,
HOLLYCRANE
The SKILL GAME That
Attracts Attention
-Holds Play!
Here is a crane designed and en-
gineered by practical operators to give
years of trouble - free operation. In-
stan tly HOLLYCRANE catches the eye
and gets attention . The pleasing low
lin es of the smartly simple console-type
cabinet, beautifully made in a balanced
blend of richly grained wood and
sparkling plate glass with metal trim,
bespeaks class in any location. But best
of all, ' the dual control and fast action
-on ly 10 seconds per operation-means
fast money for operators.
HOLLYCRANE is cheat-proof. pilfer-
proof, slug-proof. Requires a minimum
of attention-gives a maximum of serv-
ice. Ea sy to dress-entire chassis slides
out for easy access. See this revolu-
tionary amusement device todayl
PAUL A. LAYMON
1429-31 W. Pico, Los Angeles 15
PRospect 735 1
The NATION'S CAPITOL
CONGRESS .MAY NOT PASS TAX BILL . .. CONFUSION ON ANTI-
GAMBLING BILLS; .. ACTION ,O N PHONO RECORD PRICES
. BUSINESS BOOM AND POLITICS.
Reported
by R. S. RAMSEY
A Look at Congress
Congression al sentiment is definitely
against the coin-operated gaming device.
That this sentiment will r esult in concrete
action in the remaining days of the curren t
session is problematical. The decision of
the House Ways and Means Committee to
vote an increase to $150 in the $100 gam-
ing device tax was influenced by the hear-
ings on the Johnson-Preston bill held by
the House Interstate Commer ce Committee_
Prior to th e hearings, the tax committee
took a quick look at coin machine taxes
and tentatively voted to leave them intact,
with the exception of an exemption for the
penny amusement device. At practicall y
the last possible moment, the tax group
wrote the increase into the omnibus excise
tax bill.
Because of the proposed increase, it is
probably just as well for the Coin Ma-
chine Industry as a whole that the excise
bill is now given only an outside chance
for enactment. On an Industry-wide basis,
the gaming machine tax increase would
outweigh the indirect benefits' that would
result from reductions in the other excises_
In the political sense, the whole excise sit-
uation is turning out very nicilly. For the
average citizen, it is developihg into more
Congressional fiddle faddle.
Members of the House all face elections.
With the aid of their tax committee, they
were able to vote for reductions in excises
affecting most of their constituents with
JULY, 1950
be banned by the bill. After committee
members blasted the all-inclusive defi nition,
Assistant Attorn ey General P eyton Ford
wrote the group that it would be okay to
list a specific exemption fo r amusement
games. Yet, when the committee recently
re-opened the hearings, Drew O' Keefe, spe-
cial assistant to Attorney General McGrath,
said Justice wanted the broad definition
kept. He told a somewhat star tled com-
mittee th at the Ford letter "was meant
only to clarify the committee's thinking."
During the resumption of public hearings.
a strong plea fo r exemption of salesboa rds
the comforting thought that even though
was made by J _ Bond Smith, Hamilton
the potential loss to the Treasury would
be immense, either the Senate or the Presi- Manufacturing Co., Minneapolis. Smith
{Jent would take them off the limb by block- said that he didn' t think the bill as written
affected th e boards, but urged th e com-
ing the bill. By the end of June, it ap-
mittee to reject F ederal Trade Commis-
peared that it wouldn' t even be necessary
for the President to veto the measure ; that • sion's recommendation to a dd th em to the
list of restri cted devices. Smith declared
House and Senate delay would effectively
that the small merchandiser and the small
stymie th e tax legislation.
retailer need salesboards as a method of
There is still the chance tltat Congress
advertising in order to compete success-
will shake off its lethargy and turn out a
fully wi th large rivals with unlimited ad-
reasonable bill that the President can sign.
If not, the present tax rates are unlikely vertising budgets.
to be reduced for quite a while. Next year
A representative of the National Associa-
the deficit will be even higher than for this
tion of Attorneys General, th e group whi ch
year_ More important, there will be no
requested the bill and a companion bill
elections, and tax ~e du c tion s rarely come
outlawing dissemination of race , data, ad-
in a year when no Congressman has to face
mitted that the bill as drafted is too broad.
the electorate.
He told the House group th at it would be
hard to prosecute anyon e fOD a criminal act
Those Gambling Bills
when the act itself is not rigidly tlefin ed.
The witness, Maryland Attorney General
The chances of the Johnson-Preston bill
Hall Hammond, said he was most concerned
to become law in some form are about
with th e procedure which makes th e as-
50-50. There is virtually no chance that it
sumptions that gambling devices are iIl e!lal
will become law in the vague and.. ambigu-
ous form in whi ch it slipped by an unaware -' within a state unless certified legal by the
Senate. Justice Department, whose staffers state governor. Maryland, Hammond pointed
out, has four counties which voted to legal-
usually exhibit a high and occasionally
ize bells, while the remaining counties ban
biased degree of intelligence, slipped badly
on the bill. Though state law enforcement'" th em. He added that it would be well to
amend the section to allow state legislatures
officials drafted the loosely worded defini-
to do the certifyin g. This suggestion was
tion of a gambling, device, Justice took th e
disputed by committee members.
responsibility of sponsoring the bill before
Congress. At the start of the hearings, a
The recent New York Sta te court ruling
Justi ce representative said pin balls would
that the use of charms in gum and nut
15