PECULIAR POSITION

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8739, 22 May 1914, Page 6

PECULIAR POSITION

A TENNIS LEASE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CITY COUNCIL SIDE-TRACKED. Some time ago tho City Council decided to allow the Wellington. Provincial Lawn Tennis Association to have a lease of a section on tho Pirio street reserve, on which to construct a number of courts, but owing to a misunderstanding between tho City Council’s officers and the executive of the association, the council was under tho impression that the association did not want the land,"- and tho association thought tho council would not grant tho leaso. Tho matter was ventilated before tho reserves committee of the Ciiy Council yesterday afternoon by Messrs R. St. J. Deere and D. Murray Kean, of the Lawn Tennis Association, who sought some information as to the action of tho council in not completing tho negotiations. . . Mr Bccre said that the association wrote to the City Council in November, 1912. asking it to lease part of tho Pirio street reserve to the association for tho purpose of laying down tennis courts. Tho association had a bare acknowledgment of that letter, and had never heard officially from tho council on the matter. They had one letter from tho town clerk, asking them to return a draft leaso winch they never received, and tho deputation was there that day to ask if they might have some reply to their numerous applications. “VVc started in 1907 with a request to the council to give ns part of tho town bolt,” continued Mr Deere, “and wo were told we would' have to wait until the city engineer bad made a survey. Month after month the association was informed that the survey had not been made, and all we have is a bare acknowledgment of our letter*,” Councillor Wright (acting-chair-man) “You were given to understand tho counoil was willing to grant that lease?” . Mr Deere; “Yes, we saw it in the • papers, but tho terms wo did not know.” Councillor Bnddle: “Did you not receive a draft lease that was approved hy tho council?” Mr Deere: “We had no .intimation that tho council approved of the draft. We received a letter (which Mr Deere produced) from the town clerk stating that he understood a draft lease had been forwarded to the association, and asking that steps be taken to have it completed. The association never received the lease.” . Councillor Wright: “Certainly none of the councillors know that the negotiations wore not going on.” Councillor Buddie: “We did not know that the Tennis Association, had not received a draft lease, and we were waiting to hear whether it agreed to the terms.” Mr J. O’Shea, the city solicitor, said that the association had the terms unofficially from him. Thera were small variations made which he thought tho association was familiar with. He conld not send an official lease because the plan, was not ready. Now the plan had been prepared, he could give the association a draft. Councillor Wright: “You were really waiting for the plan?’ Mr O’Shea said that that was tho position. Mr Kean said - that they had an engineer to report on the work of forming the courts and submit estimates. The association's last letter to the council expressed the association’s view on the matter. Councillor McKenzie said that after tho city solicitor’s explanation it was quite clear that he could not send a draft lease until he had allocated the section on a plan. He moved that a draft lease, together with the plan, be submitted to the Tennis Association. , ~ Councillor Buddie: f W o should have been told all this before. The association was asked to return a draft lease that it did not have. If tho council had been told that tho matter was being hung up on account of a plan not being prepared, it might have hastened its preparation instead of tho thing dragging on as it has done.” „ , . , .. Councillor Wright; “I think if we carry the motion, it will meet the The motion was carried, and the deputation withdrew.