been removed from the enabling act which
encouraged local taxation of vending ma-
chines, and the new amendment (Chapter
278-Laws of 1947 ) is an enabling act per-
mitting local governments to tax amuse-
ment machines at the ·rate of $25 per year.
A proposal to tax machines in general at
$50 a year, never considered very serious
as a threat, was defeated.
Legislation in Mississippi suddenly flared
up during March and became threatening.
A bill proposed to increase the 1944
tax rates (Chap. 131- Laws of 1944 ) on
amusement machines by 100 per cent, and
this bill passed both houses and was signed
. by the Governor on March 23. But a bill
favorable to the Industry was then pre-
sented, to undo the big tax hike and, after
legislative maneuvering, the new bill which
increases amusement machine rates by 50
per cent above th e 1944 fees became law.
Under new law, rates on penny amusement
devices rellJain at old rate of $8 per year ,
and tax on coin radios is $4 per year.
Mississippi also had a proposal for a $100
tax on soft drink vendors, said to have been
promoted by bottlers who do not operate
vendors, but this bill was reported un-
favorably by a House committee.
Kentucky Legislation
After having tax bills for many years,
the Kentucky Legislature fin ally passed a
new law this year (Page 83- 1948 New
Laws), after strong opposition by the or-
ganized trade. But united efforts of the
Industry did accomplish some important
results in amendments to the bill that was
called an Administration bill and therefore
destined to pass.
Amendments included provisions for
transfer of license tags and for seiting
limits to th e tax rates which cities could
assess. Law limits city· rates to not more
than the state tax, although first class ci ties
(Louisville ) may assess double the state
rate.
P enny machines of all types were also
exempted from the state tax, and the three
amendments thus secured by the trade were
considered as highly important.
The Kentucky law includes taxable ma-
chines under the general definition of
"Coin Machines" and 13 lines are used in
the bill to describe the coverage-broad
enough to include legal amusement, music
and vending machines. Some important
types of vending machines are exempted
in the text, including candy, pop corn,
postage stamp, and service machines.
The tax imposed is in the nature of an
excise tax, payable by the owner or lessor
of the machine, in yearly or semi-annual
The Review Calendar ...
Important Dates
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
May
I -May Dar
2- 9-Nationa Boys' Week
2- 9-National Family Week
2- 9-National Music Week
3- 9-National Restaurant Week
8 -V-E Day, 3rd Anniversary
8-I5-National Golf Week
9 -Mother's Day
9-I5-National RaISin Week
12 -National Hospital Day
15 -Straw Hat Day
16-22-World Trade Week
23 - " I Am An American Day"
24-31-Buddy Poppy Day
30 -Memorial Day
Conventions
May 7- &-Region III and A Meetings. National
Automatic Merchandising Assn., (Dela-
ware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania. Virginia)
Mayflower Hotel.
Wash.ngton. D. C.
Neil Mitchell,
chr., Region A, Aaron Goldman, chr.,
Reg. III.
May 9-1 I-National Peanut Council, annual con-
vention , Soreno Hotel, St. Petersburg,
Fla.
May 17-21-National Assn. of Broadcasters, annual
convention, Biltmore Hotel, los An-
geles.
May 23-27-Super Market Institute, annual con-
vention, Chicago.
May 23-26-Flavoring Extract Manufactur.rs Assn .,
annual convention, Hotel Pennsylvania,
New York.
May 31-June 2-Southeastern Peanut Assn., annual
convention, Biltmore Hotel, Atlanta .
June 13-I6-National Candy Whol .. alers Assn .,
annual convention, Hotel Sherman,
Chicago.
June 13-19-National Dairy Council, Edgewater
Beach Hotel, Chicago.
June 14-17-National Assn . of Music Merchants,
Palmer House, Chicago.
June 14-17- Radio Manufacturers Assn ., Stevens
Hotel, Chicago.
June 20-25-National Confectioners Assn., 22nd
Confectionery Industries Exposition,
Grand Central Palace , New York .
June 20-24-National Assn . of Retail Grocers,
Atlantic City, N. J.
Aug . IB-21-National
Food
Distributors Assn.,
Chicago.
Oct. 25-27-lnternational Assn. of Ice Cream Man-
ufacturers , Atlantic City, N. J .
installments. Rates are $10 per year for
each taxable machine that opera tes for
five to nine cents; and $15 per year for
machines that operate fo r 10 cents or more.
Machines already paying an eccupational
tax, such as cigarette, soft drink and ice
cream vendors, get credit for amount of
occupational tax in paying the new fees.
The tax year runs from July 1 to June 30.
Rift Develops At
Four-State Meet
MINNEAPOLIS- A difference of opin-
ion between Minneapolis distributors and
convention officials had put the success of
?recision Puilt-
if flffTNfNfJ M~T
"AS ESSENTIAL AS ygy'R
CASH REG~T.U"
I
I
Now service in over 10,000 locations,
the MASTER CHANGER has proved it-
self under the severest conditions
.1 I' / /1 •
,
A real time-saver.
"""""" e WiU not stick or jam.
\ • Soon pays 'or its.I'
in ac~rat. change,
• Finish'e d in lustrous chrome.
\
EJtpaad
WITH NEW MACHINES
Mr. Employer:
Why do you not give your em-
ployees the consideration they de-
serve, since it costs you nothing?
The 1% State Unemployment deduction
that you take from their salaries and
send to the State does not buy them
as much unemployment Disability Bene-
fit as you can obtain by purchasing a
regular insurance plan with a Private
Insurance Carrier.
This is not sales talk, but a fact-since
the law provides that no private insur ..
ance company plan complies with the
law unless it gives better protection than
the state lit the Slime cost.
The Association and Group Insurance
Bureau will gladly assist you to make
the cha nge over without charge b y tele-
phoniog them or dropping them a note
at
ZEIGLER INS. AGENCY, Inc .
541 South Sr,rln g Street
~Sale4~,
(leulS/¥( .... T/OIUL DIIU/IUlU
3144 Elliott An.
8
the four- state convention of Upper Midwest
operators' associations in doubt a few days:
before the two-day show opened here at
the Raddison hotel April 26.
Nevertheless, preparation for the conven-
tion-exhibition, the first post-war display to-
Le held in this area, continued without
chan ge during the week preceding the-
meeting.
The rift between the distributors and
convention officials developed several weeks
before the convention over the a dvisability
of hold ing a four-state gathering here in
view of the Minnesota a dministration's cur-
rent campaign against games and gambling
devices. Althou gh Twin Cities operators
were taking various views on the issue, a
large number promised to stay away from
the convention. Four Twin Cities dis-
tributors announced they would not par-
li cipate in the convention.
Hy Greenstein of Hy-G Music Co., Min-
neapolis, said that he and three other dis-
tributors were not only convinced that the-
convention date was ill timed but that it
would arouse adverse publicity that might
well bring about another anti-gambling
crack-down throughout the state.
"The situation here has r eturned to a
semblance of normalcy during the past few
months," he added. "But by holding a con-
vention-exhibition in Minneapolis now- at
the outset of the Northern Minnesota's
tourist season- is bound to cause trouble."
Ken F erguson, Stillwater operator, in
charge of convention publicity, however,
did not share th e Twin Cities distributors'
outlook. He insisted that if the convention
produced unfavorable publicity then the
industry should counteract it by correcting
false ·impressions the public may have.
As the REVIEW went to press F erguson
reported that he had the assurance of three
distributing firms in St. Paul that they
would exlribit their equipment. He added
that a number of manufacturers had ar-
ranged for exhibit space whi ch the fou r
operators' associations were selling for $38.
Los Ange es, Calif,
Michigan 0961
ALL INSURANCE and BOND LINES
Se.tth: 1, Wuhinston
COIN MACHINE REVIEW