Automatic Age

AUTOMATIC AGE
July, 1939
The Coin Chute An Increasing Factor of
Distribution; An Instrument of Business
ESTERN UNION offi­
cials are reported to
be considering the pos­
sibilities of a coin-operated unit
for installation in drug stores,
hotel lobbies and other transient
spots which would receive the
pencil or typewritten message
and deliver at the receiving end
an identical reproduction or fac­
simile of that message for de­
livery to destination.
Here is another far-reaching
development of the coin-device
principle — one that will make
the public even more coin-chute
conscious.
Last month A u t o m a t ic A ge
reported another recent major
application of the coin-device
principle which has significant
possibilities — the “Mailomat,”
an automatic mail box which,
upon insertion of a coin, permits
the public to mail an unstamped
letter. No postage stamps are
required, no clerks are needed to
dispense stamps, and no cancel­
lation operation is necessary.
Faster Distribution Needed
This is indeed an “automatic
age,” with coin-device magic un­
folding so rapidly that it taxes
the imagination. This is an age
of convenience to the consumer.
The past generation has seen
the development and perfection
of mechanized processes of pro­
duction which were intended to
speed production of goods and
reduce the price to the consumer.
W
Such mechanization of manual
processes in the production of
goods gave rise to the term,
“machine age.” But today the
mechanized production of goods
has reached such a state of per­
fection — has accomplished its
goals so completely, that further
development at this time might
be considered both unnecessary
and unwise. Today’s need is not
for faster production of goods,
but for cheaper and faster dis­
tribution of goods and services.
The “machine age” has gone far
enough, for the present at least.
It remains now for distribution
to gear its speed and reduce its
cost in keeping with the levels
already reached by mechanized
production.
And it is entirely correct to
believe that the “machine age”
has succeeded. Reduction of
manual processes in manufact­
uring pursuits has reduced the
cost of production. Reduced cost
of production has been immedi­
ately followed by reduced selling
prices to the consumer. Reduced
prices on all manufactured com­
modities have resulted in higher
standards of living for Amer­
ican families. American stand­
ards of living are the highest in
the world. There is no better
proof than this that the “ma­
chine age” has succeeded. Yet,
certain confused minds can only
see that the “machine age” has
substituted machines for work­
© International Arcade Museum
11
ers in many cases. Personally, I
believe that there are vastly
more people employed today
than there could be without our
“machine age.”
The problem of today is to im­
prove the system and mechanics
of distribution—to make distri­
bution succeed to the same ex­
tent that the “machine age” has
succeeded. If distribution can
match the pace set by mechan­
ized production, the results will
be a still further reduction in the
price of goods and services. With
lower prices, more people can
afford more things, standards of
living can be still higher than at
present, and, at the same time,
the purchase of more goods will
stimulate production and em­
ployment.
Coin Chute W ill Cut Costs
The coin chute offers one of
the most glowing possibilities in
the streamlined distribution pro­
gram of the future, not only by
making staple bulk and pack­
aged merchandise more conven­
iently and more widely available
at lower prices, but in providing
an increasing number of impor­
tant services at lower cost for
the convenience of an impatient
public. The most important
vending machines of the future
will undoubtedly be huge “auto­
mats” offering hundreds of
standard items of merchandise
at lower prices than such goods
now command in regular stores.
Coin-operated telegraphic equip­
ment, the “Mailomat,” parking
meters, turnstiles, fare boxes,
telephones, radios, are just a few
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