NOTICE TO QUIT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1921, Page 5

NOTICE TO QUIT.

NEW PLYMOUTH CROQUET CLUB. GROUNDS WANTED FOR TENNIS. “I have never seen such a large at tendance before at an annual meeting of the club,” remarked Dr. Leathar (president of the New Plymouth Lawx? Tennis and Croquet Club) at last night’s meeting. The reason for the extra interest centring on proceedings this year became apparent later in the jneeting, when the following notice of motion came up for consideration: “Thaf the club grounds be used exclusively foi tennis after the close of the epsuing season (say April 20, 1922), and that all necessary steps be then taken tc effect consequential amendments to the rules, including the change of the name of the club to ‘The New Plymouth Lawn Tennis Club (registered).’”. The motion led to considerable debate between the two branches of the club, the croquet players main argument being that they were unable to procure suitable grounds. In moving the motion, Mr. A. R. Ryder said the intention of the committee in bringing (forward the proposal was merely to improve the accommodation for tennis players. After the” dislocation in the sport caused by the wax the ranks of tennis players were rapidly filling up, and more accommodation was needed. Already there had been e proposal before the meeting that some arrangements be made to give lady members in certain occupations an op« portunity to use the courts. It was es« sential if the club intended to hold the* position of the metropolitan club of Taranaki that they should have eight courts. Tennis was becoming more and. more popular, and, in fact, was the main summer game. It was absolutely essential, in his opinion, that steps be taken to put the club in a leading position. He regretted that the club had to be broken up, and that the croquet players, who had been associated with the club for such a long trine, would have to find separate grounds. The motion was seconded by Mr. J. C. Nicholson, who said the proposal resulted from the fact that there was no prospect of the property being extended, and the courts could not accommodate both sports. As tennis was the primary object of the club, the extra ground would have to be taken for this game. Although at first sight it might seem a hardship to croquet players, he thought eventually the formation of a separate croquet dub would prove beneficial. Mrs. D. K. Morrison stated that the croquet players had set up a grounds committee and were not able as yet to find a suitable property. She also expressed the opinion that the time allowed to croquet players to vacate was too short. The position was also unfortunate from the fact that a croquet association had recently been formed with New Plymouth as the centre, and now the club would not have a property on which to play. Another member considered that the croquet players should be paid compeni sat ion. After some further discussion Mrs. Morrison proposed an amendment that the croquet players be given till August, 1923. to vacate the lawns. The amendment was seconded by Mrs. Haseler. Mr. C. H. Wynyard pointed out that the Taranaki Tennis Association had applied for the New Zealand championships to be held in New Plymouth in 1922-23, and therefore the croquet lawns would be required, as extra court room would have to be provided. On being put v to the meeting the amendment was declared lost on a show of bands, and the motion was carried.