Automatic Age

November, 1938
AUTOMATIC AGE
89
From Over The Sea
Halfpenny Scales Appear In
British Locations
rpHE halfpenny weighing scale may
be revived shortly in England. A
halfpenny scale has been installed in
a well-known store near Fleet Street.
This experiment will be watched with
eagerness. If three to four times as
many people weigh themselves the
experiment may prove interesting.
However, if the increase is not suf­
ficient to offset the frequent servicing,
then halfpenny weighing machines
may not fare so well.
The penny habit has become so
fixed that very few people will take
to the idea. If, however, on the other
hand, halfpenny machines do better
British Operators Laud
Toilet Locks
Many British operators are finding
that coin operated lavatories are very
lucrative. One operating concern has
fitted out a number of lavatories in
its seaside proposition. Temporary
in poorer districts, then the machine locks were sent along for use until
those ordered for permanency turned
may prove profitable.
Even in the arcades the penny ma­ up.
After a week passed the manager
chines are holding their own. But
weighing scales present a different telephoned and inquired just when
picture. A person is usually weighed the permanent locks could be fur­
once a week and that is all until the nished. When he was informed that
following week. If he can get on the it would take several days he was
scales twice for one penny then the very much disappointed. “Hurry,
scale will get more play, but not more hurry,” said the manager, “they’re the
money. The modern streamlined best proposition here, far better than
scales cost much more and go out of coin operated machines.”
date in three months or less. The
Your Change, Ticket
halfpenny machines that proved pop­
ular in the past have been the old
In One Second
London. — Machines which give
wall type and have stood their ground
change within a second of a coin
for many, many years.
being inserted and a ticket immedi­
ately after are the latest London
passenger transport board innovation.
After secret tests, 27 of the machines
were placed in the service at Pic­
cadilly Circus. They deliver tickets
and give change 25 times a minute.
British “Coin” Opera Glasses
Kept as Souvenirs
MOST useful service in the Brit­
ish opera house is use of opera
glasses which patrons may have by
merely inserting a coin into a ma­
chine. However, many of the pa­
trons “forget” that the insertion of
coins only entitles them to the use of
the glasses, and is not a purchase as
encountered in other coin operated
machines.
The Universal Automatic Delivery
Company, which operates this service,
suffers a great loss every year from
the practice. To offset much of this
loss they have affixed a label to the
glasses, offered a reward, from $25
to $125, to anyone who will report
any malpractice leading to a success­
ful conviction. Another label in­
forms forgetful people that they may
turn the glasses over to any police­
man, or return them to the rightful
owners without incurring any postage
costs.
unusual thing about the losses is that
they are caused by users occupying
the more expensive seats. The low­
est price seats to be equipped with
them cost five shillings. Because of
regulations governing theatres, it is
impossible to put wire or chain fast­
enings on to the glasses. During the
last war the loss of opera glasses
from theatres became so bad that
the operating company shut down for
the time being.
British Public Enjoys
Coin Telescope
At the present time there is only
one coin operated telescope in oper­
ation in England. It is a very ex­
pensive British machine and is
usually found at coast resorts. It is
reported that operators in the British
Isles could enjoy a handsome profit
if a less expensive telescope could be
marketed around $100.
* * *
“We’ll have to rehearse that,” said
the undertaker as the coffin fell out
of the car.
S top fooling yourself
You cannot get along without
the latest Groetchen Games
which are coining bushels of
money for smart operators. A
new Operating Plan awaits
you—request it to-day.
G R O E T C H E N T O O L CO., 128 N . U nion, Chicago
P lease send me yo ur new Operating- P lan
show ing how I can open up m y te rrito ry .
Yet, with all these warnings, the
losses continue to grow. The most
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