Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Eighty
THE PACIFIC COIN MACHINE REVIEW
FEBRUARY,
1935
Past 'j ear Good and Future Looks Bright
For.Coin Machine Business in Portland
R IDING along with good general busi-
ness conditions which prevailed in the
Northwest during 1934, Portland coin ma-
chine men completed the year to their
satisfaction and that of the public. The
future outlook for coin-controlled devices
is very good as far as business goes-
much better than one year ago-but there
is definitely a crisis at hand in Oregon be-
cause of unsettled license conditions.
That is the gist of an optimistic report
from Don S. Armitage, one of Portland's
leading operators, and leads THE REVIEW
to believe that with the advent of jobbers
and distributors into Portland during the
past year the situation soon will be right
for favorable operating and subsequently
for marketing new machines.
Crisis at Hand
"I venture to say that, in Oregon at
least, the crisis is at hand on the future of
marble games," writes Mr. Armitage. "The
City of Portland has had for the past two
years an operator's license of $100 and a
machine license of $5, the latter being
transferrable from one machine to another
as occasion demanded.
"This year nothing definite has been de-
cided upon as yet. The commissioner of
finance drew up an ordinance, preparatory
to sending to the city council, that pro-
vided a license fee of $500 for an operator
and $10 for each game, both being non-
transferable. This created a stir among op-
erators and although we have no organiza-
tion here we appointed a committee to
meet with the councilmen and to protest
the proposed license. We were successful
inasmuch as now we do not know what the
license is to be and neither can we get
any information from the council.
"It is our idea that the city 'Dads' are
waiting to see what the state legislature
(which has just met) will do about a pro-
posed state tax on these devices, or whether
the state will decide that they are not tax-
able and therefore illegal. (Last night's
paper stated that an opinion handed down
from the attorney general's office was that
they could not be taxed and were therefore
illegaL)
"Leaving licenses, the most important
highlight here is the undisputable fact that
all the operating·manufacturers at some
time during 1934 ceased one part of their
efforts and that part was the manufactur-
ing. They are now operators with the pos·
sible exception of a few who still try to do
a little futile copying. To my knowledge
there is not one new game being made
here in Portland at this time.
"Nineteen-thirty-four saw two distribu·
tors make themselves at home in Portland
-National Amusement Company and Al
Gustafson, and both of these outfits have
given us wonderful service and help in
selecting the new games.
"Master Mind" Ne eded
"The future outlook for coin-controlled
devices is v~ry good as far as business
goes. In fact it is better than one year
ago, but I believe that what we will
eventually be obliged to have is some sort
of a master mind or another 'Judge Landis'
or someone who is going to be able to put
this business up to the authorities in the
right light and take it out of the 'racket'
class-show it to the world as a legitimate
business the same as any other business.
"Until this is done we are going to have
to put up with all kinds of petty bicker-
ing and the business is going to sink lower
and lower until it becomes some sort of a
political football to be kicked this way and
that and finally kicked out entirely."
License fees for 1935 in effect near
Portland include:
Salem, $24 per year, machine licensed
in location and cannot be changed from
that location.
McMinnvil le, $25 operator's license and
$24 per year for each machine, non-trans-
ferable.
Longview, $24 per year for each ma-
chine, non·transferable.
Carleton, $24 per year for each machine,
non-transferable.
Automatic payout games are not allowed
anywhere except Salem. One popular game
is a sensation but is not allowed to operate
in Portland because of the license depart-
ment's ruling that it is not a game of skill.
Hi ghl ig hts of P a s t Ye'a r
Here is a summary of the highlights of
1934 in the Portland coin machine busi-
ness:
J a n uary
Portland operators were expecting a ..
pick-up in business with the decrease in
the number of dart games here; even the
most expensive dart layouts . were begin-
ning to disappear. The advent of beer was
having a good effect on the coin machine
trade. Mauel Schnitzer, Iron Claw oper-
ator of Portland, reported that business
was better since the arrival of beer. Larry
Cummings arrived from Seattle, where he
was negotiating for the purchase of a pea-
nut machine route. "Jock" Baird was con-
valescing from neuritis.
Feb ruary
Operators and other coin machine men
of Portland were planning to attend the
coast show at Los Angeles, taking ad-
vantage of a special round-trip rate of
$19.50 by rail. Earl & Koehler Mfg. Co.
started full production on two new pin
tables; the firm was the only one in Port-
land manufacturing games from the raw
material to the finished product and its
plant was complete with woodworking,
machine, finishing, assembling and ship-
ping departments.
Marc h
Portland was well represented at the
Pacific Coast coin machine show at Los
Angeles and the boys were highly enthu-
siastic over the show and their reception
in Los Angeles.
Apr il
The coast show was having a good effect
on Portland business.
The North West Amusement Co. had two
booths at the show, exhibiting their new
five-foot tables. Joe Hem was in charge
of the Superior Amusement Co. booth, in
which the five-foot table games also were
on display.
Ma y
A Portland operator wrote to THE RE-
VIEW that there were no distributors for
coin machines in Portland. He said that
the Portland operators would welcome the
presence of distributors so that they could
select new models without the trouble of
sending out for sample machines or going
to San Francisco or Seattle to inspect the
wares on display there.
June
Good business conditions prevailed in
Portland and throughout the Northwest.
Mr. Lang, representative of the Gardner
Co., reported there was a good demand
throughout the nation for punchboards and
his company now had a Seattle branch.
Seattle Favorable Spot
In Coin Machine Field
SEA TTLE-Through organized effort on
the part of coin machine men in the
Northwest, Seattle and Washington have
achieved the passage of legislation that
has made this a favorable territory for the
operation of coin-controlled amusement and
vending devices during the past year and
opened the way for a prosperous 1935.
Operators for the most part reported a
good showing during 1934 and as a result
jobbers and distributors showed enviable
sales records. These conditions were
brought about by co·operative effort. Early
in the year the state legislature passed a
bill restricting rural officials to their own
precincts and thereby put a stop to a
racket that had been preying upon coin
machine operators.
Seattle is still waiting to learn the effects
of a change of mayors upon the coin ma-
chine industry, although at last reports
a license ordinance for the city was up
before the council and ready for adoption.
H ighlights of Past Yea r
Here are the highlights of 1934 in Seat-
tle:
January
A bill was introduced in the state assem-
bly and passed unanimously restricting
racketeering rural constables and justices
of the peace to their own precincts. At the
time constables were harrassing coin ma-
chine operators. A bill intended to legalize
slot machines was introduced in the Wash-
ington legislature. Bill would have levied
a tax of $12 per machine per year but
failed to get a majority vote. R. D. Peck
opened new showrooms in Tacoma.
Fe br ua ry
Operators and jobbers here were plan-
ning to take in the Pacific Coast coin rna·
chine in Los Angeles, making use of spe-
cial round-trip rail fares of $21.50 for the
event. A newspaper story by an enterpris-
ing reporter had the effect of cutting in
on a good holiday play for the Seattle
operators but things opened up soon again.
General business conditions in the entire
Northwest were exceptionally good.
March
Seattle coin men planned a special
through car to the coast show in Los
Angeles. Jack Roberts, T. G. McClanahan
and A. W. Roberts of Western Distributors
Inc. planned to exhibit three new pin
tables at the show. Ken C. Shyvers was
among those s'c heduled to take in the coast
show and go on to Chicago for the national
convention. Seattle operators were expres-
sing their approval and commendation of
the Los Angeles model license ordinance.
Apr il
Western Distributors had two booths at
the coast show, exhibiting the five-foot
tables of the Northwest Amusement Co. of
Portland. Ken Shyvers was reported waltz-
ing Little Morocco around the dance floor
at the coast show dinner dance and whis-
pering little nothings in her ear. The show
went over big with the Northwest men
and all reported having enjoyed the event
as well as benefitting by it.
Ma y
An end was brought to the racketeering
rural justices in Washington as the new
law went into effect, and two of the worst
offenders were jailed. Vancouver bell and
vender operators were seeking legislation
to license slot machines in the city oper-
ating on no-value checks and mints. The
Western Distributors Inc. offices were hit
by fire but most of the machines were
saved and insurance covered the loss. Seven
slot machines were taken in a one-man
raid conducted by Deputy Sheriff Went-
worth. Charles L. Smith, mayor-elect of
Seattle, promised a' clean-up of slot ma-
chines in the city when he went into office.
J une
After the ill-advised distribution of a
poorly-written advertising folder in Spo-
kane by some unrecognized manufacturer,
Attorney Donovan of the Amusement Op-
erators Association of Spokane assured city
officials the operators had no intention of
violating an ordinance drawn to protect
them from the outside invasion of cheap
and fraudulent devices. Al Gustafson open-
ed a branch of the Exhibit Supply Co. in
Seattle to handle business for five North-
western states and British Columbia. The
grand opening was held on the 16th. The
newspapers came out with more humorous
treatment of slot machines. The situation
(Concluded on opposite page)
World Series temporarily demoralized the
pin game business in Portland because all
locations were demanding the new game
and one company ordered 200 of the popu-
lar new machines. Jack Moore of San
Francisco was a Portland visitor. There
was a move on the part of some operators
to buy 100 per cent rights to their loca-
tions, some paying $50 for the privilege.
Counter games were quiet, a sign of elec-
tion year. Superior was doing a big busi·
ness turning out the K. O. five-foot tables,
reported Manager Joe Hem. Justice Bean
reversed the county circuit court decision
in a case brought by R. H. Enloe to re-
strain Portland police from seizing and
destroying slot machines. Western Novelty
Co. was building new games.
J ul y
Charles F. Eckelman took charge of
Jantzen Beach in Portland. Mr. Graves of
the North West Amusement Co., after
visitiRg throughout the Northwest, reported
Lightning in big demand. Superior Amuse-
ment Co. announced the opening of a job-
bing establishment at 828 S. W. Oak Street
under the supervision of Joe Hem; K. O.
games were being turned out at a two-
story daylight factory.
August
Portland operators, reported Don Armi-
tage, were conducting business with assur-
ance under the new city ordinance. But
most of the operators didn't want to see
illegal games mix in and spoil the field
for the legitimate devices.
Septembe r
Friends were congratulating Herbert Mc-
Clellan, former Portland boy, on his ap-
pointment as manager of the Los Angeles
plant of Pacific Amusement Manufacturing
Co. National Amusement Co. established
offices at 122 West Morrison Avenue in
Portland under the management of J. C.
McClelland, one of the partners, to handle
Major League and Contact. William Cohen
of Los Angeles, visiting here, was highly
interested after playing the world's largest
pill game at Seaside, Oregon, on a table 8
feet 4 inches by 4 feet 2 inches. Dixie Mfg.
Co. of 1306 S. W. 12th Avenue came out
with a new reel machine, the Dixie Bell. Al
Hauser, 644 S. W. 12th Avenue, was ap-
pointed Jennings representative for Oregon
after working six years with R. H . Enloe,
prominent operator.
Octobe r
Bob Allen, Lester Beckman, Cecil Halli-
man, Irving Goldblatt and Jake Weinstein
opened classy new operating offices at 609
S. W. 19th Avenue. Portland placed 52
Major Leagues in one day. Mr. and M~s.
Hugh Hammerly were in town for a visit.
There were only 12 operating concerns in
business because of the $100 license fee
plus $5 on each machine. Portland claimed
more blondes than Hollywood and Chicago
put together and wanted to prove it to Tom
Wall. Slot machines and automatic pay-
outs were banned here. Operating was
better with the advent of the National
Amusement Co. here and the close of the
dog and horse tracks. The SYM Novelty
Co., headed by Mr. Schaeffer, purchased
the Pacific Amusement Co., jobbing firm,
from C. B. McClellan.
Nove m ber
Al Hauser was doing a good business.
Julius Hern and Don Armitage reported
doubling their receipts on Major League.
Bud Officer and Art Griffiths were manu-
facturing games as well as operating them.
Irving Goldblatt and Jake Weinstein visited
Seattle jobbers. Jack Campbell left for
Toronto and Chicago to look over the new
games. Budge Wright and his wife were
on a vacation along the Oregon coast. Al
Schneider passed the bar examinations and
gave up his plant work at Superior.
Dec e m be r
M. M. Mohr and M. I. Mohr of Mohr
Bros. in Los Angeles were here on a trip
through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah,
Nevada and Arizona. Al Gustafson opened
jobbing offices here at 413 S. W. 13th Ave-
nue, carrying the same line as his Seattle
headquarters.
l'