The sun., 1919-03-23
Tennis Association Rules
to Enforce amateur Rule
Executive Committee Votes to Prevent Players Work
ing in Sporting Goods Concerns from Com
peting in Sanctioned Journeys.

the National Municipal Recreation Fed
Grafton. This organization was inactive
during the war; but its officers are plan
ming a new start, and the executive COM
mittee voted to cooperate in all pos
sible ways A convention attended by
| Representatives of cities interes ted In
municipal sports will be held In the near
future. to establish the plan of opera
ton for this year.
Authority to arrange the details in
cidental to the national singles and
doubles championships was delegated to
the committees In charge OF those
events. 1t was voted that all commit
tees shall continue until thek success
sors are appointed
Oppose Tax on Sporting Goods.
The committee called upon a million
tennis players 10 join In an effort to
rereal the 10 per cent tax on sporting
goods declaring such a tax to be I'M
fair. unAmerican, and excessive. It was
pointed out that this is the only coun-
| try In the world putting a tax on the
exercise and recreation OF it's boys and
girls and that while the tax on chewing
gum Is per cent and the tax on jew
elry Is per cent. the levy on sporting
| goods Is 10 per cent
The position was stated as follows In
| q resolution addressed to the Senate and
| House:
I'VE. the undersigned executive COM
mittee Of the United States National
Lawn Tennis Association. on behalf OF
lawn tennis players OF the United States
numbering at least one million. respect
fully protest against the unfair and I'M
| American % per cent levied on sporting
| goods.
| I'VE also petition for its annulment
on the ground that II lays an excessive
| burden on normal exercise and health
! full recreation. both OF which are vital
/ to the well being of the American
| people"
| The presence at dinner which pre-
coded the meeting OF Lieut.. E. A +.
! Wilding, William II. Dunlop and Fl. Y.
Bradden. men prominent in Australasian
! tennis affairs, gave an opportunity to
talk over conditions In international ten
MS The visitors spoke most cordially
of the good feeling existing between the
I two countries and expressed their adj
miration OF the sporting" action of the
/ United States in refraining from a chal-
lenge for the Davis Cup this year.
! There was further reference TO this
matter in the report of the Davis Cup
, Committee as follows:
/ The u. S. N. l.. T. A. decided not to
challenge for tho Davis Cup in 1919 for
the reason that many of the ranking
players OF England, France, Belgium.
Australasia and Canada have either been
killed In the war or so badly wounded as
TO be incapacitated for tennis competi-
ton, while none OF the ranking players
of the United States were either killed
or wounded. although practically all OF
them were in the service. In i.Fi'lition
the tournament schedule and chaiapion-
ships in England. France, Belgium, Aus
I trRlia and Canada were cancelled, some
In 1914, the rest in 1915, and have only
been started again In 1919. while in the
United States the championships and
tournament schedules were of course
carried out in 1914, 1918. 1915, during
the years before we entered the war and
In 1917 and 1918 the schedule of our
naments was played with the basi, lea
OF furnishing healthful exercise for our
boys and girls and those who were UNI
able 10 enter the army or navy.
1.-THE association. therefore, considered
that -ssK eouni s<R iess sscto ire I'natN6
states has at this time n great advan-
tage over the other tennis playing ma
tons. both In the number of their rank
ing players left available by TIM war and
in the opportunities for the development
OF these younger players from 1914 on.
THE L. S. y. L. T. A. believes the
only sportsmanlike course open TO II at
this time Is not To ChaUenBs Tor the
Davis Cup in 1919, when 1t appears that
all the cards are in its hands,
For International Tennis.
1.-THE association, however, will make
every effort in the future to restablish
international tennis and announces its
intention to challenge for the Davis Cup
in 1920 1t will invite the various ma
lions who in the past have competed for
the Gun, except Germany and Austria,
and adding Japan. to send TO America In
1920 at the expense OF the u. s. N. l..
T. A. teams to play of the preliminary
ties. Any proft arising will be given to
the visiting teams. Or the United States
will send It's team abroad. whichever
course seems best at the time for the de-
velopment of International tennis COM
petition.
THE L. g. ". l.. T. A. wishes TO ex-
press its admiration OF the action OF
England, France and Belgium in chal-
longing for the Davis Cup and Of Aus
tralia for accepting the challenge. when
all these nations have suffered 30 fright
fully from the war, Their action has put
international tennis on It's feet and II
will be our privilege 60 join them next
year.
Tho tennis players OF these nations,
sorely wounded though they are. are
showing themselves to be the big, broad
minded sportsmen they have always
! teen in the past"