WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1929, Page 6

WELLINGTON NEWS

AUTOMATIC UTILITIES

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, April 17

A noteworthy modern development is the multiplication and perfection of automatic or slut machines. In less tbnii twelve months 17 joint stock companies, were formed in England with an aggregate capital of £2,070,000. This activity may lie ascribed to the improvements that have been wrought in the construction of automatic machines and the formerly uniinagined services they are capable of rendering, in the early days of their installation the machines were tar irom perfect. They could be operated just as well with discs or foreign coins as with genuine currency, and the receipts suffered accordingly. On the other hand the public were irritated when, having placed coins in slots, they received no value for their money. Moreover, tile commodities vended by the machines when in effect ire working order were of limited diversity, consisting for the most part of sweets cigarettes and matches.

Now there are machines that reject spurious substitutes for genuine coins and return money inserted when supplies are exhausted. And the range of utilities now seems illimitable. Who for example could have anticipated the dispensing of cocktails automatically and perfectly mixed,"lced and delivered in hotels, restaurants, clubs and canteens, and the automatic-locking of the machines during prohibited hours.

Not all automatic machines are on the coin-in-slot principal ol sales manships. There are for example cash registers now in general and commercial use. There are the adding mach, inos which are marvels of accuracy and expedition, and there is the automatic issue of tickets for electric railav journeys. But most modern adaptations are on the coin-in-slot principle. Even telephonic communication from public call offices is operated so, gas is supplied for domestic consumption, pianos are mechanically played in popular resorts, seaside visitors and the patrons of miscellaneous movelticsin towns can enjoy the fun of the fair for a mere trifle. The enumeration of automatic machines utilities is by no means exhausted by the foregoing. You can be automatically weighed or even photographed, or you can obtain photographic plates for your own camera. If you are out of sorts ami want a remedy you can lie supplied with it. If threatened with the pangs of hunger or if the cupboard is bare, you can have tinned and other foods and procure a desert of fresh fruits. If a lady diner-out finds that she has forgotten a pocket handkerchief she can get one from a slot machine in thy lounge of an hotel or restaurant. If she has a weakness for perfumes she can be sup])lied with scent to put on it. Automatic machines look like beocniing universal providers. Individual companies in Britain are now installing machines by thousands-under contracts. One company, it is stated, has entered into arrangement with several large public bodies and work-amongst them, Manchester Ship Canal and Port of London Author!ty-for the exclusive rights of installing its machines.

The Associated Automatic Alachine Corporation, which is a holding company, lias a capital of £1,5U0,0U0 and controls coin-operated machines, Ltd., London Automatic Machine Coy. Snape Hargreaves and Co., Alechanical Amusements, Ltd and British Automatic Coy. The Atito-Dore type of automatic vending machine consists of a number of compartments each fitted with a glass door. Articles of any kind, size and shape can be sold whether wrapped or packed or not. This-machine is said to lie su.'table for cafeterias. Auto-Electric Devices, Lid, with a capital of £50,000 is manufacturing automatic seif—winding electric motors for use on numerous devices, including gramophones.

Automatic tonfe- tion with a capital or iiIJOjOUU manufactures machines to contain i-d and Id bars of French nougat a tie! other confectionary. The viitomatic selective gramophone is a machine designed to play standard double-sided records automatically. The records selected are placed in a rack, and then by merely plugging into the lighting circuit, touching the requisite button, or in case oi the slot machine, inserting a coin, any one of twenty selections can be played. Selection of records may be made in any cider. The “Alixomator” is available in units to produce iuiy particular kind of cocktail, and oil the insertion of the necessary coin or coins will mix. shake and deliver iced within a few seconds, the cocktail, accurately proportioned according to the true recipe: tlie machine locks itself against use dm ing prohibited horn's.