“STOP-LIGHT” EDITORIALS DON’T HELP ANYONE
By F R A N K C . P E TR IN E, President and Publisher, A U T O M A T IC A G E
“INDUSTRY’S
FACE
A
LITTLE
RED"
blared the headlines of one ops weekly paper,
whose editor wears a halo inscribed— “ Crusader
for operators.”
“New $10,000,000 Federal ‘Use’ Tax Imposed
On Operators And Nobody Knows Much About
It,” says the sub-caption, and the editorial con
tinues :
“ The new federal ‘use’ tax proposed on coin
operated machines certainly caught this industry
in one of its most flagrant comas of complacent
lassitude” The rest of the editorial is equally
noteworthy for its disregard of the facts. It ap
peared July 18.
In the following week’s issue, July 25—the
“crusading” editor admitted the maliciousness of
his previous week’s editorial, with this statement:
“ This editor wanted his editorial, ‘ Industry's
Face A Little Red,” to be read. It ivas.”
By this terse statement it is clear that “ service,”
“ cooperation,” “ progressiveness,” were not the
motivating influences which inspired him to write
the first editorial. Were the thoughts voiced in
the first editorial calculated to confuse and under
mine confidence?
Such an industry problem is scant material for
editorial ad-libbing— placing one’s own interpre
tation and variation of thought according to the
writer’s feelings and taste.
Perhaps a charitable conclusion is that a cru
sader’s mental attitude is so constituted that it
rushes into print before calm and studied analysis
and totally disregards facts. Such a perception
might cause him to set himself on so high a ped
estal that he never actually gets close to the in
dustry.
Review of Events
Operators read their daily newspapers and
keep abreast of current local and national affairs.
The proposed tax was widely publicized in the
daily press. The first newspaper report on the
tax bill appeared June 27. From June 28 to July
8 , I received 19 telephone calls, wires, and letters
from operators inquiring about the tax bill.
They said “ do something.” Something was done.
Coin Machine Industries, Inc., the manufac
turers’ association, did something.
The National Automatic Merchandising As
sociation did something.
Several of the manufacturers had their own
representatives in Washington.
I have a letter from a Massachusetts operator
saying: “ With sincere and lasting gratitude I
thank you for your informative letter of July 16
relative to possible federal taxing of vending ma
chines. It has been my pleasure to submit your
letter to other operators and they all agree that
the industry is fortunate indeed in having you
on the job.”
All this transpired between June 28 and July
10 —conclusive proof refuting the inelegant
charge that “ this industry was caught in one of
its most flagrant comas of complacent lassitude.”
AS MUCH AS COULD BE DONE WAS BEING
6
DONE, and “ if nobody knows much about it”—
the editor-crusader was insulated from the news
which was common knowledge all over the
country.
Sanity, Not Sensationalism, is True Service
Every editor feels an irresistible temptation
to explain and justify this and that idea, or some
industry situation or problem. Most of these
things can be debated, and the editor wants to be
in the lead of things. But uncounselled and unin
formed impatience is destructive to the industry
and is not fair to the men who spend their time
and money to better it.
Committing editorial arson just to get his stuff
read is a far cry from serving the best interests
of readers and the industry. Indiscriminate, self
appointed leaders are worse than no leaders at all.
It is fine to wax eloquent and rhapsodize about
what “ should be done.” It is fine to create epi
grams on the importance of “ action,” “ coopera
tion,” “ constructive policy,” etc., etc. But to cast
misleading meanings into fire-brand editorials is
the opposite of constructive application.
The Final Tax Bill Is Unpredictable
The House committee dropped the proposed
tax on vending machines.
The special tax on “ coin-operated amusement
and gambling machines” remains in the bill, at
the time of writing this.
Chapter 19— Retailers’ Excise Taxes, says un
der “ Definitions”— “ As used in this Part, the
term ‘coin-operated amusement and gaming de
vices’ means ( 1 ) so-called ‘pinball’ and other simi
lar amusement machines, operated by means of
the insertion of a coin, token, or similar object,
and ( 2 ) so-called ‘slot’ machines which operate by
means of insertion of a coin, token, or similar ob
ject and which, by application of the element of
chance, may deliver, or entitle the person playing
or operating the machine to receive cash, pre
miums, merchandise, or tokens. The term does
not include bona fide vending machines in which
are not incorporated gaming or amusement
features.”
A clearer delineation of the various types of
machines embraced by this definition is required.
The present proposed flat rate special tax is dis
criminatory, unfair, and inequitable, and can be
brought to a test case.
What happens to the bill in the Senate is the
industry’s concern now.
I have written this editorial on my own—to in
form Automatic Age readers, in view of the mis
leading information broadcast by a contemporary
editor. Automatic Age will champion the cause
of the operators and the industry to the best of
its ability. It will adhere to truth and accuracy,
rather than sleight of hand hokus-pokus.
I have full confidence in the wisdom of the
trade’s executives to furnish constructive leader
ship in all situations pertaining to their industry
or doing their duty to our country as citizens. In
these qualities, our manufacturers, distributors,
and operators are not second to any other indus
try group.
AUTOMATIC AGE
© International Arcade Museum
August, 1941
http://www.arcade-museum.com/