RETURN OF LADIES' TENNIS TEAM.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1909, Page 8

RETURN OF LADIES' TENNIS TEAM.

•WELCOMED- BY THE-' 'MAYOR. '- CONGRATULATORY SPEECHES. The Mayor (Dc Newman) receiVed, - ■ at noon to-day, the New Zealand taonis - players who hare just returned firom. ~- their victorious tour in New Sausth- " .Wales. There was a large attemkuuice of players, Mr. Goiidie, secretary of t he " N.Z.L.T.A., introducing them to tihe ' chief magistrate. Mr. H. E. GotAk, vice-president- of the Auckland Tennis ■ • (Association, was also present. The Mayor expressed the great pleasure he felt in welcoming the players .-' back to Wellington after their smga-] Jarly successful career in Austesfia. it had become the cnstom to accord public • receptions to footbaHeis and cricketers,, , and he thought it was eqnally fittiag to. ' extend the same eonsSieration to- tennisplayers. He was the more pleased to do this, as he had read from day today of the brilliant manner in winch the .visitors had upheld New Zealand's re- - pntation in New South Wales. Tl« Mayor referred to the high places occu- •." pied by New Zealand in the sporting ■' world, and particularly to Miss Pow- ' drell's achievements in tennis. When ' Brookes went Home from Australia ho .beat the world, and now the New South • iWales championship had been won by - a lady, and. she a New Zealander. If anyone won an Australian championship, ' then such an one was good enotJgh to ■ compete at Hoais or anywhere else. i Miss Powdrell had proved that she was quite good enough to be sent Home, and - ' he believed that r£ a man could do that ■ and stand out and win, so a lady could ido it ; and why not Miss Powdrell ? • 'As Mayor o£ the city, he was giving . particular attention to reserves, and he -held— and he beKevea he could ray the was with him — that all sports,, such as tennis, cricket, and footbafl, should be advanced by the devotion of what bits of ground the city had available for such purposes. Space should, ' of course', be found for women, for bhey ' .were no longer in seclusion in regard to sport, and Miss Powdrell had shown ' .what they could do. He and the City Council would, he assured the tennis players, do all they could for the promotion of sport. ■Mr. H. *M. Gore replied for the ladies, .'holding that it was but fitting that the Mayor, as a doughty tennis-player in the ' past, should extend a welcome to the ' .returning victors. The ladies had had a, 'most enjoyable time, and the New South '.Wales players had treated them right " iroyally. In all probability a New South Wales team would be sent to New Zealand to play at Christmas, and he hoped .players here would show them as much "hospitality as they had shown to the ladies of New Zealand. • Miss N-unnelly said the ladies had had a glorious time. The people of Sydney had been exceptionally kind, and a better •time the players had never had in their lives. It was very good of the association to send them over to Australia, and die particularly mentioned Mr. Goldie's efforts in connection with the tour. Mr. Goldie expressed his pleasure and f>ride in the team. The results of the tour had been as he had fully expected. .(Hear, hear.) The ladies had repeated ,the victory of 1904, bringing back what .was practically the Championship of Australia. Mr. "Blair (Victoria) said no players would appreciate more higlily than the .Victorians the high position occupied by New Zealand. 'Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., said Miss Powdrell's success had not come to him as a surprise; but they ought not to ignore the fact that she had persisted in following the magnificent standard set ■urp by Miss Nunncllx, and had overcome all. (Applause.) Cheers were given for the players, and for the Mayor.