STILL CONFIDENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLI, Issue 20445, 16 June 1936, Page 8

STILL CONFIDENT

TIMARU’S CLAIMS FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEETING OF TENNIS ASSOCIATION

Although no advice has been received from the Council of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association regarding the recommendation of the quarterly meeting of delegates that the 1937 championships be held at Timaru, the opinmn was expressed at last night’s meeting of the Management Committee of the South Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association that the recent criticism of the courts reported to have been made at a meeting of the Canterbury Association had been sufficiently answered to maintain South Canterbury’s claims to the most important tennis gathering in the Dominion. There were present: Messrs R. A. Holdgate (chairman), J. Milliken, C. Burning, J. S. Satterthwaite, P W. Young.

"You are all familiar with ‘the little bust up’ we had and I do not propose to give a detailed account of what was done,” said Mr Holdgate. "We did the right thing, and the newspaper statements speak for themselves.” He thanked Mr Young for making the trip to Wellington and stating the case for South Canterbury at the quarterly meeting in the manner he had. Tire Association owed Mr Young its deepest thanks, and if he had not gone Soutl Canterbury would probably not have obtained the favourable recommendation from the delegates to the Council. Thanks were extended also to Me"

A. N. Leslie and E. Hurley, the Association’s delegates in Wellington for the assistance they had given in the matter. “The thing is still slightly in the balance but I do not think there will be much doubt about the championships being held in Timaru,” added the chairman.

Report of Delegates’ Meeting

Mi’ Young, in his report on the meeting of delegates, considered that it was wise that a representative from South Canterbury visited Wellington while the minds of delegates were still open on the question of the venue. He had interviewed between 16 and 20 members of the New eZaland Association during the day and secured any objections that might be raised in opposition to the South Canterbury Association’s application for the championships. In supporting the motion at the meeting he cleared up any points that were in doubt in the course of a full report on the position of tennis in South Canterbury. He emphasised that Timaru was an ideal place for the championships, and he was sure that all delegates were satisfied as to its claims. He, told them that the courts were all in good condition and that leading visiting players had given the opinion that they were up to championship standard. The meeting was informed that the seating accommodation would be enlarged if the championships were granted. He assured them that the application had the support of the Borough Council and the people of Timaru, and that catering for visitors at holiday time was Timaru’s secondary industry. “The Canterbury people objected to the application on the grounds that the three main centres had capitalised their courts with a knowledge that periodically they secured the championships, the revenue from which they required to keep their courts going,” said Mr Young. He pointed out in reply, however, that it was largely a domestic matter and it should not weigh with, the New Zealand Association in the allocation of the championships. The concensus of opinion at the meeting was that the South Canterbury Association should be given an opportunity of running the fixture, and he was sure that it would be as successfully run in Timaru as in other parts He acknowledged the cooperation he had received from Messrs Leslie and Hurley. Advice was received from Messrs Leslie and Hurley that they had forwarded a report to the New Zealand Association in support of the application, the action being confirmed. Chairman’s Action Confirmed The action of the chairman in replying through the newspapers to the reported statement of Mr J. H. W. Sheppard, at a meeting or the Management Committee of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association, that the Maori Park courts were in “rotten order and only boards are used for stand accommodation,’ was approved on the motion of Messrs Durning and Satterthwaite The chairman took exception to a statement reported in a Christchurch paper to the effect tnat before the meeting of delegates the South Canterbury Association had issued a circular in support of the application to all Associations with the exception of Canterbury. It was explained by Mr Young that permission had been received from the chairman at the annual meeting of delegates for him to distribute the circular to all delegates. This had been done. “When we hear of statements like that we should point out to the Canterbury Association where it is wrong,” said Mr C. Durning The chairman considered that matters could well be left as at present so far a Canterbury was concerned. Nothing further had been heard since the publication of the remarks. He did not think there would be any doubt about the championships being teld in Timaru.