HBPA Serves Seven-Day Notice on Arlington Park: State That Unless Certain Demands Are Met They Wont Race at Meet, Daily Racing Form, 1952-06-07

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_ . i HBPA Serves Seven-Day ! Notice on Arlington Park StateThatUnlessCertain Demands Are Met They Wont Race at Meet HAWTHORNE, Cicero, HI., June 6.— Joseph Kohout, vice-president of the central division of the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association, served notice on Stuyvesant Peabody, chairman of the Illinois Racing Board, and Graham Smith, vice-president of the Arlington Park Jockey Club, in letters made public here today, that unless certain demands of the horsemen are complied with, they will not race at the Arlington Park meeting, scheduled to open June 16. The Operating Committee of the Arlington Park Jockey Club was meeting in executive session late this afternoon to consider the letter sent by the HBPA, a spokesman for the track said. The committee will issue a statement after its meeting," which was still in session as this newspaper went to press. When contacted, Peabody said he had no comment on the situation at this time. Marge Lindheimer, assistant to her father, Ben Lindheimer, executive director of Arlington Park, was at Belmont Park today where she was queried by a representative of this newspaper in regard to the threatened strike by the HBPA. Miss Lindheimer said she had been notified of the HBPAs ultimatum by long distance phone and is of the opinion that a settlement of the present difficulties would Continued on Page Forty-Four HBPA Serves Seven-Day Notice on Arlington Park StateThatUnlessCertain Demands Are Met They Wont Race at Meet Continued from Page One be difficult in view of the stand the horsemen have taken. She said that it was obvious to the Arlington Park management that repre?-sentatives of the horsemen in this instance do not have the interests of the public or the horsemen at heart. Miss Lindheimer declared that Dr. Lindy, one of the HBPA representatives, had advised the Arlington Park management that even if the amount of money offered was greater than the formula established at Lincoln Fields, it would not be acceptable to the HBPA unless a percentage arrangement was agreed to. Dr. Lindy also indicated, she said, that the Arlington situation was important because it Was the first step on the part of the HBPA to establish a formula for all of the major tracks in the United States. Following is Kohouts letter to The Jockey Club: "At the meeting between your representatives and the committee representing Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association on June 3, 1952, your representatives stated unequivocally that no definite agreement relating to the distribution of purses and other conditions affecting horsemen during your ensuing race meeting at your racing strip would be considered or even -negotiated. Recognizing our mutual obligation to the publib, the committee stated then, and reiterates now, that we are desirous of an amicable settlement of the disputes concerning which your representatives were advised. Because of the adamant and dogmatic attitude of your representatives, our members have no other recourse than to refuse to race at your race meeting beginning on or about the 16th day of June, 1952. .In conformity with section 18, paragraph 1, of the rules and regulations of the Illinois Racing Board, we hereby notify you on this date, which is at least seven days before the commencement of your race meeting, on behalf of our members, that we and our members shall discontinue and terminate any and all • engagements with you to race the horses of our members at your race meeting referred tcabove, unless within the seven days next after the receipt of this notice by you, you or your authorized representatives shall meet with us, negotiate the complaints of which you were advised, and enter into a definite contract regarding the distribution of purse and the terms and conditions of racing at your next race meeting. "Robert O. Read, national president of Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association, and Dr. Harry W. Lindy, vice-president of the Michigan division of our association, acting for and on behalf of the national committee, have officially approved and sanction our action. "We are this day serving a seven days notice on the Illinois Racing Board in conformity with the rule and regulation of that board referred to above, a copy of which notice is enclosed herewith." The letter to the Illinois Racing Board read: "We have attempted to meet with the representatives of Arlington Park Jockey Club, Inc., to negotiate on behalf of our members a contract with reference to a fair distribution of purses to be distributed by the racing association at its ensuing race meeting commencing on or about June 16, 1952. At the single meeting attended by representatives of the track management, we were advised not only that no contract would be entered into by the management, but also that the subject could not be negotiated. At the meeting referred j to our position and complaints were fully! disclosed to the track managements representatives. "In the light of the attitude of the representatives of Arlington Park Jockey Club, Inc., we have no other recourse than to serve the seven days notice provided in section 18, paragraph 1, of your rules and regulations. Such notice is being forwarded on this date. We enclose herewith copies of the same for your information. "In accordance with your regulation referred to above, we hereby serve notice on Illinois Racing Board that if, at the expiration of seven days from the date of the receipt of this notice, a specific contract has not been made, we and our members shall discontinue and terminate any and ail engagements with Arlington Park Jockey-Club, Inc., to race the horses or our members at its race meeting referred to above. Robert O. Read, national president of Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association, and Dr. Harry W. Lindy, vice-president of the Michigan division of our association, acting for and on behalf of the "national committee, have officially approved and sanction our action."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952060701/drf1952060701_1_4
Local Identifier: drf1952060701_1_4
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800