Automatic Age

COIN MACHINES AID
CRIPPLED CHILDREN
By C A R R O L C . HALL
Coin machines are aiding the
crippled children of Springfield,
Illinois! The machines — more
than two-hundred of them—are
on the job collecting money
every hour of the day and night
for the “kids” who didn’t get a
break. Who says that the ma­
chine is without a soul?
The members of the AMERI­
CAN B U S I N E S S CLUB,
Springfield’s one civic group
that devotes its entire service
program to the welfare of crip­
pled children, found coin ma­
chines to be the answer to their
money-raising problems. The
club has enlisted those ideal
silent partners — coin machines
—to aid in a great cause.
The ABC group, which has
given to the community an iron
lung, a baby respirator, all types
of orthopedic equipment, as well
as several thousand dollars as
the starting f u n d for the
Springfield Memorial Swim­
ming Pool, made an extensive
survey of fund-raising plans be­
fore deciding that the coin­
machine method was best.
Coin machines were deemed
best because they could be used
in a non-competitive money-rais­
ing campaign that would give
the club a steady, year-round
flow of money into their crip­
pled children’s fund. And, be­
sides — who in the community
is going to hesitate in giving
when a small item of merchan­
dise is returned to the donor as
part of the bargain ?
In the present campaign, the
club has drawn up a franchise
with a vending-machine com­
pany — (The Ford Gum and
Machine Company, Inc., of
Lockport, N. Y .)— that provides
for the installation and opera­
tion of penny gum machines in
the city of Springfield.
This article was written expressly for
"Automatic Age." All rights thereto are
reserved, and reproduction in whole or in
part is forbidden without authorization in
writing from "Automatic Age."
Under the terms of the agree­
ment the company controls the
equipment. Their local owner-
operator assumes all liabilities
and taxes, and services the ma­
chines. He also furnishes an
audit for each machine in op­
eration every month.
The club, as their part of the
agreement, sponsors the loca­
tions for the machines and pro­
motes the sale of the gum
through its regular activities.
The commissions from the ma­
chines which would ordinarily
go to the parties providing space
for the machines is turned over
to the club for the welfare work.
Every location in which a ma­
chine is placed was chosen by
the club. Just to make certain
that a good job was done — the
ABC’s perfected an air-tight
system for locating its happi­
ness vendors.
The club was divided into
teams, each of which made a
thorough survey of one section
of the city. Each likely spot
was charted and then rated
1-2-3 as to its desirability.
Finally, p e r s o n a l interviews
were held with persons in
charge of these locations and
permissions obtained for plac­
ing the machines. As a conse­
quence, the gum-vendors are
exceptionally well l o c a t e d
throughout the city.
To start the sales off with a
bang, newspaper promotion was
used in which prominent local
SHERIFF AIDS CAUSE—Sheriff Harry Eilson is shown placing a penny in one of Springfield
Illinois' American Business club's gum machines, the proceeds of which will be used to aid
crippled children who do not benefit from other funds. More than 200 machines, completely
sanitary, will be placed throughout the city. Scene above is in the Sheriff's office where
one of the machines has been located. The Sheriff, an ABC club member is an ardent supporter
of crippled children's work.
His own son Harry Jr., was victim of the dread polio.
The
picture shows other members of the club.
March, 1942
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