CONTROL OF LAWN TENNIS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 125, 3 June 1910, Page 6

CONTROL OF LAWN TENNIS.

DELEGATES DISAGREE,

A "NO-CONFIDENCE" MOTION,

The quarterly meeting of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association m Wellington on Tuesday night was more than ordinarily interesting because of the presence of four Canterbury delegates, who raised highly controversial issues, and ended by tabling a motion of no-confidence in the management committee. Mr H. M. Grore presided over a large attendance (says the N.Z. Times). PRELIMINARY POINTS. Mr Wright (Canterbury) asked, immediately the minutes had been read, if there was a report and financial statement. The secretary stated that there was no report or statement. Mr Goss (Canterbury) replied that he knew the management committee had transacted certain business, and rule 18 distinctly stated that a report must be presented to the general meeting. The chairman: It is not compulsory.

Mr Wright: It is unheard of that correspondence should be sent to an association and not presented to its meetings. An effort is evidently being made to block discussion, but you are not going to. The chairman: We must get through the agenda paper. Mr Wright mentioned the dates of a series of leters which had passed between the Canterbury Association and the New Zealand Association. These letters had, he said, not been forwarded to the management committee, but to the New Zealand Association.

The chairman (to the secretary): Why does not the correspondence appear on the agenda paper? The secretary (Mr Gr. V. Goldie): Because it has been dealt with by the management committee. Mr F. M. B. Fisher (Wellington) asked if it was the intention of the management comittee to refuse to give the comrrespondence. If so, the meeting should know. There must be fair play; it was not sufficient to say the correspondence had been dealt with.

Mr Wright: There has been some

hole and corner business. (Cries of "Order"). Mr Fisher maintained that there was a perfect right to call for any correspondence, and the secretary placed a large file of correspondence on the table. There was a desultory discussion on points of order, and the chairman ruled that nothing could be taken exept the items on the agenda. The meeting then proceeded to deal with these matters. GENERAL MATTERS. The Sutherland Lawn Tennis Association was affiliated .to the New Zealand Association, and its delegate, Mr F. Kirker, attended. A motion from Canterbury to the effect that it is advisable to admit over-sea players outside the Dominion free of all entrance fees to tournaments was allowed to lapse. SELECTION OF BALLS. Mr B. Keesing (on behalf of Auckland) moved: "That this association does not approve of such an important •' matter as the selection of a ball for use in championship matches being decided by the manage- - merit committee without reference to the association, especially in view of the fact that on the last ocasion of a change the question was referred to the association for confirmation." Mr Goss (Canterbury) complained that the management committee, the 1 servants of the association, had neglected their obvious duty by not tabling a motion on the subject, and not giving information, known to be in their possession, which would enable the provincial association to arrive at a fair idea of the merits of the different brands of balls. Mr Dart urged the management committee not to hide matters, but to let the delegates have a chance of supporting them. "AN INIQUITOUS HABIT." Mr Fisher said that there was another, question which had to be decided by the management committee. The correspondence ought always to be accessible to the delegates. The association had got into an iniquitous habit of accepting challenge cups and free balls from manufacturers, but it ought to be stopped. Certainly the association, and not the management committee, ought to decide whether the association was going to be bought by the highest bidder. The secretary stated that the management committee considered the adoption of a particular make of balls to be an administrative detail. It had never, allowed any gifts to carry weight with them, the ball being adopted after collecting information from all the clubs and associations.

Mr Peacocke (Auckland) urged that if the sport was to be kept clean the activities of trade agents should be stopped. An element of professionalism had been introduced into the sport because of the large business

which was done in accessories. In adopting the make of ball, the management committee simply weighed the evidence and decided.

Mr Wright declared that if the players were not prepared to pay for their sport instead of sponging on makers of tennis requisites they should cease playing.