LAWN TENNIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 208, 3 September 1927, Page 11

LAWN TENNIS.

CHAMPIONSHIP BALLS.

DOMINION COUNCIL'S TESTS.

COMMITTEE "NOT FOR SALE."

The council of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association spent more thaw an hour at its last meeting considering r.lw balls nsed in championship matches.

At the annual meeting- of the International Lawn Tennis Federation in March last, stated the annual report, it had been decided to the rales of law* ? ; tennis regarding - the' standard qualities of balls to be used , in opes, tournaments. Alt hough the new amen<lments do hot come into force until' January 1, 1928, the committee was of opinion , that the ball to be used at the 1927 New Zealand championship should conform to the new rule and decided to adopt the Ayies C.S. (stitchless) ball. In answer to inquiries the ball-testing committee was asked to make a report' and it did so. *

The ball-testing committee said that its duty was to test all makes of balls which were submitted to the association for approval. The tests were laid down by the International L.T.A., and if the balls passed the tests they were officially approved for general use. A list of balls so passed was given from time to time in the quarterly report of the committee, no reference being made to makes of balls that failed to fulfil the requirements. The ball for use at the New Zealand championships was chosen about the month of May. The secretary gave details of the

methods of testing. Hie announced that the association had received a letter from onr firm stating that had it known that the balls were being tested it would have submitted new supplies. Mr. E. Reeves demanded the name of the firm, but the chairman (Mr. M E. Denniston) considered that the name should not be given unless the meeting went into committee.

Mr. 6. N. Goldie then moved that the meeting should gp into committee, Mr. Rees moving as an amendment that the name should be given in open meeting. This amendment was defeated, and Mr. N. A. Foden then moved a further amendment "that the correspondence be upon the table." This was defeated by 13 votes to 11. Mr. W. H. Roddington: The associations are entitled to know what balls are inferior and they should be told.

Mr. G. N. Goldie: The management committee issues a list of balls approved for tournament play. If the name of any ball does not appear in that list it means either that it was not submitted or else did not come up to standard. The meeting then went into committee, on resuming in open meeting members expressed satisfaction at the report made by the secretary. "The committee of this association is not for sale, and we have come to a decision in this ball question on what we consider to be the merits of the case," said the chairman. "But there has beat a public statement made by one firm that there is *a screw loose somewhere.' I have been a member of the management committee tar 24 years and chairman for the past six years, f had intended to retire voluntarily this year, giving way to a younger and more active colleague. In the face of what has appeared, however, I do not to retire. I shall stand for re-election."