Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-04-19
ORDINANCE NO. 1892

the revised ordinances of the city
of DEBORAH, Iowa, and to enact a
substitute therefore relating to
licensing and regulating public
dance halls within the city of De-
corah and providing certain penal
| ties. :,
Be it ordained by the City Council
of DEBORAH, Iowa:
Section One. That Ordinance No.
............, of Chapter XXXV of the 1914
Revised Ordinances of the City OF De-
corah, Iowa., be and the same is here
by repealed and the following enact
ed as a substitute therefore:
| Section Two. "A public dance
hall" for the purpose of this ordl-
nance be construed to mean ana IN
clude any room or rooms, hall or nan
bowery OF out door structure, whefe
dancing is conducted or dances are
held, and where patrons OF such
| dance rooms,I halls or bowery pay
fee for participating in such dances;
whether such fee is paid on the floor
of such dance rooms, halls, or bow
erys, or for admission thereto, or Tor
membership cards or tickets, or
where said fee for participating IN
such dances is paid directly or lndi-
rectly.
Section Three. A public dance is
hereby defined to be one which is or
NAV be attended by the public gen
| erally. either with or without tickets
or invitations, and to which an ad-
mission fee is charged. PROVIDED,
however, that dances given or con-
Quoted by fraternal orders, socleties
or other organizations, the attend
| ance at which is limited to and re-
stricted to the members of those or
| carnations and their families, and
those conducted by any fire company
of the city of DEBORAH, shall not be
considered public dance even
though an admission fee is charged.
Section Four. Every person, hrm
or corporation engaged In and con-
Quoting public dance halls and giving
public dances as herein defined, snail
pay license fee as follows: one
($i.OO) per day for each day on
which a public dance is held, or the
sum of Twenty-Five (S25.0O) pei. year.
Said license fee to be paid at the Of
fee of the City Clerk of Decorah,
Iowa, and in case of yearly license
to be paid on or before the LIST day OF
April of each year. ~.
Section Five. No such public
[dance shall remain open to the public
or shall be conducted at later hour
than l1:55 d. m. on anv day, nor
shall any public dances be carried on
at such places later than 11:55 p. m.
on anv day, unless permission has
been obtained from the mayor to
keep said public dance hall open to
a later hour than herein speclfled, IN
which case said dance hall shall be
closed at the hour specified by the
mayor. -.
Section Six. At all public dances
such dances as the Grizzly Bear,
Bunny Hug, Turkey Trot, Texas
Tommy. Shimmy, and similar dances
of a questionable or indecent nature,
shall not be permitted or allowed by
the person conducting such dance.
Section Seven. 1t shall be unlawr
full for any person, firm or corpora'
ton. engaged in and conducting a
public dance hall as herein deflned,
to permit any unmarried glrl unoer
the age of sixteen years, to enter Oh
be found in any public dance hall un-
less accompanied by her parent or
guardian.
Section Eight. Disorderly or in
toxicated persons shall not be permit
ted to attend public dances or remain
in or about such public dance hall,
nor shall any person be permitted to
openly drink intoxicated liquors, or
pass the same to others where pub
lie dance is being held, nor shall any
profane language or indecent or
questionable conduct on the part OF
anv person or persons, be permitted
in or about such public dance halls
while such public dances are beng
held therein. Every public dance hall
shall be we'll lighted at all times dur
ing the progress of all dances con-
Quoted therein.
Section Nine. Any public dance
which becomes, or is permitted TO pc
come, disorderly or offensive to pub
lie morals and decency, shall be stop
ped by the police of the city and the
public dance hall in which the same
| is held shall be summarily closed.
Section Ten. That at all such pub
lie dance halls, while a public dance
| is being held therein, there shall be
| stationed one SpcCldl poii> ~,
one policewoman, both of whom shall
be vested with full police power to
preserve order and to enforce the pro-
visions of this ordinance. -,
Section Eleven. That the speclal
policeman and policewoman attend
ing said public dances, shall be ap-
pointed or designated by the Mayor,
and shall receive as compensation Tor
his or her services in so attending,
the sum of $500 for each such public
dance so attended, same to be paid by
the person, firm or corporation own
ing or operating said public dance
hall.
Section Twelve. Every person,
firm or corporation, owning or opera
ting any such public dance hall, as
herein defined, shall place or post on
at least two of the walls Of such pub
lie dance hall, a printed copy of this
ordinance, and same shall be plainly
printed in large type of at least the
size of ordinary plea, and shall be so
placed or posted where they can be
conveniently inspected or read.
Section Thirteen. Any person
firm or corporation who shall violate
any of the provisions of this ordi-
nance, shall be guilty of misde,,
meanor and upon conviction thereon
shall be fined not less than Ten
$4,000 dollars nor more than one
hundred $500 0O) dollars,