Automatic Age

12
T he
a u t o m a t ic
A
ge
ENGLISH VISITOR GETS SLANT
ON AM ERICAN COIN MACHINES
W e have been favored the past
month by a visit from Mr. A. Mor-
ley of London, England, who has
been visiting the big cities of the
United States investigating the coin
machine industry, and making ar­
rangements for representation of our
best machines in Great Britain.
Mr. Morley spoke entertainingly
of vending machine differences in
England. He says there is no such
thing as operators for that country.
That practically all the vending ma­
chines are purchased by merchants
for their own use. There are more
cigarette machines in England than
any other one kind. Most of these
are owned by the Imperial Tobacco
Company— three to the location—
which agrees to sell their product.
The next largest factors are the
W rigley Gum people who also loan
machines for vending their sticks of
gum for two pennies. It is peculiar
that there are no ha’ penny machines
in England. The ha’ penny is equal
to our cent. They have in England
what has been called “ The Shops”
law. A law which compels the clos­
ing of all stores at 8 o’clock p. m.,
then the cigarette and other vending
machines are attached to the front
of the store.
Mr. Morley says that this law is
not based on moral grounds, but for
the protection of hours of work for
clerks. He says that cigarette ma­
chines in the best locations have tak­
en in as much as $30.00 over night.
They get some slugs but not many,
and it is almost an unheard of thing
that a machine is stolen.
The biggest operating concern is
the British Operating Co., which has
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concessions of all types of m a c h in e s
on various English railroads.
The handkerchief machine is very
popular in that country and there are
coin locks on all lavatories. There is
a multiplicity of amusement machines
particularly on the “ Piers.”
What we would
call
bathing
beaches, or amusement parks in this
country is generally referred to as
“ piers” in England. A machine they
have in that country, that has not
yet appeared in America, is the film
vending machine. Photography is
quite a fad in England and a small
roll of films can be purchased for
machines for a six penny coin.
Mr. Morley said that the thing
which made the most powerful im­
pression on him, in America, was
our tremendous prosperity, and our
rapid creation of wealth. This, he
said, was very impressing.
W e asked him what coin operated
machine struck him as being the
best in America, and he thought the
“ Cameo” change making machine was
the outstanding coin-operated ma­
chine in this country.
He thought
our amusement machines wei'e only
on a par with those of Great Britain,
and he was not impressed with the
merchandise vending machines in this
country, because he did not see many
of them in general use, and said they
were neither up to the standard of
the British machines, nor in as great
use.
He told about a machine in which
he is interested, known as the Stock
Broker. With all the public interest
in stock speculation that there is in
this country, it ought to be a popular
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