The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-12
LICENSE ZEE
IS INCREASED
HIGHER SPECIAL TAX ON BUCK
ET SHOPS.
AFTER OTHER spfcULAToRs
Council Amends Ordinance Prohibit-
ing Maintenance Of Gambling
cames-Flat Fine Imposed.

BY an ordinance the city council and
mayor have declared that the bucket
shops shall pay license more in pro-
portion to the business done by them
than they have been required to pay
heretofore.
In the absence of state law in con-
formity to which the city could draw
an ordinance covering their case, past
municipal governments have been
content to classify them under the
general head OF professional" firms
and nominal license has been exact
ed from them. Even to the payment
OF this they objected, so 1t Is safe to
assume that they will now protest
more vigorously and loudly than ever.
But the city seems to have the "age"
and it appears to be d case of pay or
quit.
The new ordinance is now in effect,
having been adopted and approved at
last Tuesdays meeting Of the council
and became operative Immediately
upon it's adoption. The fee exacted
for the privilege OF doing business
within the corporate limits that the
commission firms will now have to
pay is S25 . month. It is possible
that a defect may be discovered in
the new ordinance, which is officially
known as ordinance No. IT'S, and
adds an additional section to Article
5 of Chapter OF the revised ordi-
nances OF the city OF Billings, but
judging from the care and minuteness
which seemingly characterizes its
preparation it is considered doubtful
whether it can be successfully attack
ed, should the courts be asked to pass
upon its validity.
{ The ordinance provides that any
person or persons wilnin the corporate
limits OF the~ city OF Billings, who,
whether acting as principal or agent,
buys or sells, or otherwise deals in
stocks or bonds, or who buys or sells
for future delivery grain, provisions
or produce of any sort, when said
grain, provisions or produce are not
actually delivered, or who buys or
sells or otherwise deals in futures
or options on stocks, bonds, grain
or provisions or produce Of any sort,
or who receives, transmits or places
orders or commissions to buy or sell
any bonds, stocks, grain, provisions
or produce OF ANY sort, or who acts
as the agent of any commission house,
broker or firm trading in, buying or
selling, placing or otherwise dealing
in such stocks, bonds, etc, etc, or
pretending to do SO, whether or not
said commission house operates or
pretends to operate in or on any mar
ket or board of trade of any sort,
shall pay license of $25 a month. ;"
After Other Spectators.
Still another ordinance was adopted
which has as it's object to place a
few more obstacles in the way of those
who have a weakness for taking
chances on gaining wealth easily,
quickly and with the least possible
expenditure of exertion, whether men
tai or physical, in it's accumulation.
This ordinance is numbered 174 and
amends Section s of Article /, Chapter
IL OF the revised ordinances Of the
city, which prohibits the keeping or
maintaining Of gambling houses, etc.
Under the new provision fine OF
$50 is imposed upon all convicted OF
violating the ordinance. In lieu OF
payment of such fine it is provided
that the guilty person shall be i'm
prisoned in the city Jail for a period
not exceeding 80 days.
Bills for More Ordinances.
In addition to the two adopted, bills
for couple more ordinances were
introduced and after their first read
| ing were referred.
One Of the proposed ordinances
makes the chief of police ex-of1cio
weighmaster of the city and for such
additional duty allows him com
pensation Of $25 a month, in addition
| to his salary as head Of the police
department Under the contemplated
ordinance he shall weigh on any pub
lie scales, hay. grain or coal, whenever