Wager Waived

Polling New York City and State, the New York News fortnight ago reported that 10,771 people approached by News representatives at home and in the street were going to vote for Franklin Roosevelt Nov. 3 as compared with 6,775 who favored Alf Landon for President. Same day the Literary Digest's national Presidential straw vote revealed that in New York State 99,228 voters, telephone-subscribers and club members were for Landon, 34,120 for Roosevelt. When he saw this discrepancy, the News's energetic Publisher Joseph Medill Patterson summoned an editor, had him get the Digest's Publisher Wilfred J. Funk on the telephone, offer to bet him $10,000 against $5,000 that the News's straw vote was more accurate for New York State than the Digest's poll.

"Why, that sounds like easy money!" said Mr. Funk. "Let me talk it over with some of the boys in the office." After talking it over, Mr. Funk was less enthusiastic. The Digest figures Captain Patterson had challenged did not include New York City, which was yet to be accounted for in the magazine's poll.

Though he still "didn't know of an easier way to make $10,000," if the wager were on the final figures of Digest and News, Mr. Funk felt that "as a matter of policy it would be impossible for the Literary Digest to bet on its' own poll. . . . The magazine takes no sides . . . plays no favorites. . . ."

Captain Patterson and the Newsmen airily labeled this sensible stand as "walking out" on a "tentative promise" to take up the bet. Of his own poll, Captain Patterson remarked on the editorial page: "Only time will tell how accurate this poll is. . . . Our 1928 poll was inaccurate. . . . Since that time, we have reliably predicted results in this State."

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