phonograph operators was held a few weeks
ago by the House Ways and Means Com-
mi ttee_ As part of a general discussion of
revising federal tax policy in 1948, the
committee heard opponents of a continua-
tion of the excise tax on radio sets, phono-
graphs, and component parts_ Both the
National Assn_ of Broadcasters and the
Radio Manufacturers Assn_ protested
against the tax. As a substitute, one wit-
ness suggested that a heavy tax be placed
on radio tubes and that other excises on the
instruments be dropped. Most members of
the Ways and Means Committee appeared
cool to any change in this excise levy.
From
rile
lalion's Capitol
•
Double Life in Arcades
Reported by
ROY S. RAMSEY
'47, a drop of $5,549 over the previous ApriL
Tax Collections Up
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
14
Music Men Protest Law
Though monthly tax figures on coin ma-
Automatic music men invaded Capitol
chines collected by the Bureau of Internal
Hill recently to register a strong protest
Revenue so far this year occasionally show
with a House Judiciary subcommittee on a
a drop over similar periods in 1946, total
measure to end the exemption from copy-
revenue from this source during the ~947
right law now enjoyed by coin phonos.
fiscal year (July '46-June '47) will be well
(See ~eparate story this issue). Among
ahead of the 1946 fiscal year when final
returns are calculated_ For instance, April " those listed by the House group in op-
position to the bill were: Irving B. Acker-
'47 brought in only $265,682 from the coin
man, Michigan Automatic Phonograph
machine tax, while the April '46 figure
Owners Assn. ; Albert S. Denver, president
was $331,205. On the other hand, Revenue
of Automatic Music Operators' Assn., of
Bureau officials predict that the 1947 fiscal
New York; SoiL. Kesselman, Music Guild
year will top 1946 by almost $4,000,000 in
of America; lack Shepherd, Phonograph
returns from coin machines. Total amount
Operators' .Assn. of Eastern Pennsylvania;
collected in the 1946 fiscal year was in the
and Sidney Levine, Automatic Music Op-
neighborhood of $16,000,000_
erators' Assn. Also opposed to the mea'sure
Cigarette taxes collected in April of this
was Ralph E. Curtiss, attorney for the
year amounted to $96,226,489- an increase
Assn_ of Tavern Operators.
of about $7,000,000 over the previous ApriL
Protest Excise Tax Continuance
The tax on bowling alleys and pool tables
brought the government $47,343 in April
Another hearing of interest to coin
FOR
Local arcade operators in the 9th Street
section of Washington have found a way
of increasing their over-all profits_ When a
'coin machine reaches the battered stage,
they don't junk it. Instead, they convert it
to penny play and move it to the back
of the arcade. A steady stream of plays
results from people whose pocket money
can't afford the better nickel machines.
Candy Sales Up 42 Per cent
Increase in tht< price of candy bars is
being pointed up in recent statistics com-
piled by the Department of Commerce_
During 'April, some 66% million pounds
of bars were sold by the 34 leading makers
for a total price of $23,455,000-an average
of ahout 35 cents per pound. Total candy
bars sold in April '46 were almost identi-
cal with those in April '47, but brought
only $15,781,000-an average price of only
24 cents per pound. Total dollar sales of all
types of candy in April were 42 per cent
above April a year ago, but were 4 per
cent under sales in March, Commerce De-
partment reports.
BottIe Shorta ge Near End
I
Production of soft drink bottles is on a
spree, according to the Commerce Depart-
ment. Almost 950,000 gross were made dur-
ing April, an increase of about 10 per cent
over March figures. Production of beer
bottles showed an even higher increase. The
1,273,082 containers made in April repre-
sented an increase of 16 per cent over the
previous month. It appears that the bottle
shortage which troubled venders last year
is about at an end.
JUL"
1947
Hotel Radios Stolen
PENNY
VENDED
HADE
BY EXHIBIT
$
, V~'CARD'VENDER
3 2 5 0
•
WITH 3500
FREE CARDS .
ENOUGH CARDS
TO PAY BACK
THE COST
V_el. our .x.lu.I •• lin •• f •••• 40 Different Serl ••• f C .. eI. - Mo.I. St ••• ,
R.elle P ........... , Ball PI.,. ... , Cowlto,.., P.I". FI.ht ••• , A.t Moel.I., F_
C •• eI.-BI • • _I.t,. for •••• ,.boel,., , . _ . anel olel.
SPECIAL FEATURES
A.LT •• Iot •• All m.t.1 _.t .... tlen. Enam.1 finish. Imp.o •• eI ••• eI Pull ...
L ....... 'h, box with •• p ... t. lock. Comp.ct-L ••• I- No F ...... I T.x.
IMMEDIAT,E .hlpm_t .f M.chln •• anel C •• eI .. Ba "". t In ,.ou. loc.llt,. • .
Do ••• lptl • • Clrcul.. anel S.mpl. C..... u~ .... u •• t.
EXHIBIT SUPPLY CO. 4222-30
W. LAKE ST.
CHICAGO 24, ILL.
(ESTABLISHED
1901)
Thomas J. Walker, Jr., of Radio-Matic
Corp. here, is contemplating chaining his
coin-operated radios to the walls after a
recent theft wave reduced his supply by
eight_ The missing radios had been in-
stalled in four different local hotels, Walker
told police. Raleigh Hotel lost four, Ebbitt
Hotel lost two, and the Dodge and Willard
lost one each. Value of the eight radios
was $200, Walker said_
Exhibit Pushing Card
Vendors for Arcades
CHICAGO- Although recognizing that a
late spring has delayed the summer pickup
for the trade, Perc Smith, head of the
arcade division of Exhibit Supply Co., is
an optimist about the final outcome. He
says fhat in his many years in the business
he has seen many a late spring, only to
find that business during July and August
would establish a record_
Smith recommends the post card vendor,
made by Exhibit, as a profitable machine
for operators that serve summer locations.
T-hey are considered a must for arcades, he
said, and are also being placed in locations
around or near baseball parks and are prov-
ing real money-getters.
Exhibit keeps its presses busy on print-
ing cards for the vendors .and at the present
time the series of baseball players is a big
hit, Smith says.
..