Tennis Court Construction Delayed; Contractor Has Financial Diffiulties

Work on Harvard's indoor tennis courts stopped this week, and the courts, which were supposed to be ready last December, may not be finished until after the spring tennis season.

The contractor for the courts, Wood-bridge Construction Co., of New York, told the University informally last week that construction would not continue beyond last Thursday.

Woodbridge gave no reason for suspending work, but Cecil A. Roberts, Director of Buildings and Grounds, speculated that financial difficulties and the severe winter caused the suspension.

Roberts explained that the firm had had difficulty in paying its subcontractors, "though by and large they have stayed on the job."

He added that Woodbridge had expected to finish the job before winter weather set in; "When the snow started they got held up."

Before May?

Construction is now scheduled to be completed by March 10, but Roberts said that even if work were to resume tomorrow, it would be difficult to finish the building on time. Another Buildings and Grounds official said that the courts would not be finished before May 1.

Crimson tennis coach Jack Barnaby said yesterday that he did not expect the three indoor clay courts to be ready before June. Since four of the University's ten clay courts were torn up to make room for the new building, this leaves the tennis team only six courts to practice on.