Western Vending Machine
Operators' Association
of Southern California
Pennsylvania Operators Form State
Association; Meet in Harrisburg
By HARRY BORTNICK
More than 150 men, all of them connected with the coin machine
industry, met in Harrisburg's Penn-Harris Hotel. Sunday, February 20,
to form a state-wide organization for purposes of obtaining legislation
satisfactory to the industry and to remove many of the obsolete laws
which act as a bar to further progress of the business. A regular
organization was set up to carry out the work discussed on the floor,
and as first item of business the following roster of officers was chosen:
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MACHINE
REVIEW
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Marty Mitnick, president of the Phila-
delphia Coin Machine Operators' Asso-
ciation, was named head of the state
group; Mark RosenthaL energetic and
well-known Pittsburgh operator, was
named vice-president; I. Freedman of
Harrisburg was named secretary, and
Ben Sterling, Jr., of Scranton, treasurer.
Chairman of the board of directors is
Frank Engel of Philadelphia, president
of the Phonograph Operators of Eastern
Pennsylvania and New Jersey and vice-
president of the Philadelphia Coin Ma-
chine Association. Other dir",ctors are:
E. Foster, Pittsburgh; M. Haines, Read-
ing; L. Underberger, Wilkes-Barre; E. A.
Freedman, York; M. Rosen, Lancaster;
S. M. Basch, Scranton; Phil Frank, Dela-
ware County; H. Mealy, Williamsport;
Ben Hankin, Montgomery County. Thus
the officers give fair representation to
every section and county of the state.
All men elected to official capacities are
known as capable , hard-working and
intensely interested in their home asso-
ciations, a prerequisite for holding a
post in the state group.
It was agreed that each county should
have a representative from its organiza-
tion at all meetings of the board of di-
rectors. In those counties where no asso-
ciation as yet exists, operators are slated
to set about formation of one and to
obtain funds for promotion of the state
body, enabling the incorporation of a
strong organization which will seek leg-
islation placing the business upon a
sound legal foundation , will seek repeal
of the vicious and exorbitant mercanllie
taxes now assessed against each loca-
tion which has resulted in driving many
operators out of business and has been
harmful to the entire industry in the
state of Pennsylvania, will attempt to
cause the repeal of the Act of May 25,
1907 which placed coin machines in the
same category as billiard parlors and
pool rooms, and will seek decisions pre-
venting police authorities from confiscat-
ing legal machines.
Approximately 1000 men in the state
are concerned with the coin machine
business, either as operators, jobbers or
distributors, and each man has been
asked to contribute $1 a month in order
to give the state body financial backing
for the various courses it must pursue
i6 aid the coinmen in maintaining a
decent living and to convince officials
and the public that the coin machine
industry is as legal and ethical a busi-
ness as the theatres and motion picture
houses which derive their revenue
through provision of entertainment and
the retail stores which supply merchan-
dise.
An agency will be set up to cooperate
fully with the public and with police
officials so that operators will be shown
by every means at the command of the
Association how they can comply with
every restriction and requirement which
may be placed upon the use of coin
machines.
President-elect Mitnick warned the
gathering that they must continue to
work with the same spirit and enthusi-
asm evidenced at the initial session, de-
spite the fact that the path to realization
of their aims might appear difficult at
times. Said he:
"We must not be afraid that we can-
not achieve the purposes for which we
have been organized. It may not be
easy of attainment, but then no other
achievement ever is easy. You must not
allow your interest nor your spirit to
flag, even for a moment, until all the
purposes for the betterment and the leg-
islation of our business have been at-
tained. Make it your effort to inform
the coin machine men at home, who
have not yet attended a meeting, of
what we have done, and urge them to
cooperate fully with us in our efforts.
It is for the benefit and good of the coin
machine business that we are now or-
ganized."
Bernard R. Cohn, counsel for the Phil-
adelphia Coin Machine Operators' As-
sociation, addressed the group on the
point of legal problems which arise in
the coin machine business, and the laws
and taxes passed in previous years
which are now outmoded and obsolete.
Legislated by special groups which
could not foresee the damage they
would do to the coin machine business,
Cohn declared that they must be re-
pealed or revised so that harmful fea-
tures will be eliminated.
"The coin mahhine business in Penn-
sylvania is now placed on a strong and
firm legal basis," Cohn asserted. "We
have nothing to fear from present-day
legislation for we feel sure that the leg-
islators and the public have become
conscious of the fact that the coin ma-
chine business is entirely respectable
and legal. What harms us, however, is
the collection of obsolete laws and taxes
passed in pre-modern times. It is the
duty of this Association, of evety opera-
tor, jobber and distributor who benefits
from coin machines to see to it that such
laws do not long stand in our way to
advancement to even more extensive
operation and an enlargement of the
basis of present operations."
Addresses by several others present
brought the new and firmly-established
State Association to the close of its first
meeting.
•
Presid ent-LARRY HAGLER, 3808 Flower Drive,
Los Angeles. RIchmond 8915; Secretary-PHIL
EISENDRATIt 1555 Merriman Drive. Gl endale,
Douglas IS IS.
Meeting of February 28
With more than 70 members present,
an unusually good turnout, for a wet
night, was recorded for the February
meeting of the W.V.M.O.A. Held at Mc-
Donnell's Restaurant at Sixth and Fig-
ueroa, Dr. Schmelzel of the city health
department appeared as the principal
speaker, and he discussed the problems
of sanitation connected with operating
vending equipment. Los Angeles, he
asserted, has relatively few complaints
on unclean machines or merchandise,
but operators should be wary of allow-
ing machines to accumulate dust and
dirt. Particularly they should be careful
about the merchandise outlet. And they
are responsible, under the Implied War-
ranty Act, for unclean merchandise sold
a customer.
The Association is now taking steps
to secure insurance to cover all opera-
tors against the possibility of suits or
other losses in this regard.
Col. Edward P. Bailey, leader in the
fight against present requirement of
sales tax collection on Hershey bars,
collected enough money at the meeting
to be able to present the case, through
Attorney Kennedy before the State
Board of Equalization, and Col. Neblett
has promised a full hearing. Two points
are involved in the case. The first is
the fact that chocolate bars are food,
and as such are supposedly on the ex-
emption list. Second, a definite ruling
is needed, because the tax cannot be
collected, in the case of a vending ma-
chine, from the consumer, and as it is
illegal to avoid payment of the tax, so
it is equally illegal for the seller to as-
sume the tax. Under present conditions,
operators are between two fire s. Ex-
emption of machines would have a far-
reaching effect, and would even benefit
the cigarette men, who now are re-
quired to pay a state sales tax on the
six-cent federal tax, in addition to the
tax on the actual merchandise.
Edward Syracuse, candidate for the
State Board of Equalization, appeared
and spoke briefly before the AssoCia-
tion.
The license situation was reported
still in committee.
Door prizes, including nuts, $2 credit
on machines, and other merchandise,
went to lucky members, and the two
Monarch electric razors which were raf-
fled off were won by Messrs. Shipman
and Shapiro.
It was decided that hereafter meet-
ings would be held on the last Monday
of each month (heretofore they have
been the fourth Monday). and the
March meeting will be held March 28,
at 6:30 p. m., at the same place.
•
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