MARCH,1945
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The COIN MACHINE REVIEW for March, 1945. Vol. 12. No.8. Published monthly at 1115
Venice Blvd., Los Angeles 15. Calif. Fitzroy 8269. Paul W. Blackford editor and publisher. NEW
YORK OFFICE (17): Ralph p. Mulligan, 441 Lexington Ave. Murray HIli 2-5589. CHICAGO OF-
FICE (I); C . J. Anderson 35 East Wacker Drive, CENtral 1112. Entered as Second Class Matter
July 23, 1936, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Calif .• under the Act of March 3. 1879. SUBSCRIP-
TION RATES: $1.00 per year or $2.00 for 3 years. 25c per copy.
Parson"s Crusade Gets Bills In 9 States
Idaho Considers Bill
LOS ANGELES-As of February 1st li-
LOS ANGELES-Legislatures are begin·
Bribery Label
cense bills were being considered in the
ning to hit hard in the field of gaming de-
SANTA ANA, Calif.-"Pistol packin'
parson" Rev. Wesley G. Edwards, has been
shown up, not as the pious crusader against
slot machines and liquor that he claimed
to be, but as a willing taker of bribes from
th e very people he was attacking.
He was jailed here January 17, on charges
of "solici ting for the commission of a
crime, to wit, bribery." Edwards, pastor of
the Free Methodist Church here, when ar-
rested was in possession of $100 marked
bills, officers having witnessed the transac-
tion in a garage.
District Attorney James L. Davis de-
clared that the minister had threatened
slot machin e operators last summer if they
didn't come across with hush money. As a
result of Edwards' raids, slot machine oper·
ators were broul!;ht to trial. Charges were
dismissed, after three trials, when the juries
failed to agree.
That Parson Edwards was in th e "clean·
up" racket for the gravy it would provide
was clearly shown when it was discovered
that he had collected as much as $3,000.00
a day from various groups to help finance
his puritanic activities. In addition his files
revealed letters from groups and individu-
als all over the country desiring to enter
the clean-up work for the profits it might
provide, and asking information as to how
to "get under way and carry through."
Edwards, out on $5000 bail, insists that
the whole thing is a frame·up, but attorney
Davis says other felony charges will be
brought against him, among them the fact
that the minister offered to change his tes-
timony at the slot machine trials for a cash
settl ement of $15,000.
Call
DR. 3209
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PAUL A. LAYMON
DISTRIBUTOR
legislatures of nine different states which
touch directly upon the operation of coin·
operated devices.
In Idaho a proposal similar to the Wash-
ington state license law was being consid-
ered_ The bill would license pinballs, dig-
gers, bells and like devices and fee would
be established 'on a percentage basis. Law
would permit payouts or awards.
In straight·laced Iowa the miXing of
dancing, food, marble tables and slot rna·
chines with beer was up for consideration
at the capitol. If enacted, proposed law
would ban food and amusement from es-
tablishments selling the amber fluid_
Maryland has three bills on the docket
for consideration of the assembly. One
would license certain "mechanical games
of skill and chance"; secon'd would repeal
the State license on vending machines and
the third would apply the State fair trade
law to vending machines.
The two bills before th e Massachusetts
legislature, would, if passed prevent the ap·
plication of the Sunday music license law
to music boxes and tax "certain ma'chines
and vending machines, except certain vend-
ing machines in use in the Commonwealth."
Missouri legislature's bill to license gam-
ing devices, is, to those who have made a
thorough study of these state measures, not
practical.
Probably the simplest license law for li-
censing gaming devices is that of Montana.
It is particularly favorable to licensing slots
and payout for clubs_
In North Carolina's general revenue bill,
vending machines tax regulations would be
amended.
Music boxes are covered by two bills in
Oklahoma. One to tax installation of them
at the rate of $10.00 a year and another to
repeal the existing tax on their gross in·
take.
Operators will be taxed an occupational
fee and music boxes, venders, pin balls, etc.,
will be taxed if the bill in Texas goes
through.
On the Gover - - -
Petite Belty Earl returns to grace
this month's cover_ Belty is a profes-
sional model and was especially posed
for this Saint Patrick's Day cover of
THE REVIEW by Orville Logan Snider,
nationally-known cover photographer
whose work in this field appears ex-
clusively in THE REVIEW_
vices. License laws are springing up in
mushroom fashion. The Washington State
bill seems to be the mother root. Covering
pinball games, diggers, bell machines and
like devices, it was passed in 1941 and the
same idea has been simmering around in
the minds of other legislative bodies ever
since.
On January 17, a bill was introduced in
the Idaho legislature. Like the Washington
statute, it would divide the amusement rna·
chines into two general classes. The first
would include any pinball machine, digger,
traveling crane or similar devices, qualifi-
cation beinl!; that they must have an ele-
ment of skill or a combination of chance
and skill, for the player. The other type of
classification would be slot machines, or
similar devices. The reward would be de-
pendent completely on the chance element.
Even pinball games would be included in
the pay-outs.
If this bill does materialize, Idaho would
be the third state to gather in revenue on
some type of coin machine on a percentage
of the gross receipts of the machine.
One Up For Pinballs
LONDON-England's most spectacular
crusader against pinball games on a na-
tional scale, has been Lady Astor, who is
retiring from Parliament. But she lost out
in her campaign. Some of the English news-
papers took up th e cudgel in favor of the
games and arcades, so the American·born
Lady dropped the fight.
Gottlieb on Coast
LOS ANGELES- Dave Gottlieb, of D.
Gottlieb & Co., Chicago, left here on Feb-
ruary 2nd after spending some .time with
coinmen in the West_
REPAIR for SERVICE
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Repa'r_Refinish'ng-Convers'ons
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SHATTER-PROOF GLASS FOR SALE
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541 E. 32nd Street, Los Angeles 11, Cal_
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J945