Chap. 231.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 139 of an act entitled
an act to raise revenue for the support of the government and public free
schools, and to pay the interest on the public debt, and to provide for
a special tax for pensions, as authorized by section 189 of the Constitu-
tion, approved April 16, 1903, as amended and re-enacted by an act ap-
proved March 13, 1912. (S. B. 222.)

Approved March 24, 1914.

1. Be it enacted by the general-assembly of Virginia, That
section one hundred and thirty-nine of an act approved April six-
teenth. nineteen hundred and three. as amended and re-enacted hv
an act approved March thirteenth, nineteen hundred and twelve,
entitled an act to raise revenue for the support of the government
and public free schools and to pay the interest on the public debt,
and to provide for a special tax for pensions as authorized by sec-
tion one hundred and eighty-nine of the Constitution, be amended
and re-enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 139. Any person, firm, or corporation, having on a street,
alley, or other place in the city, or on any public road in any county,
or in shops, stores, hotels, boarding houses, depots, public or private
rooms, or any other place anywhere in the State of Virginia, a slot
machine of any description, into which are dropped pennies or
nickels or coins of other denominations to dispose of chewing gum,
or other articles of merchandise, or for the purpose of operating
musical or other devices that operate on the nickel-in-the-slot prin-
ciple used for gain, except as a pay telephone, shall pay for every
such slot machine or musical or other devices, as the case may be,
a license tax of ten dollars per year for the use and benefit of the
State, except such vending machines as are used solely for the sale
of agricultural products or cigars, on which shall be levied a license
tax of three dollars per year for each machine, except also weighing
machines, and machines solely for the purpose of selling shoe strings,
on which shall be levied a license tax of two dollars per year for
each machine; provided, however, that nothing in this section con-
tained shall be construed as permitting any such person, firm, or
corporation to keep, maintain, exhibit or operate any slot machine
or other device in the operation of which cigarettes or intoxicating
liquors are disposed of or in which the element of chance enters,
and it shall not be lawful for any commissioner of the revenue or
other officer to issue a license under this section to any such person,
firm, or corporation for the keeping, maintaining, exhibiting, or
operating of any slot machine or other device in the operation of
which cigarettes or intoxicating liquors are disposed of or in which
the element of chance enters, the intent of this section being to
license only those machines or devices in the opration of which the
element of chance does not enter, and which are not used to dispose
of cigarettes or intoxicating liquors; and provided, further, that
this section shall not apply to any merchant who has paid a mer-
chants’ license, and uses such slot machine simply for the purpose
of making sales of his goods and merchandise, and to be used
inside of his place of business, nor shall it apply to slot machines
used for the purpose of selling individual sanitary drinking cups,
or sanitary drinking cups and natural water at one cent.

Any person, firm or corporation having any such machine and
failing to precure a license therefor, shall be subject to a fine of not
less than twenty dollars nor more than fifty dollars for each offense,
and such machine shall become forfeited to the Commonwealth.

2. All acts or parts of acts in conflict with this act are hereby
repealed.