LAWN TENNIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 1514, 9 November 1912, Page 9

LAWN TENNIS.

AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL ASSOCIATION. MONTHLY MEETING. I i Tho monthly meeting of tho above association was held on Thursday evening at the Sports Club. In reply to a letter from the New Zealand Association, it was agreed to give a guarantee of £50 for the match with tho English team on December 23 and „ 24, provided that Auckland gets a test match England v New Zealand. The offer of the Eden and Epsom Club for the use of one of their lawns for tho match was accepted. The charges to be made to tho public for - the match are as follows:—Entrance 2s, stand 2s, or 6s for entrance and stand on both days. The following were appointed a oommitteo to control the match: —Messrs. A Goldio, H. R. Cooke, 1. Longuet, H. G. I'alothorpe, and W. R. Fee. It was decided to bold tho Auckland t championship tournament on January 25 o and 29, and February 1. Owing to tho English match in December, - it was resolved not to hold the usual handi- - cap tournament at Christmas, but to leave s the matter over in the meantime, and it' a possible hold the tournament later in the > season, possibly at Easter. r ASSOCIATION GROUND. e a That the procuring of a large and central a ground by the Auckland Association would 3 be a boon to tennis players is a matter on 0 which there can bo no two opinions. The t want of Buoh a ground has been felt for a [j long time past, and with the rapid dovelop- | went of the game it is clear that the time a is now ripe for Gome practicable steps to be taken by the association with a view to maka ing the ground a- reality. Tho advantages of a general ground are innumerable. The contentious question of inter-club matches would bo solved, and a far more general 0 and beneficial system could be initiated. Tho - undesirable practice of tho association hav--1 ing to depend on the lawns of one of the 3 . clubs for all its tournamentswinter-provin-cial and other • —would come to an end, and with it the constant dissatisfaction 7 created amongst the members at the club • whose grounds are monopolised for such pur- > pose. . As each successive year goes by the i association is experiencing greater difficulty r in making satisfactory arrangements for the use of ; lawns, as naturally, as _ the membership o£ a club grQws the more inconvenience ' is suffered by the mombers in being debarred I from the courts during the progress of a i tournaiment. The matter has 'been before the association on numerous occasion during the last few years, but there is a tendency to let things drift on, and although tho • necessity of tho ground is very apparent no- ■ thing practicable has yet been accomplished. , A very great mistake was made by the as- ( sociiaiion in not grasping the opportunity of Uiking over the courts in the Domain ; after the City Council had practically agreed [ to suph an arrangement. The Cornwall 1 Park Trustees have, however, been ap- ' proached with a view to having laAvns laid down in Cornwall Park, and the association ' is very hopeful that matters may bo satis- ' factorily arranged.. No time should be lost • in endeavouring to get such a ground set :ieide, for tlie laying down of the lawns will t-ako a considerable time, and it is very ' desirable that some provision should bo . made for the 1913-14 season. It is fully ' recognised that in thq carrying out of such a scheme the association must incur substantial liabilities, but what, has been clone in, other cities can be done in Auckland. ' There are about 1500 players in and around Auckland, to say nothing of tho numerous ' sympathisers hnd followers of the game who are not; actually players', and surely the as--1 sociation would not lack support in bringing such an enterprise to a successful conclusion. The expenses for upkeep of the ground, in addition to rent or interest would J necessarily 'bo fairly heavy, but the diffi- ' culties should not bo insurmountable, and in order to provide a regular income thero I seems to bo no reason why, when not re--1 quired for association fixtures, the lawns ' should not bo thrown open to the public at • a certain charge in the same method 'as adopted with the courts in the Domain. As an alternative there are also clubs such as University that are urgently in need of lawns, and no doubt such a club would be very glad to make substantial contributions to the association for the use of the lawns when they were* not otherwise required. In addition to this the lawns would be of such value in relieving the pressure on tho clubs that, there is little doubt that they would be willing to contribute at so much a member for the upkeep and other expenses. ■ Tn fact, tennis has become so popular that V- seems a forgone conclusion that the «\heme would prove a financial _ success. It is to 'he 1 toped that the association will not lag behind in this matter, and will leave no stone nntucned in its endeavour to make tho ground an accomplished fact. DRAW FOR- INTER-CLUB MATCHES. Following is the draw for inter-club I matches for tho season: — ! FIRST GRADESECTION A. November 23: Eden and Epsom I. v. Auckland 1., at Auckland lawn : Parnell L v.\ Ilemuera. 1., at Rcinuera: West End, a by'fc. IPeciember 7: West End I. v. Remuera 1., at. West End lawn; Eden and Epsom I. v. Parnell 1., at Eden and Epsom; Auckland, a bye. December ,14: West End I. v. Parnell 1., at Parnell lawn ; Remuera I. v. Auckland 1., at Remuera;. Eden and Epsom, a bye. February 8: West End I. v. Auckland 1., ;ii Auckland lawn; Eden and Epsom I. v. Remuera 1., at Eden and Epsom; Parnell, a bye. February 22: Eden and Epsom I. v. est End 1., at West End lawn; Parnell I. v. Auckland 1., at Parnell; Remuera, a bye. SECTION* B. November .23: Eden and Epsom 11., v. Devonport 1., at Eden and Epsom lawn; Parnell II- v. Onehunga 1., at Parnell; West End, a bye. December 7: West End TI. v. Devonport 1., at Devonport lawn; Eden and Epsom 11., v. Onehunga 1., at Onehunga.: Parnell H., a bye. December 14 West End H. v. Onehunga 1., at West End lawn; Eden and Epsom U. v. Parnell IT., at Parnell; Devonport 1., a bye. February 8: West End 11. v. Parnell 11-, at West End lawn; Onehunga J. v. Devonport 1., at Onehunga; Eden and Epsom, a bye. V February 22: Eden and' Ensom 11. v. West End 11., at Eden and Epsom lawn: Pbrnell 11. v. Devonport 1., at Devonport; Omehunga, a. bye. The section winners will play a deciding match at the end of the season. SKCOND GRADE. SECTION A. November 23: West End Til. v. Auckland IX, at West. End lawn: Remuera 11. vi Eden ami Epsom 111., at Eden and Epsom; Otahuhu 1., a byeDecember 7: Remuera 11. v. Otahuhu 1., at; Otahwhu lawn; Eden Rnd Epsom 111. v. Auckland 11.. at Auckland; West End 111., a bye. December 14: West End 111. v. Eden and Epsom IJL, at Eden and Epsom lawn: Otahuhu I. v. Auckland 11., at Auckland; Remuera 11., a byeFebruary 0: West End 111. v. Otahuhu 1., at Otalmlni lawn;. Remuera 11. v. Auckland H., at Remuera; Eden and Epsom 111., a bye. February 22: West End 111. v. Remuera It, at Remuera lawn: Eden and Epsom 10. v. Otahuhu 1., at Otahuhu:, Auckland It, a bye. sF.oxrox r,. November 23: Devonport. 11. v. Otahuhu IX, at Otahuhu lawn ; Birkenhead v. Onehnmga 11., at Onehunga; Dominion Road, a bye. December 7: Dominion Road v. Onehunga It., at Dominion Road lawn : Devonport 11. v. Birkenhead, at Birkenhead; Otahuhu 11.., A bve. December 14: Dominion Road v. Birkenhead, at Birkenhead lawn; Otahuhu 11. v. Onehunga 11., at Otahuhu; Devonport 11., a bye. 1 February 8: Dominion Road v. Otahuhu IX, at Dominion Road lawn; Devonport 11. v. Onehunga 11., at Devonport; Birkenhead, a bye. ' Fe'bruarv 22: Dominion Road v. Devonport 11., at Dominion Road lawn; Birkenhead v. Otahuhu 11., at Birkenhead; Ono'.hunga 11., a bye. Tlie secretaries of clubs are reminded that the teams for each match must bo sent in to tho secretary of' the association-not later than 5 p.m., on tho Wednesday preceding teach match; also, that tho results of each match must roach tho rotary on the Monday following tho match.