A £1000 WAGER.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1920, Page 5

A £IOOO WAGER.

A CONTRACT, A (PROMISE, OR A REPUDIATION? Says yesterday's Wellington Times:— As a. sequel to the sensational mouutaineering incident which occurred some Weeks ago, in which Misa Louise Mack, the celebrated war correspondent, who lias been delivering lectures in various centres of the Dominion, was- reported to have been lost on the Tararua Ranges, an announcement appeared in the newspapers some days ago that Miss Mack had won a wager of £IOOO with a certain gentleman, having proved herself the first woman to accomplish the task of crossing the range. It was duly announced that Miss Mack, in a spirit of patriotism redounding to her credit, had promised to put the amount of the wager to the funds of the Returned Soldiers' Association. This action was made public, and Miss Mack's generositv was I acclaimed"

The latest development in connection with the incident places another aspect on the affair. It would appear that Miss Mack has now communicated with the Returned Soldiers' Association giving formally the details of the wager, stating that ahe had carried out her part of the performance, and that the association had her authority to collect the amount from the gentleman with whom she had made the contract. The Returned Soldiers Association, however, does not regard the affair in the same iight as Miss Mack, and while appreciating the spirit which prompted her promise of the donation, has intimated that they will be only too pleased to receive the money when the donor herself has collected it.

It is understood that there lias been some hitch between the contracting parties, the gentleman with whom the wager was said to have been made claiming that Miss Mack did not perform her I part of the contrac^,. satisfactorily, being [carried over tbe<flfeger* instead of walk-