A slot-doorbell—that was what frugal Dutch huisfronwen were having carpenters install last week beside their furiously polished brass doorknobs.
The slot-doorbell, introduced into The Netherlands but a short time ago, has swiftly become a best seller. Instead of ringing the house bell one drops a Dutch cent* into the slot, and when the intelligent mechanism has verified that the object dropped is a cent it goes "Bong!"
When the prim Dutch maid opens the door and sees that a friend of the family is calling she returns the cent to the welcome guest. But if she finds on the doorstep a peddler, huckster, bill collector or offensive person of any sort she merely slams the portal and the cent is velvet.
A despatch from Amsterdam described the Minister of Public Works as "enthusiastic" about the slot-doorbell, quoted His Excellency as determined to provide postmen with token coins which will enable them to play cheaply the game of making doors go "Bong!"
* Equals 4/10¢