Play Meter

International News in Brief
GREAT BRITAIN
A hexagonal (six-si ded) pool table
with three pockets has been developed
by the L iverpool firm of Hotel and
Club Amusements. The idea, they say,
is that some smaller locations cannot
allow the space an oblong pool table
will occupy .
GREAT BRITAIN
A series of formal meetings in
London on November 20 officially set
the seal on the great amalgamation of
B ritish
trade associations. The
A musement Caterers' Association
(mainly arcades), the Amusement
Trades Association (pub operators and
manufacturers), the A ssociation of
Prize Bingo Operators and the Phono-
gr a ph Operators' Association, all
merged to form the British Amuse -
ment Catering Trades Association .
A .C.A . General Secretary Mr. John
Singleton retired and A .T .A . General
Secretary Mr . A lan Willis took over the
Secretarysh ip of the new organization .
SPAIN
Two years ago the Spanish market
opened up for the import of games.
Now the frontiers are closed again.
New regulations have forbidden the
import of foreign made amusement
devices except by those companies
who can also export.
BELGIUM
At a recent meet ing of Wurlitzer
distributors in Brussells, Bill Herleman,
Wu r litzer President, outlined the
reasons for the decision to transfer all
phonograph manufacturing to the
German factory . In West Germany, he
said, labor problems are less serious
and production costs lower . T he rate
of inflation was likely to be slower and
more controlled in Germany. The
German factory was modern while the
American one was old .
He also criticised the American
press for giving so much prominence
to the decision to close down the
American facility while playing down
the importance and size of the German
Wurlitzer factory .
Dr. Wilhelm Foelkel, head of
Deutsche Wurlitzer outlined changes in
46
the company since the American
closure. He pointed out that Wurlitzer
Overseas, based in Swi tzerland, now
handles organs instead of phono·
graphs.
Deutsche Wurlitzer was now
handl ing phonograph sales direct from
its Hulhorst headquarters. Distributors
from Great Britain , Japan, Finland,
Greece, Denmark, Sweden, France and
Belgium were there to see the new
range.
HOLLAND
The well -known Dutch firm of
Janssen and Hahnraths, of Kerkrade,
has now opened a second branch at
Zwolle . The firm distributes most
kinds of slot machines, amusements
and juke boxes, and specialize in the
sale of used E:quipment.
BELGIUM
Several firms specializing in vending
took part in the recent Visumat '74
exhibition of "selling equipment" in
Brussels. One of the most interesting
stands was that of Distrimatic, who
operate machines in the Brussels
metro. The head of the firm , M .
Legasse, is at present forming a Belgian
vending association.
SWITZERLAND
The new secretary of the Sw iss
automatics trade association, the
Verband der Schweizerischen Auto-
matenbranche, is Mr . Ted Blattner.
There is also a new president, Mr . W.
Gull.
WEST GERMANY
The new head of Chicago Co in
Europe is Mr . M ichael Bar . His father -
i n - law, Mr. Karl Goett ing, who
founded the firm, has retired but
retains an interest in the firm as a
consultant. Mr. Bar has been his assis-
tant for some time and has spent a
considerable period at the Chicago
Coin factory .
AUSTRIA
Following news of the confiscation
of slot machines from the Prater ,
Vienna's amusement park, and from
several of the city's arcades, we under-
stand that small gum and peanut
venders have also failed foul of the
Austrian law! Their operation is be ing
restricted in the town of Voralberg
where the machines have been sited
close to school bus stops. The author-
ities feel they are a hazard to children
from passing traffic. _
BELGIUM
Seeburg's two latest models, the
Quadrophon ic First Edit ion and the
Vogue II, were presented at a special
show in Antwerp recently. It was the
first time the Europea n trade had seen
the new mode ls.
BELGIUM
Early in October, M. E. Michel ,
head of Seeben S.A ., of Antwerp, took
a party of 75 Seeburg operators from
the Benelux countries to visit the
Seeburg plant in Chicago and also to
see the Williams factory .
WEST GERMANY
The Bavar ian trade organ izatio n for
co in machine operators,
the
Bayerischen Automatenverbandes, has
just celebrated its 20th anniversary
with a gala evening at a Munich hotel.
The new Baltic Juke box was on view
at the Wurlitzer meeting. Attending
were Mr. Bob Deith, managing director
and Dr. Wilhelm Foelkel , head of
Deutche Wurlitzer, and Mr. Bill Ruf-
fles , chairman of Ruffle and Deith,
London, main Wurlitzer distributors
for the British Isles.