Lawn Tennis.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 10, 4 September 1912, Page 9

Lawn Tennis.

WELLINGTON.

By ROMULUS. Quarterly Report of N.Z.L.T.A. TIE quarterly report presented to the Council by the Executive of the governing body at the meeting held on Friday night was more than usually interesting, in view of the Australasian and N.Z. championships and visit of the Englishmen. It read: —• ‘‘The Australasian Association has issued its annual statement of accounts to December 31, 11)11, and has shown the Davis Cup Fund Account separately therein. At its next meeting the Australasian Association will consider a request by your committee that the whole of the Davis Cup funds be deposited in a savings bank. “The rules ami regulations passed by the L.T.A. at its annual meeting held in October, 1911, have been adopted by this association. “Tour committee has accepted an offer by the Australasian Association of the conduct of the Australasian championships, 1912, and it is proposed that the meeting be held jointly with the New Zealand 1912 championships at Hastings, Hawke's Bay, during December 20, 1912, and January 1, 1913. The Australasian championship events are men’s singles and men’s doubles. “Cabled advice has been received by the Australasian Association that the English Association has definitely decided to accept the invitation to send a representative team to tour Australia and New Zealand. “Arrangements have been concluded with the Hawke’s Bay Association to hold the 1912 New Zealand championship meeting at Hastings. Six grass courts will be set aside from now, and be especially prepared for play. “A sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. Ebbett, Tipping, Banks, Symonds, Rainbow, Simson, Webber, Mason, Wellwood, Bowie, Ransom, Alexander, Bradley, and Pasley, has been appointed to aet with the Management Committee in the conduct of the New Zealand and Australasian meetings. “The Hawke’s Bay Association has guaranteed your association against loss, and the excess profits over CGO will be divided with the Hastings Club, in consideration of the use of the courts for the Australasian championships, and for the loss of the Hawke’s Bay championship meeting. “The Auckland Association Iras applied for this meeting to be held at Auckland whilst the exhibition is open there. Consideration has been deferred, pending receipt of further information asked for.” Ravis Cap Matters America, the unsuccessful challengers in the Davis Cup contest played” at Christchurch in January last, will not be represented in the 1912 carnival at Melbourne. It was cabled a little while ago that a visit of the U .S.A. representatives was extremely doubtfid, and that was confirmed the w eek before last, when Mr. T. H. Hicks, hon. secretary of the Australasian L.T.A., was officially advised by cable that McLoughlin, Beals Wright and Co. would not be starters for the preliminary contest, the British Isles therefore qualifying to meet Australasia in the challenge round. The dates for the challenge round are apparently not definitely settled, as the English Lawn Tennis Association has suggested that November 21st, instead of November 28th, should bo fixed to commence hostilities. The Australasian Association surely has no option but to meet the wishes of the challengers in this respect. The team to represent the British Isles consists of Dixon, Lowe, Beamish, and Park, and loaves London on September 16th. After the great Davis Cup match is decided, the visitors will tour the Commonwealth. playing in all the different States. It is to be sincerely wished that the N.Z.L.T.A. can make satisfactory arrangements for the illustrious Englishmen's visit to the Dominion. Newtown Lawn Tennis Club The following is the fourteenth annual report (season 1911-12) of the Newtown Lawn Tennis Club:— The committee is now able to state

that the club is getting into a sound financial position, and that all the expensive works have been completed. The total number of members during the year was 72. There are at present vacancies for eight men. The receipts, including the balance brought forward, amounted to £153 3/5, and the expenditure to £lsl 8/10, leaving a balance of £1 14/7. The club has again to thank the committee of the Cinderella dances for their efforts on its behalf, the sum of £l7 17/ being handed over from the 1911 dances. The water supply and drainage were laid on to the pavilion at a cost of £SO 15/, on the instalment system. The principal is payable to the City Council by ten equal half-yearly instalments, with interest at 6 per- cent on the amount then unpaid. The club competitions resulted as follow: —Championship singles, ladies, Mrs. Nagle; men, F. A. Morris. Handicap singles, ladies. Miss P. Veitch; men, F. Lewis. Ladies’ junior handicap singles, Miss C. Lamb. Handicap doubles, ladies, Miss Clark and Miss 1. Clark; men, Messrs. Thwaites and C. Bowen. Combined handicap doubles, J. H. Clark and Miss Boek. The third instalment of the loan ( £SO) has been paid, leaving £l5O still owing. A great loss has been sustained by the club by the removal of, first, Mr. G. S. Pratt (who was lion, secretary for many years), and then Mr. Spilsbnry (his successor) from Wellington. The club is indebted to Messrs. T. 11. Gill, W. IL P. Barber, P. Muter, F. Grady, and E. Y. Redward for donations; to Mr. F. Morris for generously donating the value of his trophy; and to Mrs. E. Y. Redward, Misses Carson, Christie, d’Emden, Redward, Veitch, and Webb, Messrs Black, Godber, Prince, and Rowley for donating their bond interest. Owing largely to the prevalence of high winds and rain during the summer, there were not the same opportunities for improving the play as in past seasons, but it is hoped that the coming season will be a more enjoyable one. General Jottings. A fortnight's fine weather’ has caused a movement in tennis matters. Racquets are conspicuous daily, week-enders have had a knock or two, while annual reports ami meetings are the actual facts. As most of the local clubs boast hard courts, there is plenty of tennis in Wellington in September; and as very few of the players got any winter practice, the enthusiasts are keen, to get an early Lawn tennis is well represented in our new Ministry. The Minister of Trade and Customs (Hon. F. M. B. Fisher) is, of course, known throughout Australasia as the best mixed doubles player south of the Line, while the Minister of Justice (Hon. A. L. Herdman) is no mean performer with the racquet, as several of the colts found when pitted against him a couple of seasons ago in the interdub competitions, representing Muritai in the cup contest. During the winter the city has lost two well-known players- A. W. McNiccol (Wellington) has been transferred to a responsible position in the Union Bank at Perth, West Australia, while E. W.

Marriner (Brougham Hill) lias gone South to the Dunedin branch of th? Post Ollice Savings Bank. On the other han I, the two most likely players (among the younger generation 1 for future ihauipionship honoum. !•’. J. Cornell and E. Eller, will be active participants in the game again after a season’s retirement. In addition to the visit of the English team to New Zealand this summer, a movement is on foot in Sydney to send an Australian team acres., to tour the Dominion. In that event th- Austral asian ami New Zealand eh impioiishlp meetings should be productive oi something unique in the annals of the game in this country. The New Zi aland Lawn Tennis Association proper 's to hold both meetings at Hastings, but in view of the Exhibit ion in the Queen City of th? North, Auckland is asking to have th? Australasian Championship derided there