The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-04-19
THE SUNDAY LID
HARD To CLOSE
ENFORCEMENT OF BLUE LAWS
OFFER MANY DIFFICULTIES.
NOTHING HAS STARTED YET
assistant Attorney General However
is Making Study of Court De-
cisions In View of Any Con-
tingency to Arise.

jill Des Moines, April 1SS-Iowa follow.
%ers of Sunday baseball, moving pic.
ture shows and theaters will probably
not be deprived Of the opportunity to
enjoy these amusements on the Sab.
bath for some few weeks at least,
So far no movement has been start
Cd by the attorney generals Office to
put on the Sunday lid although the
assistant attorney general is making
a study of the court decisions on these
subjects in view of any contingency
which may develop.
Attorney General Havner has gone
to Cincinnati for week. and until his
return at least no drastic action by the
state officials is expected.
However, the shutting down of
Sunday baseball promises to be a
long and difficult task II attempted.
There is no Iowa Supreme court rul-
ing upon the question Of whether Sun
day baseball is violation of the
Iowa laws or not Sunday baseball
is not specifically mentioned in the
law and decisions in various states
are divided as to whether baseball
comes under Sunday restrictions
where it is not specifically forbidden.
1t would probably be very difficult
20 put stop to Sunday ball of the
professional type if the proprietors
were to make fight
It would be possible, probably, ac-
cording to Mr.. Robbins, to arrest
every member of baseball team and
arraign them in court. A trial by
jury could be demanded, and upon
conviction Of fine not to exceed IS
for each offense might be assessed.
An appeal, however, might tie up
tla.2 ID se matter indefinitely, and it
bs take some time to get Supreme
T. ,lrt ruling
1t has already proven very difficult
TO enforce the Sunday closing laws
against moving picture shows. In
Mason City 1t was found almost i'm
possible to get conviction at a trial
by jury, and finally a practical license
system was agreed upon whereby
proprietors we're technically ARREST
ed" appeared in police court and paid
the S. fine, and repeated the proceed
ing the next Sunday.
This is very similar to the plan up
on which disorderly resorts were prac-
tically licensed in several Iowa cities
in the days before the Cosson in
junction law was enacted.
Attorney General Havner himself
realizes the many difficulties in the
way of enforcing the laws. He draft
ed a substitute blue law" bill which
was offered in the Iowa house by
Representative Turner last week, per
hitting the legalizing OF Sunday ball
and movies by city o. dinance, but pro-
yiding for the use of the injunction
against premises where the law was
violated. This would have permitted
the enjolning of baseball parks, movie
shows, theatres and other places
where the Sunday laws were violated.
The house voted this proposal down
by a big majority, and left the law as
it was, with maximum penalty OF 30
for each offense.
Mr.. Robbins has also been studying
the laws relating to the publication OF
Sunday newspapers. Pennsylvania
decisions have held that this is
violation of the Pennsylvania law. but
other rulings hold that newspapers are
necessary and may be published ana
sold on Sunday as we'll as any other
day.