TENNIS PARTNERSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 April 1921, Page 12

TENNIS PARTNERSHIP.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION. The announcement from Melbourne that the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association proposes to withdraw from the Australasian Association has been explained by Mr. M. E. Denniston, of Wellington, chairman of the Dominion association. "The position, so far as the Davis Cup is concerned,” he said, “is that when the late Anthony Wilding was in his prime, it was recognised that he was the only player who could be associate! with Brookes in a team of world’s champion standard. Consequently, New Zealand joined Australia, the combination being known as ‘Australia with New Zealand.’ Under the conditions agreed upon between New Zealand and Australia, one match in every three played in Australasia had io be pfayed in New Zealand, and in the event of a termination of the partnership New Zealand would be entitled to one-third of the accumulated Davis Cup partnership funds. These now amount to about £4OOO, excluding any liwneys that may have ben derived from the last contest at Auckland. This -fund was primarily instituted to send team in pursuit of the cup when die contest is played outside Australasia. The agreement is go arranged that money can be taken from the fund to send a team, say, to New York this year, at a cost of, maybe. £l5OO, but should an\ profits accrue from such a trip, the g?oss proceeds are paid into th? Australasian Lawn Tennis funds (as distinct from the Davis Cup land), and New Zealand would be entitled to receive only oneseventh of the money in the event o! leaving the Australasian Association, New Zealand being one of the seven bodies affiliated.

“It therefore follows that the whole of the accrued moneys to the credit of the Davis Cup fund could be spent in a vain pursuit of the cup. and the management committee of the New Zealand Association, not being able, at present to see any New Zealand player likely to be sufficiently prominent to be chosen to take part in this contest, has, after mature consideration, come to the conclusion that it would be in the interests of New Zealand tennis to terminate th<J partnership and secure its share of the hind. This could be ear-marked and used as a fund for the encouragement of tennis in New Zealand.

"It is not the intention of the New j Zealand Association to sever its affili ition to the Australasian Lawn Tennis Association. If in th? future players who are considered worthy of challenging for the cup should be found, the money which will be received as a result of the severance of the partnership could be- used to a purely New Zealand team to play for the coveted trophy. The agreement does not permit of New Zealand seceding from the partnership while Australia 'with New Zealand are challengers, as is the position now, but one year’s notice can be given, and this is what New Zealand has done.”

1 ouching on the question of a separate nation, Mr. Denniston stated that New Zealand is a separate entity as affiliated ' to the English Lawn Tennis Association, and has beep for many years. It was hot considered that existing regulations would require to be altered other than the application by New Zealand to be Meognised as a separate natloa