LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 831, 1 June 1910, Page 6

LAWN TENNIS.

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION. COMMITTEE SEVERELY CRITICISED. NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION. A quarterly meeting of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association was held in the Phoenix Assurance Company's rooms last evening, Mr. H. M. Gore presiding. There were 23 delegates present, including four special delegates from Canterbury. Mr. Wright. Canterbury, raised the question at the outset as to whether or not a report from the Management Committeo should have l>een presented of the business transacted by tho committee. He was strongly of opinion that a report should have been brought down. Tho secretary stated that there was no report. Continuing, the Canterbury delegate asked that if as there was no report delegates could take it that there had been no business transacted by the committee. The chairman ruled that it was not compulsory to present a report as suggested. The Canterbury delegate also referred to certain correspondence which had passed between the New Zealand Association and Canterbury, and asked that this should be read. He thought it was an un-heard-of thing that correspondence received by the association should not come before the meeting. Mr. Wright said it seemed that an elTort was to be made to block the special Canterbury delegation discussing what thev had come up specially for. The chairman: "I wish to say we must get through this agenda paper. If thero is any point of order to raise after that, it can be dealt with afterwards." Mr. Fisher said it was quite well known what the Canterbury delegate* bad attended the meeting for, and, if the management committee were not going to hear them, they should tell them they were not going to hear them, and not block them on points of order. He thought the correspondence asked for should bo produced. Mr. T. Hunter thought tho matter should bo looked at with a certain amount of comimm fense, :ind proceeded to quote rules bearing on the subject. Mr. Ross, Canterbury, urged that in hushing this correspondence up another association was being treated very cavalierly. If a report had been brought down, this trouble wouldnever have arisen. Seeing that no report had been brought down, he thought the Canterbury delegates.had every right to take up the position they had'taVen. Lot the management committee think what they liked or do what they liked— they had no light to suppress that correspondence. On the motion of Mr. Ross (Otago) the ejection of the Southland L«wn Tennis Association was then put and agreed to. Discussion on Materiel, Mr. Keesing (Auckland) moved tho following motion, standing in tho name of his association:— "That this association does not approve of such an important matter as thfl selection of u bull for use in championship matches being decided by the Management Committeo without reference to tho association, especially in view of the fact that, on the last occasion of a change, the question was referred to the association 'for confirmation." , Mr. Keesing said the question had been raised as to whether the management committee did not take to much upon itself in matters like this. With so much talk of tho centralisation of sport in Wellington, a matter such as he had been discussing might cause a rumpus. Mr. Goss (Canterbury) agreed with tho ideas of the Auckland delegate. Ho thought Iho management committee had taken too much upon itself. The management committee of the association gave no encouragement whatever to associations to try and keep in touch with the business. The whole object of the management committee seemed to be to keep everything to themselves, whereas they should give every information. Why, he asked, should they keep everything to themselves? The management committeo had neglected its obvious duty by not giving the information which it was known the committeo had in its possession, and so enabling provincial associations to know how the merits of different brands of balls are looked upon in different parts of tho Dominion. Mr. Dart said ho thought tho matter was ono of detail. At the same time he thought certain members of the management committee were taking up a wrong attitude. They should havo nothing to hide, so let them bring their every action into the light of day. They would be given every chance. A voice: "They are afraid." Mr. Fisher said it was known perfectly well that correspondence had passed in reference to this ball matter: He went on to refer to correspondence which had passed between certain tiade firms in reference to the supply of tho ball in which one firm said it had sufficient influence and control in Wellington to settle the question of the adoption of a ball in this centre. The association had got into an iniquitous habit of accepting trophies from ball makers. He thought the trading should be stopped by the the association and not encouraged. As a member of the association ho was bound to confess he could not find out anything about its business. Why, ho asked, could the Management Committee not be frank? The secretary said the Management Committee hud adopted the ball used at the New Zealand championship since 190-1 except on two occasions. Ho went on to explain what had been done, and the tests carried out, and stated that the matter of trophies, etc.,. never entered into the matter in any way. The ball adopted in this insianco was'not the ball of the company offering tho greatest trophic-, to the association. The ball adopted had been adopted because of the weight of evidence collected from affiliated associations.

Mr. Wright spoke at some length on the question and concluded by saving that his centre did not wish to belong to the association unless everything was free anil nbovc-board. "Unless provincial associations had confidence in the Management Committee, the New Zealand Association could not be continued, v nor could it survive ■ unless there was that trankness which should exist. The elements of disruption were at work. Mr. T. Hunter, sai3 the Management Committee had nothing to hide. There should be no heat about the debate, the question being simply.one of whether the question was a matter of policv or of detail. There would bo no heat about it as far as Canterbury were concerned, if there was not a bigger question behind. IV was \infair to come before the Management Committee and say "you birkod discussion'- because tho 'Management Committee hnrt not put something on tho order paper which Canterbury should have put there. Mr. Golilie said an attack hnd been made on tho committee for accepting presents from ball-makers, but associations had a.H participated in Hie presents and why, lie asked, had they not protested then ? The secretary went on to explain in detail various points raised, and he was followed by Mr. Hurley who stated that if these petty attacks had to be put up with the present committee- would probably not come forward again. After some further discussion tho motion was put and was lost by 30 to 14. The Auckland Association had also given notice that the "Sykes E.D.8." ball .be retained as the, ball recognised and adopted by the association for the 1910-11 season. This was withdrawn. Canterbury Notices of Motion. \ motion standing in the name of Canterbury, to the effect that it is advisable to admit oversea players outside tho Dominion free of all entrance fees to tournaments, was allowed to Jiipse. The Canterbury delegates gave the fol(I) That owing to the [act that the Management Committee has proved by its past actions that it arrogates to itself powers not given to it by the rules, and also observes secrecy with regard to its actions, refusing—as it has done—to reveal correspondence and its minutes of business done in connection with such an imporlimr matU-r as the playing nil of i:h o ukiillfiiK.' round of tin" Davis Cup conIf.-,!, to properly constituted delegates of [jui association, tho variuus associations

comprising this council have lost confidence in the Management Committee as such.

(2) That the whole of the correspondence passing between the Canterbury Association and tho Now Zealand Association with regard to the Davis Cup controversy bo forwarded to the Australasian Associa-

(3) That tie Management Committee having recommended to the Davis Cup Committee the place in Now Zealand in which to play the challenge round of the Davis Cup contest, after baring received nn intimation from the Canterbury Association that in its opinion this was a matter that should come before the New Zealand Association alone for decision, a special meeting of this association be called at the earliest possible opportunity to fully consider the whole question. (4) That the question of the locality in which the New Zealand championship mci-ting. 1910. shall be held be considered by the council. '