Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Issue: 1949 June

.appeared. Following unfavorable co urt ac-
tion last year in the state on free pTays, a
bill to permit pin ball with free plays ap-
peared.
South Dakota-A veterans' bonus bill
called for revenue, so a 1 per cent gross
receip ts tax bill on pin ball, phonos, etc.,
.appeared and became Page 87 1949 South
Dakota Sessions Laws. A bill to excep t
benevolent corporations from the ban on
gam_ing devices was considered. A bill to
ban prophylactic vendors was enacted into
Jaw. In a state that has handicapped music
.at times, a bill appeared to permit musi c
in places sellin g liquor.
Texas- The state did not seem to get as
many coin machine bills as had usually ap-
peared in previous sessions. A bill "to char-
ter corporations to engage in coin-operated
machine business" became state law March
.3. Bills proposing excessive boosts in state
license fees on machines also appeared;
one of th ese singled o_u t music for a tax
increase. One bill proposed a tax decrease
-on milk and ice cream vendors.
Utah- A bill providing for sa le of con-
n.seated machin es was enacted into law.
A bill proposed to amend present law on
banned gaming devices by adding pin ball
to the list of devices considered unlawful
when played for "money or tokens." A bill
to empower ci ti es to assess taxes on any
business al so appeared.
Vern1ont- A state th at once licensed
amusement games and then repealed th e
1aw, had a bill to list coin machines that
could be considered exemp t from th e anti-
gambling code and also provided to tax
them; m·usi c and amusement games were
to be included.

Washington-In a state that has derived
much revenue fr om machines, there was
-considerable legislative activity, ranging
from proposals to ban am usement machines
to proposals to permit .only location owner-
.ship of gaming devices. A bill to increast>
the state levy on payouts from 20 to 25
per cen t became Chap ter 228 in the new
state laws. A bill to seal coin boxes of
gaming devi ces until opened by State Tax
Commission appeared. Higher fees and in-
creased regulation was th e trend in this
state.
West Virginia-Bills related chiefly to
regulating hours of phono play, also to
permit phonos and radio in liquor estab-
lishmen ts; bill regulating hours for music
beca me law. A bill to empower cities to
impose new taxes appeared. A bill requiring
all coin machines to be marked with own-
er's name and address was considered.
Wisconsin- A bill to amend present
statutes in defining vending machine op-
era tors seemed to be the only direct coin
machine bill.
Thus, operators can get a fairly complete
picture of the variety of legislation pro-
posed this year. The pattern in 1949 seemed
to follow the general trends in 1947, ex-
cept that there are more proposals to give
cities and co unties the power to tax busi-
nesses. Also th ere are more sales an d ciga-
rette taxes, and th e trend- to license gaming
devices in th e Rocky Mountain area thi s
year was much more pronounced.
Wyoming-Bills to legalize and tax gam-
ing devices, and also a bill to permit
gaming devices under local option , were
the chief proposals.
BUSINESS REVIEW
(Contin;,,ed from page 7)
4. Price declines thus far have been
orderly, are still under way, and had to
come. The real test is yet to come on the
unemployment produced by falling prices.
5. Experts had said April and May
would be "test months." Nothing serious
happened, so now the experts say the last
quarter of the year will be the test for
1949, whether a new upward swing will
start, or still more recession. Most business
leaders expect a normal fall pickup in
trade.
6. As in 1948, the year is proving
tougher for small firms than for larger
enterprises; rate of fa ilures among small
firms is increasing. Selling costs will climb
fast, to make conditions still tougher for
small firms. The fl areup in national morale
may come on the small business front.
7. There are still some mighty stron g
supp orts under the national business
picture, and the big government program of
public works can be thrown in to bolster
still more. Steel, automobiles and construc-
tion are said to be th e main industrial
sup ports now.
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More details will be found in the review
of various business reports which follow:
AUTOMOBILES-The strength of this
industry in supporting a high business
level is almost marvelous. New credit terms
will boost the sale of autos; the market is
now said to be almost back to normal; used
car sales did not show the usual sprin g
pickup.
Die makers, who know first what next
car models will be like, say few changes
will appear in next year's cars; the 1950
cars will be alm ost like 1948 and 1949
models, although there is a trend to auto-
matic transmissions; there is some mystery
a:t present about new body styles scheduled
to appear in mid-summer.
BANKS - Official word from American
Bankers Assn. is that "bankers are opti-
mistic about business for 1949, bankers want
end to cred it curbs, and bankers do not
foresee a depression in the offing." Bankers
say they are less worried about the deflation
than th ey were about inflation for the past
several years. Bankers see more strong
spots in business than . weak spots; they say
a rise in unemployment and rate of busi-
ness fa ilures could cause concern. Bankers
say the immense volume of savings will be
hel d tighter by the people as recession
con tinues. Business and consumer borrow-
ing continue to decline.
BUSINESS FIRMS-New business in-
corporations dropped to their lowest level
in February, since Sept. 1945; only seven
states had increases over January and only
six states had gains over Feb. 1948. Growth
of new firms since the end of the war has
been at the fastest rate in history, with
about 1,400,000 new firms since V-J Day,
but 1949 seems definitely to have brought
a· decline in the rate, the first real slowin g
since 1943.
Business failures are increasing fast , the
total in March being 78 per cent above
March 1948; five states in the Illinois area
reported the greatest increase in failures;
the eight states of the Mountain area
showed the smallest rate. In March, the
big increase in failures occurred among
trucking companies, wholesalers of food
and farm products, building materials
dealers and lumber products manufac-
turers. The trend shows wholesalers as
leading in failures, manufacturing and
mining failures next, then contractors, re-
tailers, and service firms in order. A Dun
& Bradstreet official says the importance
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•
lit 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 bet111r {woteclion than
the state Ill the same cost.
The Association and Group Insurance
Bureau will gladly assist you to make
the chaage over without charge by tele-
"p honing them or dropping them a note
at
ZEIGLER INS. AGENCY, Inc.

,,.
~
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1140-1150 North Kostner Avenue
Chicago 51, Illinois
541 South Spring Street
Los An9eles, Calif.
Mlc:h,gan 0961
ALL INSURANCE
a■d
BOND LINES
COIN MACHINE REVIEW
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of these failures is being stressed too much;
there is no alarm in the situation, he says.
CREDIT-The government is now fol-
lowing a policy of relaxing credit. Finance
firms are said to be expecting good in-
creases in business.
CONSTRUCTION-The total construc-
tion picture showed a slower pickup this
spring than last year, but total volume is
still higher ; industry is putting less money
into building, more into equipment. Public
construction, accounting for 26 per cent
of the total, has made a gain of 39 per
cent above a year ago, and much more
can be started. Costs of industrial building
remains unchanged since last October;
leaders say factory building will stay high
but it has passed its peak; may be a 15
per cent drop in last half of year. Building
costs are beginning to decline very slightly.
CROP REPORTS-They are very im-
portant for several months, and up to the
present are generally very favorable for
bumper crops and lower food prices. Vege-
tables and wheat have shown biggest price
reaction to crop news.
EMPLOYMENT-April and May were
to show the crucial trend in employment,
and official reports are not available. Pre-
sumably, the rise in unemployment was
checked in March. Operators of coin ma-
chines talk much of signs they have seen
of growing unemployment. One of the big
financial newspapers recently hinted that
unemployment might be more serious than
the reports show, since there is no way
of really knowing how many people have
a living income at present. Purchasing
Agents reported a slight improvement in
business in April, that payrolls remained
about the same, but that shorter hours are
generally reported by all firms.
EUROPEAN AID-As this review is
written, the Berlin blockade is about to be
lifted-really a minor • thing but it will
have a big psychological effect. Big busi-
ness now worries much about European
aid, fearing that when Europe is revived
its goods will compete severely with Ameri-
can goods in world markets. .Europe can
sell goods cheaper than we can, can run
circles around U. S. dollars, just as Russia
is now doing with chrome, manganese, etc.
Prediction is that European aid will
continue, will be increased, but that it
all may be changed in 1950.
FARMERS- Experts argue how big a
part farmers now play in buying goods;
their springtime spending was brisk and
helped business. The Wall Street J oumal
pointed out another sharp break in farm
prices the last week in April. Prices for
farm products had been averaging about
6 per cent above support price.
FREIGHT- The U. S. Supreme Court
made another decision on basing point
rates, which apparently did not clear up
the muddle. New hearings before ICC
began May 13 on the railroad plea for
13 per cent increase in freight rates. Total
rail freight shipments dropped during first
three months of year.
GASOLINE-Price trend, especially in
East, has been upward; demand is in -
creasing at a steady rate and the big sum-
mer farm and tourist season is now on,
no shortage is anticipated. American Auto-
mobile Assn. has asked oil companies to
explain why of hiked gas prices.
GOVERNMENT MONEY- More than
ever, government money is being counted
on to halt recession and to start the next
boom. Big RFC loans are planned for
business and payments to farmers will
be hiked. If defense plans don't turn the
tide, a big highway program will be counted
on to do it.
MATERIALS- Much attention is being
JUNE, 1949
given to steel; price trend is downward
quarter; outlook for the year is pronounced
and there is some fear demand may slack, ' very good but will not be up to last year.
after many firms rushed to build up stocks
PRODUCTION-The official report is
when sµpp ly improved. Steel companies that industrial output slackened in Febru-
ary, and did not show the usual seasonal
have feared this drop in demand all along.
June is supposed to be a crucial month in
rise in March. Purchasing Agents Assn.
steel outlook.
reports the trend is to level off for the
From coin machine manufacturers' stand-
summer, "with a possible pickup by early
point, the big ,drop in copper prices ;.ow
fall." Among firms that cut production in
being reported will be considered as very January, 69 per cent reported higher pro-
favorable. There is some prospect that
duction in April and 31 per cent made cuts
aluminum prices may also start to decline.
in output during April. Factories report
MONEY-Without going into technicali-
man-hour production improving. For its
ties, money supply is immense and to the
total membership, the association said 48
per cent reported maintaining output sched-
buyer the dollar is worth more and more.
National income has started declining this
ules during April, while 19 per cent had
year, also wages and salaries. Bank deposits
increased production rate. This was the
are slightly below a year ago, nearly twice largest number to increase output since
last October.
the 1941 average. Money in circulation fol-
lows a declining trend, but is three times
PRICES-The price trend is downward
on such a wide front that it is not easy to
the 1941 average.
PROFITS-A general summary shows
IYive details. Food prices have shown a
profits for corporations good for the first reverse trend on the total average, how-
13
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