and taxes go to charity charityIt It is felt that if racing is resumed for charity these other persons who are now suffering will be aided the states revenue and public interest will be protected and the horsemen will benefit An immediate reply to this proposal is requested requestedSigned Signed Stuyvesant Peabody Jr
