CROSS-WORD PUZZLE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5151, 13 July 1927, Page 3

CROSS-WORD PUZZLE.

“FIRST PRIZE MUST BE PAID.”

WINNER NEAREST TO SOLUTIiON.

A dispute over a cross-word puzzle competition was settled by Mr E. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington last week, when he gave judgment for £9 15s in favour of Marion Aldersley, who s-ued Gerald Lyon and others for that amount.

The statement of claim alleged that plaintiff entered into a cross-word puzzle competition organised by defendants, the advertised prizes being £lO, £2, and 10s for first, second, and third respectively. Pla.intiff was advised that her solution, though not entirely correct, was the most nearly correst, but defendants refused to pay he>r the first prize of £lO, and forwarded her the sum of ss. For that reason Miss Aldersley sued ifjpr the other £9 15s.

Mr Page said that in the competition there was no correct solution received, but plaintiff’s solution was adjudged by the committee to be the most nearly correct one. The committee, however, refused to pay her the first prize of £lO, and sent her what they described as a “consolation” prize of ss. Throughout the conditions there was no reference to any “consolation” prize, the only ones mentioned being first, second, and third. . . . Defendants contended

that the right to allocate prizes according to merit empowered the committee if no correct solution was received, to substitute a new prize or prizes of smaller amounts than those advertised, or, presumably, to refuse to pay any prize. Holding that the committee was bound to award the first prize to the competitor whom they placed first, HiS' Worship gave judgment with costs on the ground that the most successful competitor was entitled to the prize.