The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-01-25

ORDINANCE NO. 653S.-An ordl-
nance relating to and regulating
the exhibition of pictures, motion
pictures, shows, theatricals. public
entertainments, advertising, and bill
board displays; fixing a penalty for
the violation thereof. providing for
a Board of Censors. and repeating
Ordinance No. 1864.
BE 1T ORDAINED BY THE CITY
OF TACOMA:
Section /. That 1t shall be unlaw-
full for any person, firm or corpora
ton engaged in the business, to ex-
hibit in any public place, or any
place where the public is admitted.
anywhere in the City of Tacoma,
any picture or series of pictures by
any device known as a mutescope,
cinematograph, kinema-
color, penny arcade, moving pictures
or series of pictures, or any vaude-
vile act. drama, play, theatrical,
song, stage or platform perform
ance, advertisement, or any bill
board display, without having Sc
cured permit in writing from the
Commissioner of Public Safety of
the City of Tacoma and the permit
in addition to any license issued to
such person, firm or corporation.
Section .. The Commissioner of
Public Safety may issue a quarter
ly permit to any person, firm or cor
poration regularly or continuously
engaged in showing or exhibiting
pictures or conducting theatrical,
song, stage or platform perform
ances, advertisements, or bill board
displays.
Section 3. Before any permit is
granted an application in writing
shall be made therefor on blanks
furnished by the Commissioner, and
the applicant shall give such infor-
nation as may be required as to the
character and form of the picture,
theatrical, song, stage or platform
performance, advertisement or bill
board display for which the permit
is applied for.
Section 4. 1t shall be unlawful
for any place such as is described
in Section ! of this ordinance to be
open on the first day of the week,
called Sunday, before
eleven o'clock a. m.
Section S. The written permit
herein provided for shall be posted
at or near the entrance to the thea
ter, hall, room, or place where any
permitted picture or series of pio-
lures, exhibition or performance is
being exhibited, at such a place or
in such a position that 1t may easily
and readily be read by any person
entering such theater, hall, room or
picture or series of pictures, display
or exhibition is being exhibited,
whether in the day time or in the
night time.
Section 6. 1t shall be unlawful for
any person, firm or corporation TO
publicly show or exhibit any picture
or motion picture, or series OF mo-
ton pictures, by any device whatso-
ever or TO produce or show any
act, drama, play, theatre
cal, song, stage or platform perform
ance, advertisement or bill board
display that is immoral. obscene,
lewd, lascivious, suggestive, or OF
any indecent character; or which
shall tend to exert a harmful influ-
ence upon public morals: or which
portrays brutality; or which shall
tend to disturb the public peace.
Section Z. The Commissioner OF
Public Safety shall appoint Board
of Censors consisting of seven per-
sons, whose duty II shall be to view
moving pictures, shows, exhibitions,
displays, Advertisements, and bill
board displays, and to discover and
prevent violations of this ordinance.
For this purpose the members there
of shall have free access to such
public entertainment or public ex-
hibition of pictures. motion pictures.
vaudeville acts and other perform
ances, conducted by any person, hrm
or corporation engaged In the busi-
ness, and upon discovering any vfo-
lations of this ordinance said board