LAWN TENNIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 863, 8 July 1910, Page 6

LAWN TENNIS.

THE NEW ZEALAND COUNCIL. NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION. A special meeting of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, held last evening, was largely attended. The meeting was called at the instance of the Canterbury Association, which had on the order paper'a motion tantamount to a want oi confidence in the Committee of Management. Mr. 11. I\. Cooke (Auckland) was voted to the chaii. An alteration in liule IS was moved by the .Management Committee. The rule as it' stood at present related to the order of bu>in?,vs and some delegates contenueu that it applied to the actual business that must necessarily be brought before a.t meetings—quarterly,' special, or annual. On the motion of Mr. Malcolm lioss, it was resolved to instruct the committee to draft an amendment on lines specmed, with a view to making clear the nature of the business to bo considered at quarterly meetings.

The Davis Cup—Location. Professor Hunter moved, and Mr. Malcolm Ross seconded, "That the New Zealand championship meeting be held at the same place as the Davis Cup competition," and, if i>ossible, immediately before Air. Hunter urged that, as New Zealand was expecting to have one of the biggest contests of tennis played in the Dominion, the game would receive a fillip, and the bank balance of the would benefit considerably. It was their hope to be able to obtain an association tennis ground such as the Australian States possessed. After the Davis Cup match had been played there was little interest in tennis tournaments, and, for that reason, It was important that the New Zealand championship tournament should be played before the Davis Cup contest, and at the same place. A large number crack tennis players would be assembled in the Dominion, including, probably, an English team. itir. lioss (Canterbury) expressed the opinion that it would be better to hold the championship meeting as to tap another cr-ntre after the Davis Cup had been held. Mr. Laighley said that if the two meetings were held in the same place, it worild greatly lessen the expense. Jlr. Keesing (Auckland) said that the same courts'could not'be used for the Davis Cup and the New Zealand championship. Mr. lllack (Otago) favoured the holding of the New Zealand meeting; in a separate centre. He moved accordingly. Mr. Goss (Canterbury) seconded, and the amendment was lost by SO to 15. The motion was then carried.

The Charges. Mr. E. J. Jtosa (Canterbury) moved the iirst motion submitted by Ms association, intimating that the various associations comprising the council had lost confidence in the Management Committee. The reason set out in the motion was that the Management, Committee had proved by its past actions that it arrogated to itself powers not given to it by tho rules, and also observed secrecy with regard to its actions, refusing to reveal correspondence and business done in connection with the playing-olf of tho challenge round of the Davis Cup contest. Mr. Ross referred to tho correspondence that had passed between the council and the Canterbury Association, pointing ont that, although the latter association had intimated Mr. Anthony P. Wilding's desire that the Davis Cup contest should be played in Christchurch—bis home— tho council had observed secrecy as to negotiations that wero proceeding with the Australasian Davis Cup Committee. Information regarding these negotiations had been obtained by the Christchurch Association through unofficial channels. The Canterbury Association claimed that all delegates had the right to inspect the minute book of the Management Committee, and correspondence relating to curront business. Mr. Wright seconded the motion, and supported the remarks made by Mr. B. J. Koss. The Christchurch delegates, he said, had been refused access to the records of the association. The Canterbury Association would not belong to an association the business of which they did not know, and the correspondence of whicli they could not see. 'Jlie Canterbury Association had been treated with a lack of frankness, and in an unsportsmanlike way. The committee had acted secretly and clandestinely. (Laughter.)

"Hole and Corner Methods." Mr 3. C Peacock said that the wliolo trouble had arisen in consequence of tho recommendation of the committee to the Australasian Committee, and all other matters were "side winds" that. had arisen subsequently, and during the dispute witli Canterbury. He spoke atlength, giving the facts of the case, which, he said, undoubtedly upheld tho action of the committee. The position was such—an emergency having arisen— that the committee absolutely had to make a recommendation. If, in. that recommendation, the committee had made an error of judgment in regard to the locale of the cup contcst, the Canterbury Association at least might have given the committee credit for honesty of purpose and not have charged them with hole anil corner methods. ("Hear, hear.") He stated emphatically that the committee had no desire to withhold correspondence or information, and, as a matter of fact, the whole of the correspondence was placed 011 the table at the quarterly meeting and some particular letter's asked for were rend. (Applause.)

Honesty of Purpose Admitted. Mr. Gofs (Canterbury) said that he was quite willing to give the committee credit for honesty of purpose, but he hold that the committee had no right to make the recommendation. It was a. matter of policy, and should have been referred to the Association. He was sorry to hear so much talk about the "gate." The committee had not taken any trouble to find out tho possibilities of tho "gate" iu Christcluirch. Ho asserted that facts were concealed by the committee, and that the Canterbury Association, was refused information asked for. Mr. Goss intimated that Canterbury did not. want the New Zealand championship held in Christchurch this year, as had been stated in the committee's memorandum. "Too Drastic." The chairman (Mr. Cook, representing Auckland) said that his association thought that the motion moved by Canterbury was far too drastic, ifc moved an amendment which he thought would be.a middle way: "That in the opinion of this meeting the Management Committee have not treated tlie Canterbury Association fairly, and with the consideration that they were entitled to, iu withholding tho information asked for, and iu not informing them that they had dealt with Canterbury's application for the Davis Cup." Professor Hunter referred in somewhat scathing terms to an interview with a Canterbury delegate, published in a Canterbury paper, and saitl that if that sort of thing wus going to be indulged in he did not wish to have anything to do with the management of lawn tennis in New Zealand. If, ho said, tho association had no confidence in its committee, it should give a straight-out vote on the njat.tei, and get another committee. He strongly repudiated the charges of secrecy oil the part of the Management Committer. Mr. F. M. B. Fisher said that it was not a question of whei'e the Davis Cup was to be contested—overyono know that the match was to be played in Wellington —it was simply a (uic-stion of procedure.

Defence of the Committee. Mr. G. W. Goldie (secretary of the New Zealand Association) referred to private letters which he had received from 31'r. Anthony Wilding, in which that player intimated his desire to have the Davis Clip contest in Christchurch. In the speaker's opinion, the Management Committee was blameless, having kept within the rules. If the Cliristchureh Association had called for a conference, the strife would have been ended and a settlement arrived at in half an hour. Mr. Dart supported the remarks of members of the Management Committee in a strong defence of the course followed by the committee, lie read a communication from Christchurch, which, ho said,

showed that the representations from Christchurch had arisen out of tile desires of a clique. Motion Thrown Out. The amendment was withdrawn, after considerable further discussion. The motion, which Wellington delegates declined to have withdrawn, was lost by ■1(1 votes to (i. Thi' division resulted:— Vol': Canterbury,.!'! votes. Against: Auckland (i votes, Wellington G, Otago (>, lUvwke's liay 2, Tavanaki a, Nelson Marlborough West Coast 4, Wanganui 2, Southland 2. The voto was auuounced 'imid applause. Oilier Clirrstchurch Proposals. The Canterbury delegates then withdrew a motion asking that the correspondence regarding the Davis Cup controversy should be forwarded to the Australasian Association. Another motion was then submitted bv Air. E. J. lioss, on behalf of the Christchurch Association, proposing that the Davis Cup contest should be hold in Christchurch. This was discussed at length, and an amendment, that Iht match be played in Wellington was finally carried by 31: voles to U\ It ivas pointed out that Mr. Firth had agreed to provide grounds at Wellington College, and that they would be second to none in the world. Authority had been given by the Australasian Association to proceed with ground arrangements. Tlic following motion of the Management Committee was withdrawn-.—"That a commission of three gentlemen, to be selected by this council, up to inquire inlo all charges made against the Management Committee, and report within two months to a special meeting of this association, to be called for the purpose of receiving the report; and that the travelling and hotel expenses of the commission be defrayed by this association."

Notices of Motion. Mr. H. M. Gore, vice-president, gavo notice of motion as follows: "That rule, 10a, bo added, providing: Every delegate shall vote according to his discretion on questions upon which lie lias leeeived no instructions from the association which he represents. When such instructions liavo licen given, each delegate must adhere strictly to his instruct'or,s'" • »mi Mr. Grigson gave notice to move: That, in view of the fact that considerable misunderstanding has recently arisen in connection with the interpretation of rules IS and 20 of the New Zealand Association's rules, it is the opinion of this association that a committee of four be elected to investigate this rule, and delino clearly ami o.victl;? what busmen comes under the heading 'adnunistratne details,' and 'matters of policy, unci that the committee report to the next quarterly council meeting, and that the committee's report be. circulated among the various provincial associations prior to the meeting." Mr. Malcolm Koss .gave notice of motion: "That the ruling of the chairman that, in a case where only four out of five delegates of an association are present at a 'meeting, oiib of these delegates differing from the other throe can exercise the vote of the absentee,_ without a written proxy, lie disagreed with. ' The meeting concluded at 2 o'clock this morning, after having sat for six hours.