HAMILTON TENNIS CLUB

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17835, 7 October 1929, Page 8

HAMILTON TENNIS CLUB

PRESIDENT AND BOARD.

EXECUTIVE NOT COMMITTEE.

EXPRESSION OF PERSONAL VIEWS.

In connection with the recent interview between the president of the Hamilton Tennis Club (Mr R. D. McFarland) and the Hamilton Tennis Association, the former has drawn up the following statement, - which will be submitted to a meeting of the club’s executive this evening:— Matter of Great Difficulty.

“ In the issue of the Waikato Times of Wednesday the 2nd. instant there appears an account of an interview between myself and the Hamilton Domain Board. It was with the knowledge of the executive of the tennis club that this interview took place but in fairness to my colleagues 1 wish it to be clearly understood that the statements and suggestions I made at the interview with the Domain Board were not authorised by them as a committee and were an expression only of my own personal views. ” The administration of the Club’s affairs have always been a matter of great difficulty. It is quite true that for the past seven years no rent has been paid by the tennis club to the Domain Board, nor, without some re-j arrangement of its finances, does it even now appear possible for the Tennis Club lo oblige itself to pay a fixed rental. Moveover, 1 have always myself (in common with oilier members of the committee) felt very acutely the position of ihe debentureholders, without whose aid the tennis club could never have come into being and J confess that my sympathies have been more with the debenture holders (hat with Hie Domain Board as a rcsull of my desire to see llicm reimbursed some porlion at least of the money which they have • outlayed in cash.

“ These, as I have said, are only my own personal views. The position was explained by me at length to the Domain Board and, owing perhaps to the brevity of the report which appeared in the paper, a good deal of misunderstanding is likely to arise which it is the object of this present letter and report to remedy. So difficult was the Club’s position .from a financial point of view some 18 months ago, that Mr Seymour, who was its then president, called a meeting to determine whether it would not be in the best, interests of lire, club that it should go into liquidation. Those familiar with I lie then position of the club could not but admit, and I myself concede, that at this particular juncture the course proposed by Mr Seymour was almost, if not wholly, inevitable, and liquidation must then have faken place had it not been for the circumstances that many of the members of the Club generously came forward with don:/ions for its support and continued existence. An Improved Position.

“ But whatever may have been the position then, the club’s financial status at the present day and its future prospects are considerably improved. For the Club to go Into liquidation now would, I think, he a very wrong course, in Hie interests of the debenture holders. I think, and 1 have always thought, that ttiey should he protected as far as it is possible for the club to protect them and having made my own view’s on this matter clear I think it \\'ll he seen that no reflection was ever intended to lie cast by me upon Mr Seymour’s administration of the club's affairs. 1 hope lie will accept this statement, as it is desired it should be accepted, as removing any imputation that may seem to arise from the newspaper report above alluded to. And further, in justice to Mr Seymour, I ought lo say that the newspaper report did not make it clear that bo continued a member of our executive until the general meeting of the club a few days ago, when he declined renomination for office. In conclusion I sincerely trust that some satisfactory solution may bo found whereby the club may at once have a definite tenure of the courts from- the Hamilton Domain Board and some definite arrangement as lo the reimbursement of the debenture holders.”