TENNIS COURTS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11655, 20 October 1923, Page 5

TENNIS COURTS

AN AMBITIOUS SCHEME ASSOCIATION MILL SPEND £20,000 IN FIVE YEARS. COUNCIL ACCEPTS OFFER. When the City Council met for tho adjourned mo,etuig yesterday til© ques- ' tion of tho proposed tennis courts at I Miramar was raised, and after a ! lengthy discussion the council agreed to i wuhduiw their letter resuming posses- ' sioa of the 23 acres, and to allow the ! Wellington Tennis Association to take | over the whole of the ground in accordI ance with the scheme submitted to tho < council. This orovides for the expenditure of 120,000 in tlie\ next five years on the formation of tennis courts to the number of 75, during which time they will pay a rent of £25 per annum, and alter that period a rent of £IOO per annum for lo years. “THEY HELP THEM SELVES.” Councillor Luckio moved that the. council's letter resuming possession of j the '2} k acres he withdrawn, and that [ the Tennis Association bo allowed to have the whole of the ground. The association had undertaken a larger expenditure than any sports body had undertaken before in Wellington, and They hud had no assistance from the City Council before, while a great deal had been done for cricket, football, croquet, hockey, etc. In addition to heing self-supporting, it would establish tho finest tennis ground in Australasia for International, Dominion, local and school championship matches for all ages and both sexes. The courts would cost about £75 each to construct and it had been out what the i revenue would be, but if some of the ground was .to be taken away it would place the whole scheme in danger. In putting forward this scheme, the tennis people were setting a fine example to other sports bodies in the way of paying for their own sport instead of coming to the council for all they wanted. This project would provide a play area all the year round for 609 people, whereas "football would only provide a game for about 30 people every Saturday. A SOUND SCHEME. Councillor Parton supported the motion on the ground that ho believed it to bo a sound scheme. Councillor Thompson eaid the majority of the reserves committee were in I favour of letting the Tennis Aesooia- ; tion have the whole of the ground, ! paying £25 a year for the first five ! years, and £IOO a year afterwards, j Councillor Burns had no objection to ; them having the whole of the ground i if something equivalent was provided I at Miramar for the other people. He | suggested that the matter bo postj poned for a week or two to hear what j the other asociations had t-o say on the i subject. [ Councillor Luckie: What bodies? j Councillor Burns: Rugby and Asso- ; ciation. | A voice; They have plenty of grounds! ! MOST POPULAR PASTIME. Councillor Gaudin said he would like ,to be satisfied that an equivalent 1 amount of land would be available for j other sports, and if the committee would give an assurance to that effect he was willing to agree to the proposal. The council had done a lot for , many sports, but little for tennis players. They had got to recognise that ' tennis was becoming one of the most ! populai pastimes in the city, and the I association had made it clear that they could not find the ground for all would- j be tennis players. There was scarcely : a club in Wellington which had not 50 per cent, of waiting members. They had come along with an ambitious scheme which deserved success, and the council should help them towards that success. They were prepared to spend £20.000 to develop tho ground*’ and it would cost another £IOOO a year to maintain it while at the end of a certain periocf the ground -and the improvements passed into the possession of the council, and that without the payment of a penny piece. If the council attempted to spend even £SOOO on tennis they would have the whole of the otner sports bodies crying out for more money. This body had come along ready to spend its own money, and the council should strain every point to help them. Councillor Mitchell supported, and Councillor H. T. Bennett suggested that there should he some guarantee that this work would be commenced within a reasonable time. ONE AREA BEST.

Councillor W. H. Bennett considered it best to have a 6port like that in one area, rather than to have a number of smaller ground* all over the place, and for that reason he ‘supported it. Public schools b,ad been for some years unable to find courts on which to hold their annual competitions, and t-his would meet the case. Tiie Mayor agreed that an assurance should be given in regard to the work being properly started within a given time, and said that he had come to the conclusion that they should have the whole of the ground. A voice: Wliat about the other people ? THE SAND HILLS. The Mayor replied that there was the ground given over by the Government on condition that the council levelled a certain portion every year. The council had not fulfilled that condition, hut he urged upon them the necessity of doing so before long, or the Government would be taking the ground back again. They did not want to lofio the sand hills, lor when the machinery came along they would be able to do a good deal in the way of levelling them. Ho did not think that part of the city would suffer for want of playing grounds. “A POLITICIAN'S MOVE.” Councillor Burn reveiwed the position as it had been before the committee. If the council were going to give this 23 acres to tho tennis people, they should provide an equal proportion of land for the people of Miramar. If that were done there would be no opposition. Would the golf people consider an exchange. He could not understand the somersault taken by some memhers of the council in the last six weeks or so. It was a politician’* move. (Laughter.) Councillor Monteith said he was out to assist the tennis people, but they must also provide recreation for tho people of Miramar. He would vote for the proposal, but he hoped, when Miramar people asked for some provision, ; that those members of the council who i voted for this proposition would help them when the time came. Councillor Forsyth said there was the land given bv the Government for play a mas. and there was the school site, whh h could la* us a] for a play area, until wanted. So Minima- people had not mild) to complain about. Councillor Lueftie briefly wound up the debate by referring to what had

been done for other sports bodies in tho city. The Lyall Bay and Miramar sand hills had to be levelled for other sport*. Tito tennis people were putting their own hands in tlioir pockets, while the others called on tho council to spend money for them. The motion was then put and carried unanimously.