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HBPA Will Take Drastic Action Vote on Sunday No Progress in Purse Dispute Between Horsemen, Hollywood LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 8.— Robert O. Read, national president of the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association, today wired Norman Frost, secretary of the national council of the HBPA in Washington, D. C. that the "California division is taking a drastic action vote on the Hollywood Park purse problem at a general meeting at the Inglewood Country Club, Sunday, May 10, at 7 p. m." This was the latest development in the turbulent controversy between the HBPA and Hollywood Park over purse distribution at the 50-day meeting scheduled to open Tuesday and made it unlikely that the dove of peace would be able to find a place to land for some time. As one observer noted, "The olive branch hangs high, but the trouble is its so high that no one seems able to reach it." The storm now raging is Continued on Page Four ► . No Progress Made In Purse Dispute HBPA Will Take Drastic Action Vote Sunday on Hollywood Park Situation Continued from Page On* gathering in intensity as the opening nears, and the verbal mortars from each side are banging into the enemys camp without any sign of withdrawal on either side. Yesterday, following the Hollywood Park announcement that jockeys were being imported to ride at the meeting to assure owners they would have capable riders for their horses in the event western riders backed the horsemen in their demands on the track, Robert O. Read, national HBPA president, blasted the Hollywood action as "unethical" and a violation of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations code. Read also sent Spencer Drayton, executive secretary of the TRA, the following telegram: "Please be advised that newspapers here have published reports quoting Hollywood Park management as admitting that they have offered financial guarantees as inducements for riders to come here and ride. It is my impression that to do this would be in violation of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations code of ethics. If my impression is correct, the Horsemens Benevolent and Protective Association would regard your associations calling the attention of Hollywood Park to the fact that this is an unethical act under your code of ethics and would be in the best interests of the racing industry. It is inconceivable that the public could have much confidence in riders receiving guarantees from the management of a track." Draytons Reply Drayton responded to Reads telegram with the following telegraphed answer, a copy of which was sent to James Stewart, Hollywood Parks general manager: "I received your telegram in reference to the statement that Hollywood Park is offering financial guarantees to jockeys to ride at Hollywood Park. For your information, when the TRA Code of Standards was adopted the TRA did not envision that any organization, such as the Horsemens Benevolent and Protection Association would use its national body to attempt to boycott a race meeting which has been duly licensed and whose stakes and purses have been approved by the California Horse Racing Board or that Bert Thompson, the western representative of the Jockeys Guild would attempt to influence California riders to boycott a regularly scheduled race meeting. Under the circumstance the HBPA is certainly not in a tenable position to file a complaint about actions of Hollywood Park in attempting to carry out its legally approved race meeting." Other late developments yesterday saw trainer Willie Molter, E.*H. J. Shaw, Ross Brinson, Allen Drumheller, H. A. "Jimmy" Jones, Willie Alvarado and Ralph West, owner Gus Luellwitz and Bert Thompson, western manager of the Jockeys Guild, who has sided with the horsemen in the dispute, representing the horsemen, meet with Jack Sattler, representing the California Horse Racing Board, and Mervyn LeRoy, Willard Keith, H. W. Dougherty and James D. Stewart, representing management. This meeting was termed "friendly and constructive" and both sides were said to have left "with a better understanding." Track Report on Finances At this meeting, Hollywood Park undertook to give the horsemen a full report of its financial condition, specially in reference to the figures of ,587,401 "earned surplus." This, the track pointed out, was an erroneous figure and was not "actually cash on hand," but was money which had been set aside for a building program, new construction and other improvements. The track broke down the figures to show that it paid out 8 per cent for dividends to stockholders, 15 per cent in wages, 17 per cent for stake and purse distribution and 60 per cent for taxes. Following this meeting, several of the horsemen and Bert Thompson went to another meeting presided over by Read at the Biltmore Hotel. After a lengthy session, Read sent a telegram to Mrs. Harold Morton, a member of the board of directors of the California division of the HBPA, who is still at Tanforan, which read as follows: "Since arriving here today, I have met with the members of your committee. After being briefed by them and brought up to date, I am convinced that your committee is proceeding in a reasonable and responsible manner in its negotiations with Hollywood Park. "I congratulate the members of the Cali- Continued on Page Forty -Two II Mm rii*t* ;» ■./•. •»,, ■»»* m.H- #» 4 .it.-. ~ -I*~ HBPA Will Take Drastic Action Vote on Sunday No Progress in Purse Dispute Between Horsemen and Hollywood Continued from Page Four fornia division for their steadfast purpose in these trying times. "I further pledge them that the national board of directors will not accept any settlement that does not include the allocation of stalls for those of our members ordinarily entitled to them and who are now up north. "My personal regards to you and other members of the California divisional committee up there." Reference to the stalls by Read was considered the HBPAs answer to the Hollywood Park announcement of several days ago that stalls were only being allocated horses who were coming to Hollywood to race. It is known that about 200 horses, which have been racing at Caliente, are now stabled at the Inglewood oval. Thursday night a Hollywood Park official told a representative of Daily Racing Form that the track was in the position of bargaining with four divisions of horsemen instead of one. "There is the Robinson clique, which is getitng smaller, but which is demanding 40 per cent; there is the Read group, which say they will race under the 4-3-2.7 fomula; there is the group that have agreed to race under the program originally released by Hollywood Park, and then there is a group who will race because they want to race regardless." Mervin Leroy, president of Hollywood Park, and a horse owner and breeder, also told Daily Racing Form representative on Thursday evening that he "felt certain we would have come to terms with the horsemen long ago if they had been represented by a group that would have been willing to sit down and talk thing over. But," he said, "they issued an ultimatum and refused to handle the matter in a businesslike way. You just dont walk into an office and demand 40 per cent and walk out without discussion. No business deal is handled that way. But that is the way they did it. That is why many horsemen understand Hollywood Parks side of this dispute and that is why they will race at Hollywood Park beginning this Tuesday no matter what the HBPA decides to do."
