Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Pennies 50 Years A90
LOS ANGELES-H. Paul Kegley, RE-
VIEW reader, sends in this interesting item
from the Scientific Monthly of fifty years
ago:
"PENNIES-There are 72,800 pounds of
pennies encumbering the vaults of the Sub-
Treasury .. . The accumulation is partly
the result of the general establishment of
pe·nny in the slot machines. The head-
quarters of the companies owning these
machines is in this city, and all the pennies
are therefore sent here when the agents
make their returns. The companies there-
upon unload them upon the Sub-Treasury."
"The nation now, as in 1917, will need the wholesome tonic of recreational tTflvel as
one of the greatest maintaining forces of national morale." - Statement by United
States Travel Bureau of the U. S. Department of the Interior.
WE'RE DOING
Our Part . . .
C OIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
4
FO R
APRIL
1942
HOTELS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA are
Health and energy still bubble from the
doing their part in this great national
earth at the famous mineral springs
cause by maintaining normal facilities
resorts.
and operations in every department for
Golf, tennis, riding, swimming, cycl-.
the use of Americans seeking mental
ing, badminton and a multitude of other
and physical release from strain and fag.
sports and recreations are still to be
To facilitate the business of Ameri-
enjoyed every day of the year by the
cans, and in the interest of war pro-
visitor to this sun-blessed land.
duction, there is augmented service at
Hotel rates in Southern California
the great metropolitan hotels of Los
will continue at pre-war levels. Nowhere
Angeles, Hollywood, Long Beach, San
is there a greater variety of hotel ac-
Diego and the other large cities of
comni.odations to suit every budget and
Southern California.
every taste.
There are no rations of fun at the
In spite of rumors, travel is normal in
fine resort hotels located on the desert
Southern California. Transportation to
and throughout the State is normal, and
hotel and resort life is normal.
For further particulars, consult the
nearest travel or transportation agent or
your automobile club.
at Palm Springs; by the sea at Coro-
nado, Carlsbad, Laguna, La Jolla, Santa
Catalina, Santa Monica and Santa Bar-
bara; and amid the beauties of Pasa-
dena,
Beverly
Hills
and
Riverside.
HOTELS
O F S OUTHE R N
NEW YORK
NEW YORK (RC)-Are we down-
hearted? Brother, we haven't begun to
fight!
Jack Harris of Brooklyn has been placing
seconds that he never dreamt would see the
light of day again, and location owners are
glad to get them. Harris insists, however,
that all children be kept away from the
machines. Also, no location owner is to
tamper with machines in any way and, in
the event of failure, to call the association
at once.
Do we need such publicity as Nat Cohn
of Modern provided in the World Tele-
gram? Many businesses are suffering be-
cause of priorities but the idea that the
coin machine trade "cashed in while the
cashing in was hot" gives precisely the im-
pression that reformers and phonies are
trying to create about the industry. Why
should it be said that the machines had a
" take" while every other business is said to
show profits? Once and for all let us get
away from shady connotations and show
people that we have costs and losses and
merchandising problems like the rest.
No, the Army hasn't paged us yet, but,
brother, do we find good company among
air wardens! Quoting Zone Warden Rothen-
berg: "Coin machine operators, because of
being accustomed to long and irregular
hours of work and because they know
streets and the varying sections of the city
so thoroughly, are the most valuable assets
the air warden service has. They not only
constitute one of our most reliable element,
but undoubtedly place first in devotion to
duty during dog-watches."
We've been warning operators about cau-
tioning their service men to vary route and
time of collections. That we haven't just
been trying to fill space is made evident by
the almost fatal attack on Samuel Gottfried
of Queens. Sam was waylaid by two men
and shot. How did those men happen to be
at the spot at the time they were? Answer:
Shadowing. So we repeat: Habit and or-
der are okay, but vary your routine because
of the danger outlined.
Are we facing a shortage of service men?
Discussing this problem a few days ago,
several leading operators suggested that, in
instances, it might be possible to train
women for this work. It was also pointed
out that many over-draft age mechanics can
be persuaded to become active if one is
willing to allow for a certain amount of
slow-ups in their performance. Another
idea, one that really deserves consideration,
has to do with pooling available mechanics
for the duration.
What is this we hear about distributors
showing favoridsm in supplying parts? Let
us not make mistakes in these difficult times
that will result in bad feeling for the fu-
ture. While many big operators are indis-
pensable to distributors, the good of the
industry requires that even the littlest fel -
low be given a chance to exist. We'd rather
not mention names, but we know of several
instances where the little fellow was given
a quick brush-off and the little fellow knew
it. It's the little fellows, grouped together,
C AL I F OR·NIA·.
Room 701, 629 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, California
Mention of THE COIN MACHINE REVIEW is y our best introduction to our advertisers.
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