Evening star., 1934-05-20
SUNDAY SHOW BAN
! TO END IN COUNTY.
Montgomery Theaters Will
Be Open on Sunday
After June |.
BY JACK ALLEN,
stan Correspondent OF The Star.

stan Correspondent Of The Star.
ROCKVILLE, Nd. May 1s.-sun-
day movies and athletic contests-
banned in Montgomery County since
Maryland's Sabbath observance laws
were enacted more than 200 years
ago-will become legal here on June
/, when the bill becomes effective,
modifying the old statutes in their
relationship to Montgomery.
Another act passed at the extraor-
binary session Of the State Legisla-
ture last November and creating q
special fire tax area In the ninth or
Gaithersburg election district Is to
become law at the same time.
Operators of the four theaters at
Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville
and Gaithersburg said today that
they will take full advantage Of the
new statute and open on Sunday for
regular performances beginning June
3, while o number of county base
ball teams are planning to charge
regular admission prices for their
Sabbath contests.
Laws Adopted In 1913.
Heretofore, due to the laws first
adopted in 1923 and strengthened
from time to time, motion pictures
which have been occasionally pre-
sented on Sundays at the Montgom-
cry theaters have been benefit per-
formances with the proceeds going to
various county organizations and
athletic teams have confined the
collection of any proceeds to the ac-
ceptance of contributions from spec
tators.
Under the new act admission NAV
be charged 10 theaters and such
games as base ball. golf. tennis.
croquet, basket ball, lacrosse, soccer
and hockey" whether they are staged
for recreational or commercial pur-
poses, while the employment of of
f1cials and attendants for games and
motion picture performances also is
permitted.
Restrictions imposed in the law,
however, require that athletic con-
tests must be staged between 2 and
pm. and cannot be held within
100 yards OF any existing, permanent
church edifice where religious services
are being held" Operation of theaters
Is restricted on Sundays to the hours
after 2 pm.
Fine Provided for Violations.
Provisions are contained in the
new law to permit dancing. bowling.
the playing Of pool and billiards, the
exhibition Of motion pictures or the
hiring Of halls for cards or dancing
until 1880 am. on Sundays.
A fine Of not more than 500 Is
provided for persons guilty Of violat-
ing any section Of the law.
The Gaithersburg fire tax bill was
passed to set up an area in which
the Gaithersburg- Washington Grove
Volunteer Fire Department could i'm
pose an assessment for its mainte-
nance and operation with a fire
board to manage the proceeds de-
rived from the tax.
It provides for the imposition of
tax Of not more than 10 cents on
each 500 assessment Of real and
PcicOiidl PiOpcA9 dSctuot PlOPCfGy
owners in the so-called sanitary zone
of the Gaithersburg district and tax
Of not more than S cents on the 500
assessment against owners of property
in the ninth district outside the
sanitary zone.
The fire board is to consist of seven
persons, two to be appointed by the
mayor and Town Council of Gathers
burg. two by the washington Grove
Association and two by the Fire
Department with the seventh to be
chosen by the six appointees from
among the residents living outside the
sanitary zone.
Treasurer to Collect.
Collections of the fire tax will be
made by the county treasurer along
with the regular county taxes after
he has certified the assessable basis
of the ninth district to the Fire
termine the tax rate that must be
set to raise the funds needed to oper-
ate and maintain the department. The
money will be remitted to the de-
partment as it Is collected.
The two bills were the only Mont
gomery County acts passed by the
General Assembly at its special session
which did not fall into the emergency
act classification and thus do not
become effective until the first day
of June.