Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

NEW YORK
/
Amolgomoled Vending
Operolors' Associotion
President-MORRIS SILVERSTEIN: Vice-Presi-
d ent-JOSEPH SCHOENBERG: Trea s u rer, WIL-
LIAM PRAGNELL: Financia l Secre tary- LO U
ROSE: Recording Se creta ry - MOE GLAD -
STONE: Serg eant-at-Arms - MARTIN ROTH:
Managin g Director- JOE FISHMAN_ Ollice-
1841 Broadway, N. y , C ,
By IRVING SHERMAN
98
COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
The meeting of the Amalgamated
Vending Machine Operators' Associa-
tion at the Pythian Temple, Broadway
& 70th Street, New York City January 4,
at 8:30 p .m . proved unusually interest-
ing.
Following the opening of this meeting
Marvin Liebowitz, chairman of the
board of directors of the Association and
also chairman of the legislative com-
mittee of the organization, called upon
to make a report in connection with
progress of the latter group, gave a de-
tailed and highly informative account
of the steps that have been taken to
assure coin machine operation not only
in the New York City area, but in the
entire state.
Relating some of the obstacles that
have to be overcome in view of devel-
opments in the New York territory of
late, Liebowitz pointed out with what
devotion certain operators attended to
tasks calculated to alleviate the distress
of their fellow operators.
"At this time," he declared, " it is my
happy privilege to be able to report
to you members that in a joint meeting
with a comwittee of the Greater Amal-
gamated Vending Machine Operators'
Attention Operators!
Check up on the old stock that
you don't want. Figure out
what new machines you need
and we will give you a liberal
allowance on any kind of trade .
A few minutes' time and a let-
ter wi th a three cent stamp is
liable to make you a hundred
dollars.
Will you do it now? The longer
the merchandise remains in
your basement the less value
it has.
We carry a full line of every-
thing . All you have to do is
name it .
Advonce Aulomolic Soles Co.
1021 Golden Gate Ave .
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.
Association of Brooklyn, we have pro-
ceeded from digests and analysis of
the situation to steps that we feel , with
s ome confidence, will bring about a
state of security and even prosperity in
coin machine operation.
"Let me briefly run the situation over
for you ," the speaker continued. "All of
your operators are familiar , to a greater
or lesser extent, with Bill 982 before the
New York State legislature. Now there
is a specific section in that bill which
definitely rules out any type of coin
machine either operated or possessed,
that is equipped with an ejector for
tickets , slugs or what havp. you. In short,
the New Yark State Legislature is '
against payoffs and all of us operators
here tonight might a~ well (let used to
the idea that oayoffs are finished in
this territory. But retreat, qentlemen .
noes not necessarilv mean the loss of
the war or even the battle. What we do
is qO back to a point of qreater vantage
and try to work forward from that.
"Your board of directors, your joint
committee, has b een having meeting
after meeting. We have had our private
scraps and battles in order that we
mav come to some middle ground, some
livable space where we could not only
exist. but maybe even make a little
mofit in coin machine operation. What
has been the net result of all the hard
W('lr1c and oratory involved?
"In the fir st place, all payoffs are out.
In view of how critics of our business
feel , what else could we decide? What
is left then when you rule out the play-
off is, we have finally decided, the five-
ball novelty game. That game must , in
the future, become not only our solace,
but our hope. This decided upon, what
is the next step planned?
"I will call out the cards to you ex-
actly as they are laid on the table. First,
we need money. Second, we need ab-
solute cooperation. Third, we want
every operator to think along the lines
of general welfare and not solely of
his own interests.
"I know , gentlemen," Liebowitz went
on, "that in calling upon each and
every member for funds I am doing so
at a time when every man's penny
means a lot to him. But what are you
members going to get for your money?
I think that the question is not whether
we spend or do not. It is more pertinent
to put it that either we stay in business
or we do not. All that I am telling you,
my appeal to you for funds, is not part
of some wild scheme we have cooked
up. With our offering to the Administra-
tion of the elimination of all types of
payoffs what have we achieved? We
have, in the opinion of those best in-
formed about the situation in coin ma-
chine operation in New York, a decided
talking point. We can go to the legisla-
tors and say to them, 'Gentlemen, we
have listened to your wishes and have
obeyed them. Weare law-respecting
and law-abiding citizens wanting only
to continue in a legitimate business.
Inasmuch as a supreme court justice in
this state has ruled upon the legality
of the five-ball novelty game, are we
asking too much if this game be al-
lowed to operate in the State of New
York?,
"As all of you members can see," the
speaker continued, "our plan is not sen-
sational. But this much I'll say for it.
It is sound and practical. Furthermore,
in an opinion from a certain authorita-
tive body which cannot be quoted now,
we have been assured that we are tra-
velling in the right direction.
"But to prove to you members that
we really did some thinking on this
problem and that our thoughts revolved
around your personal interests, before
I conclude, let me tell you of a plan
which we have worked out whereby by
virtue of the cooperation of every job-
ber and distributor in this territory, we
hope, in time, to return to each operator
every penny that he has handed in
to our general legislative funds . This
plan will include non-members as well
as members and will, we feel sure, pro-
vide for trade harmony and profitable
operation."
Liebowitz, going into detail concern-
ing the plan, explained that it called
for the payment of $2 for every new
game sold either by a jobber or dis-
tributor, and $1 for every used game
sold, to the Association's treasury. The
money collected, it was pointed out,
will be by way of reimbursement to
operators for their contribution to insure
the continuance of coin machine oper-
ation in New York.
Concluding, Liebowitz asked for ques-
tions from the floor and several mem-
bers responded, asking for clarification
of parts of the plan. Responding to an
inquiry as to what party or parties
would handle the collected funds , Lie-
bowitz told of the satisfaction the asso-
ciation had in the knowledge that Harry
Rosen of the Modern Vending Co., well-
known and liked by countless opera-
tors , had agreed to serve as custodian
of the money. In addition, Liebowitz de-
clared that Rosen had volunteered to
help the operators in their present mess.
In order of succession, William Prag-
nell , Murray Lax, Philip Turk and Philip
Sapir spoke in favor of the conterr..-
plated plan and also expressed thei:-
appreciation of the work it involved on
the part of Liebowitz and associates.
Morris Silverstein, vice-president of the
Association, who, presided at the meet-
inq in the absence of President Lee
Rubinow, al"o related some of the struq-
qles and difficulties encountered by the
board of directors and the joint com-
mittee in arrivinq at a decision as to
action on the part of the coin machine
operators. "I call upon the association
members to show their appreciation by
(See AMALGAMATED, page 100)