The Washington times., 1936-02-18
IdeaBOOsts
Duckpins
ForKds
BY GNO SINH

There are smart business men
and there are those who think
they are smart and turn out to
be too smart for their own good.
washington bowling circles can
boast more than its share Of
plain, smart business men who
keep their minds, ears and eyes
open and their mouths shut, u1-
less to ask pertinent questions.
That is why the paStime Of
knocking duckpins off their bot
toms is making greater strides
forward in the United States
CAPITAL than anywhere else.
Like all smart business men, the
local bowling impresarios realize
that the trade Of tomorrow is only
slightly less important than TO.
days customers.
Since the depression, various
establishments have been taking
slight measures toward drumming
the sport among the younger eie.
ment, the girls and boys who will
be shelling out the sheckels which
will pay the operators salaries in
the not too distant future. Busy
trying to recoup their losses dur.
ing the recent five years Of want
and privation, the gesture toward
/ attracting the youngsters had to
be as inexpensive as possible.
Progressive Group
Rut the coming season will be
different. That is, if the more
progressive group can carry out
their ideas. After watching
Beryl English'S experiment with
1O-cent bowling for students un-
der 18 years of age during the
day at Columbia, a half dozen or
so duekpin plant chieftains are
anxious to come to agreement
with the rest of the city's bowl
ing alley proprieors to introduce
the idea at their establishments.
English's experiment is re-
garded as unfair competition"
by large number Of the local
operators in view Of a gentle
mems agreement" not to charge
under IS cents a game, reached
during the framing Of a code
which was never ratified. Eng
lish maintains that he is not
violating the agreement" by his
experiment, because it is a pro-
motional gesture.
]. William Wood, Bowling
Alleys Operators Association presi-
dent, in whose ears many a COM
plant has dinned, remarks:
"In my opinion, English viO-
lated the agreement, for it states
fatty that under no circum-
stances must a bowling operator
charge less than Is cents per 10
bon string. No one can interpret
it as meaning adult customers
only. However, much water has
gone under the bridge since then
and conditions have changed
considerably. can see the pro
mOtOrial value Of EngliSh'S exper-
iment and if the other operators
are willing to follow suit, it's
Okay BY me. I am the easiest
guy in the world to please"
GONE ON RECORD
i Quite a few operators have gone
on record in favor of the idea and
are anxious to have a meeting so
that they can revise the gentle
men agreement" to permit these
concessions to the youngsters.
Over at Northeast TIE mple,
Charles Olive claims:
"A 'gentleman'S agreement be-
tween alley men is absolutely
necessary for the good Of the
game as q business as well IS
q sport, but something must be
done to promote the game
among the youngsters and Eng
lish's idea is q good one"
At Rosslyn, Gait Davis, progress
Give young manager, grinS:
"SOOn as the operators agree
to take the charge Of unfair
competition off the idea, I'll in
trOduce il at my plant. Bowling
should give the kids break"
So, shortly, bowling operators
may gather to formulate plans for
next year and the l0-cent idea
may become perfectly legal. Eng
lish admits the idea Is not new,
that it has been used In a large
} number Of ten-pin centerS "ltn