Lawn Tennis.

(By "Huka.") ANNUAL~MEETINGS. The Wellington Club's annual meeting was held on Tuesday evening. Will Fraser, the popular honorary secretary, declined re-election. Ho has been of great service to the club, and his decision was heard with considerable regret. Still the position of secretary should be a rolling one ; one man should not be expected to don the harne6s year after year, working for the pleasure of his club-mates. M'Coll,- late of Wanganui, is spoken of ao likely to fill the position. He is an enthusiast, and would make an -<deal secretary. The club opened its season today. The members arc all eager for a busy season. The Thomdon Club opens its season on the 22nd October, unless wet weather prevents play. The club's annual meeting will bo held in a few days. La6t year this club was most successful in the field. Its senior team- won the shield in the in-ter-club competition, whilst- fourteen championships in various parts .of the ■ colonjr fell to some of its prominent players — six single championships, three double . championships, and part-share of five combined championships. Few clubs in New Zealand can put forward such a meritorious achievement. P. H. Putnam, the present hon. secretary, does not intend to seek re-election. He has done his chare, of hard work for the club, ever carrying, with a smiling face, the burden of those who do their level best to enabl© others to enjoy the sport. He deserves a spell, and some little- spare time to get his share of the fun. Miss Butterworth, tho Chfistchurch player, who last year won the Canterbury championship, will play for Thorndon thi3 year. She will require to be in extra fine forni to displace any of Thorndon's four leading ladies; but the ex-Canterbury player has a nice style, and should bo capable, with good practice, of improving her game. Those who are now superior to her will require to keep tho game up. to the highest mark to prevent her from displacing them. Laishley is spoken of as again representing Brougham Hill this season, and this once very fine player is likely to take the , game, more seriously this season. His long tramps in tho country — twentyfive miles in one day was covered by him lately — should go a iong way to land him in good solid condition for the season's tennis. To see him again playing -at his best against all comers in Wellington would be a popular treat. The Canterbury Association's annual meeting was held last week, and the j balance-sheet showed that the association was in funds to the extent of between £30 aud £40. Tho balance for the season panned out a few shillings to tho good, but tho balance brought forward from the previous season leaves the former credit to start this season with. The protest over the Davis Cup matters cost the association 3ome £25 — an amount that could be badly spared. .Eric Taylor, tho association's hon. secretary, declined re-election, but he was elected hon. treasurer. DAVIS CUP CONTEST. j The contest for the Davis Cup has fiz- ' zled out; the British Isles will not send a team, and have withdrawn their challenge. The Australasian Association. did not see its way clear to give a guarantee of £600. New Zealand's arrangement with the Australasian Association — that the Davis Cup be played in New Zealand onco to Australia's twice, should entitle the Do.rmnion to have the contest nlayed in New Zealand next year, and possibly after alKit is better to wait till • next year. The British team was not a real tip-top one, whereas next year America may be able to launch her strongest players nt the Australasian team. Then it would be a case of Greek meets Greek. But, for all that, this hunger for guarantees is Homething to b.e reckoned with. Tho visiting .earn in tho final tie is entitled to half share of the gate, and as that, is a condition laid down in the regulations for the international championship, it should suffice. When the Australasian team competed in England no guarantee was asked or given, but, of course, a half share of the "gate" was obtained. When Australasia won the event at Wimbledon, one would expect to hear that there was a huge ''gate." Yet Australasia's share (half of the S£ta) amounted to only, about £60 odd. iThis

was divided between Brookes and Wilding, the two Australasian players, by tho Australasian Association. The British Isles twice in succession demanded and obtained v guarantee of £400 before it sent its players to compete in the preliminary tie in America. _ Had the English association sent its team to Australasia this year tho Australasian Association was prepared to give it half sharo of proceeds of all matches played in the Commonwealth, and that, combined with the sharo of the "gate" in New Zealand, should have been ample to meet the. team's expenses. Teams will not travel nowadays unless something substantial in offered, and officials have always to be prepared to consider the "gate" when the matter of arrangements crops' up. It is to be regretted that -this has come to pass in lawn tennis, but tennis champions aro expensive mortals to deal with. One never knows what luxuries they will demand to be entered up as pure "amateur" expenses. When tho Davis Cup was played for in Sydney, tho Australasian players — Norman Brookes excepted — received 15s per day as expenses. ENGLAND v. SOUTH AFRICA. Lowe, Dixon, and Mavrogordato, the team that was to be sent to compete here for the Davis Cup, is (with Stan Doust to complete the team) to tour South Africa. They are to receive a guaranteo of £800 for expenses. One feels. inclined to say that this guarantee looks like "appearance money." One and all know that the English Association objected .strongly when the Brussels Tournament Committee very nearly induced some English players to compete at the Exhibition tournament, expenses (or "appearance money") being generously offered. The English Association was successful in blocking its players, but it is ' possible that its real objection was to what was likely to prove rival to the Wimbledon All-England annual championships. AUSTRALIA'S TENNIS AND GOLFING TEAM. The proposed tour of America and England by a tennis and golfing team is likely to take practical form in the near future. Er. Brathwaite, Vice-Consul in Sydney r America, will probably be manager. N. E. Brookes, A. W. Dunlop, Rod Heath and Henry Marsh are those likely to go, and after playing in England it 15 proposed to "do" America. Anthony \i ilding is also expected to join the toam, and then Doust and Poidevin, wiio are in England, will no doubt be enticed U. ]om the band as well. If all are gathered »ogether, it will be a great invasion by 'Australasia upon the British Ulss end America. As usual, if colonials wish to see their players in extra, big tennis, then they have to go from hp.ne io>- it ! • WILDING ON THE CONTINENT. Wilding, the New Zealand champion, appeared at Ostend, and captured the championship, beating Trasenster, 6—2, °— 2, 6—l, in tho fifth and final round. With Borman, he also won the doubles and, with Mile. Trasenster, beat Ford and Mine de Borman, 5—7,5 — 7, 6—3,6 — 3, 6—o, in tho final of the combined championship. There are still some Continental championships to be decided, and valuable prizes are the rule. The New Zeaiander will no doubt secure a few more before he takes a spell. AUSTRALIANS IN ENGLAND. Doust and Poidevin. of Sydney, competed at the Felixstowe meeting, but both fell to Beamish. Doust lasted longest, going out in the fourth round, 6—3, 3—6, 6^ — 2, Poidevin losing 6—4, 6—36 — 3 in the former round for tho East of England championship. In tho doubles, they were beaten by Roper Barrett and Beamish in the fourth round, 6—3, 6—l.6 — 1. In the combined championship, Poidevin and Miss Prior were beaten by Vernon and Miss Pitts, 6—4, 7—5, but Doust and Mrs. Chambers defeated the latter pair in the final, 6—l, 6—2. In the handicap singles, Doust was on the "owe 30" mark and as Beamish, who best him in the championship, owed 15 4-6, the Sydney player was seemingly overrated. AMERICAN DOUBLES. The doubles at Longwood were full of surprises, as what were regarded as the best pairs — including Beals Wright and R. D. Little — were knocked out one after another, and the final was played between pairs who were reckoned as not in the hunt. At the Pacific meeting, Long and McLoughlin also went undor to Bundy and Hendrick, 7—5, 6—B, 6—2, 3—6, 7—5. Tho winners scored 29 games to 26, and 193 points to 194. The match was loc«.ed upon as a walk over for the losers, but Long, in particular, failed badly when most wanted. Yet it was McLoughlin's fault that the first set was lost, as he started a rot by losing his service game m the fifth game. WELLINGTON ASSOCIATION. The Management Committee of the Wellington Provincial Tennis Association met last evening, Mr. R. St. J. Beere presiding. The following committees were appointed : —Grounds, - Messrs. Salmond, Beere, and Kean; postponement, Messrs' Beere and Kean; match secretary, Mr. J.W. Barclay. It was decided that the management committee should act also as a match committee. ' Proposals for an inter-club city competition were adopted, and it was decided to lease the Day's Bay courts for the season. All matches in the A grade competition are to be concluded before Christmas, and as far as possible, men and ladies of the same club and in the same grade are to play on the same grounds. It is proposed that competitions should start on the 15th October, entries to close on the 10th. With regard to country cup competitions, it was resolved that separate contests should be held in the Wairarapa and Manawatu districts, and that a separate trophy should be provided for each. Messrs. Sclanders and Aitken were appointed a Wairarapa committee ; Messrs. Pickitt and Kenny for Manawatu. Mr. A. G. Duncan succeeds Mr. H. Godber on the management committee. BIDWILL-STREET CLUB. At the annual meeting of the Bidwillstreet Lawn Tennis Club last evening, Mr. A. Gaulter presiding, it was resolved to open the courts on the 15th October. Officers were elected as follow: — President, Sir Edward Gibbes ; vice-president, Mr. E. Anderson ; secretary, Mr. T. R. Hamilton; treasurer and delegate to the Wellington Provincial Lawn Tennis Association, Mr. Gaulter ; committee, Mrs. Moore, Misses Morris, Kirby. and Gentles, Messrs. Crombie, Hazelwood, Hamilton, and Bruce ; hon. auditor, Mr. G. L. Reese. Twenty new membero were elected, and the report showed that the club had had a most successful year.

Thb St. Helens R.F.C. have captured another New Zeaiander in Archie Waddell, of Auckland (states the Athletic News). He is 23 years of age, is 6ft high, and when in training weighs 14st. He is a very capable forward, who has the reputation of being as good a man as Seeling. Waddell has been playing at the top of his form, both in club and iepresentative matches, and is one of those solid types of grafting forwards who have gained for Auckland the premier position in Rugby. The St. Helens- Club look like having a capital team this season. Football in Australia and New Zealand has reached as high a state of perfection as it has in any place in the world (writes O. A. PKleger, who accompanied the American Universities' Rugby team to Australia, in a Vancouver exchange). The games between Australia and New Zealand were eye-openers to us. One who has not seen such games cannot imagine that football can be so fast. Every man has his position, and always, no matter what may be the stress of the play, is I found in that position. The Auckland Trotting Club gave away £4650 in stakes last reason, or an increase of £1020 on the prtvioui season. Th» gross" profit amounted to £980 17b Bd.