Coin Machine Review (& Pacific ...)

Ilachines" as the key to the evils of the
day as the easiest way out.
9. It must be recognized in the present
si tuation that there has been some keen
rivalry for publicity and also campaign
ammunition. It has been evident that some
Congressmen would like to use "slot ma-
chines" or some similar issue in the coming
campaign to avoid dealing with more vital
issues. There has been rivalry between
committees in the Senate and House to
investigate the issues.
. Many state and local politicians for
years have known the advantages of using
gambling and "slot machines" as campaign
issues, and the idea may also work well
in national circles. There is even it good
supply of "pin ball politicians" over the
country who know how to get publicity
from this type of amusement.
10. In minor instances pin ball games
have been mentioned in the fracas that has
developed, one well-known columnist having
mentioned them early as a part of the total
picture. But up to the time of this review,
little publicity had developed on the games
and it must be admitted also that. the sub-
ject of "slot machines" has not been her-
alded as widely as it could have been. Many
newspapers were fairly modest on the sub-
ject, simply reporting on the hearings be-
fore the committees in Washington.
Magazines like Collier's, of course, have
different objectives than newspapers in the
present situation.
11. So, the present fight may be a real
one that brings to the fore the big com-
petition between legalized gambling at the
tracks and bookie gambling. The racing
interests apparently feel that th e bookies
have cut into race track bets in a big way.
The racing people might come around
to the idea that the best way to meet th e
illegal competition of the bookies is to
legalize them also.
.
It seems to be coincidence that news-
papers and "slot machines" - have been
dragged. into this bitter competitive fight
betwen pari-mutuels and the bookies.
The writer listened to a radio commen-
tator during the Kentucky Derby, com-
menting on the wide-open gambling that
prevailed in Louisville at the time-roulette,
dice tables, and all-and he said the people
who want to gamble will insist on placing
bets with the bookies, so why not tax
them and get some revenue out of it.
This may be what Louisville newspapers
are going to say as to the best way out
of a tough situation. Would th e "slot ma-
chine racketeers" oppose legalized bookies?
Association Reports ...
LOS ANGELE~ - The Cigarette Mer-
chandisers Assn. of Southern California has
opened headquarters at 1211 W. Olympic
Blvd., with E. G. Chandler as executive
director. Other officers are Edw. Stanton,
CHICAGO
ACE LOCKS
The fines! security you
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WE HAVE 'EM
IN SIZES TO FIT. ALL MACHINES
Paul A. Laymon, Inc.
DISTRIBUTOR
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16
l
Business Idea For June
No better suggestion has e~er been made for operators-and it
applies to people in many lines of business-than that of combining
business and pleasure in travels during 'l he summer months by observ-
ing the operations of other people in the same business in different
sections of the country. Operators travel more in the summer, as do
other people. Observe what other operators do who operate ~he same
type of machines as you do. Investigate the placing and operation of
machines that you do not now operate: maybe you will decide on
expansion into other fields and the best way to get onto these new fields
is to visit other towns and see what other enterprising operators are
doing.
The three summer months mean opportunity to learn by seeing how
others do things, and the best operator in the land can gather new ideas
in this way.
General Vendors, president; Nick Carter,
'Model Service, 1st vice-pres.; Robert Day,
Bob's Cigarette Service, 2nd vice-pres.;
Arch C. Riddell, Harmony Cigarette Serv-
ice, sec'y-treas.
OAKLAND, Calif.-The Music Operators
of America announced a code of ethics and
also its officers and board of directors. The
list of officers has six names and 37 names
appear on the board.
The California Music Guild recently do-
nated its 53rd phon ograph given for chari-
table uses, the latest gift being shipped to
Okinawa.
MITCHELL, S. D.- The South Dakota
Phonograph Assn. held its spring meeting
here, a 2-day session April 30 and May 1.
One candidate for governor and an oppo-
nent were heard. The group discussed a
proposed license bill which may be intro-
duced in the Legislature later this year.
PHILADELPHIA-The Automatic Ciga-
rette Vendors' Assn. of Eastern Pa. is
studying plans for insurance coverage of
all its members, due to a wave of robberies
that have occurred recently. Members carry
insurance now but it is felt th e association
can secure a general coverage plan a t a
saving to the membership.
CI NCINNATI - The Automatic Phono-
graph Owners Assn. re-elected Ch arles Kan:
ter as president ; also re-elected Nat Bart-
field as vice-president and Phil Ostend as
secretary-treasurer. New members added to
the board were Fred Engel, ' Abe Villinsky,
William Strout and John Toney.
Legal Trends ...
WASHINGTON - Tentative action on
excise taxes by the House Ways and Means
Commi ttee retained' the federal tax on
amusement games and gaming devices but
promised exemp ti on for the penny counter
devices. The tentative report was quickly
chan ged in some respects after it was made
but the above action on coin machines is
expected to stand in the final bill, predic-
tions being that the bill might be passed
by July 1. But such speedy action has
never happened before. The final bill is
expected to be ready by the time this issue
reaches our readers.
CHICAGO- The police department be-
gan an investigation of charges by music
operators that payoffs had to be made to
an official of the electrical union which
services music boxes in the city. Operators
said that during the last ten years they
have had to make payoffs, sometimes as
much as $1.50 monthly on each machine,
and since Jan. 1 the fee has been $1-
according to newspaper reports of the
si tuation. Officials of the operators' asso-
ciation were questioned at the beginning
and they offered full cooperation in the
Illvestigation.
inVER FOREST, Ill.~A music op-
erator moved for an injunction against a
city ban on music boxes passed last Oct.
17. The operator pleaded that music boxes
do not injure public health, morals or
safety, that music has been a boon to man-
kind for 6,000 years, that he had never
furnished. any music that could be classed
as evil or harmful.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.-While the fed-
eral investigation of gambling was much
in the papers two bills were signed into
law in California. Peace officers are em-
powered to seize gaming devices "any-
where and at any time" and to arrest own-
ers and operators.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - A new city
board of selectm en voted unanimously to
li cense pin ball and similar games und er
the state law passed last year; the former
board had voted against issui ng licenses.
COLORADO SPRINGS-The city has
a new license ordinance which assesses a
$300 annual fee on operators of games and
music boxes; locations th at have only one
game or music box pay $15 per year, and
locations having two or three machines pay
$30 per machine annually.
WASHINGTON-The legal spotlight re-
mains decidedly on the federal actions
taking place here, which began with Senate
hearings April 5 and reached a high level
of interest for the Industry when leaders
in the coin machine trade and also Con-
gressmen opposed to the Johnson and Pres-
ton bills, or parts of th em, were heard by
the House Interstate Commerce Committee.
Locations Hold Trade Level
WASHINGTON- The Dept.. -of Commerce report on trade in various types
of locations for the first three months of 1950 gives the official verdict that
store trade generally in March was up about 4 per cent above the same period
in 1949. Changes taking plact:, up or down, were proving to be very small
but the total in March did show a slight drop from the February level.
For the first three months drug stores were about on a level with a year ~go;
eating and drinking places were just below a year ago and March trade
dropped below February; filling stations are showing small gains but
March trade dropped below February; grocery stores are showing small gains.
COIN MACHINE REVIEW