LICENSES. 1959

de, and the. Comptroller of the Treasury is hereby empowered to have
general supervision over the license laws of this State.

Provided, however, that any law or part of a law under which the State
Tax Commission has exercised or may exercise any authority similar to
that conferred upon the State Comptroller by this section be and it is
hereby repealed to that extent, it being the purpose of this section to con-
centrate in the office of the State Comptroller the power to supervise the
issuance of all licenses issued by the clerks of the several courts of this
State, and that this power shall be exercised by no other official.

Auctioneer.

An. Code, sec. 7. 1904, sec. 7. 1888, sec. 7. 1886, ch. 507, sec 5B. 1888, ch. 10.

8. Every person who shall open a room or place of business for the
purpose of selling goods, wares and merchandise at auction shall be re-
quired to take out a license in the same manner as resident traders; the
amount to be charged for said license to be rated upon the amount in value
of goods, wares and merchandise on hand by said person for sale in the
same manner as licenses are rated to resident traders. This section not
to apply to Garrett county.

Billiards.

An. Code, sec. 8. 1904, sec. 8. 1888, sec. 8. 1798, ch. 13. 1824, ch. 64, sec. 1.
1826, ch. 219, sec. 1. 1865, ch. 56. 1870, ch. 250. 1892, ch. 525. 1912, ch. 67.

9. A license may be granted to any person who may apply for per-
mission to keep a billiard table, for which license there shall be paid the
sum of ten dollars, and for every additional billiard table kept by the
same person he shall pay a license of five dollars; provided, that all said
additional tables shall be kept in the same premises; and the word billiard
table shall be construed to include pool tables; and provided further, that
any person who shall keep a pool or billiard table where a charge is made
for playing on the same but the said charge is returned or is to be re-
turned to the players to be exchanged with the owner of said table or his
agent for money, drinks, cigars or any other article of merchandise, shall
. be considered as gambling, and such tables shall be deemed gaming tables
for the purposes of this article; and the person so keeping such table shall
be liable to the penalty or penalties prescribed by the Public General
Laws for keeping a gaming table or other place of gaming or permitting
gambling on his or her premises.

History of secs. 9, 10 and 11. Although law applicable to billiard tables in Balti-
more city has been codified in local Code, the licenses are contemplated to be
issued by the state, and state receives the revenue therefrom; demurrer to indictment
overruled. Although the law excepts billiard tables kept for private use, such
exception need not be negatived in indictment. Local requirements for issue of
licenses held to have exclusive operation within limits of Baltmore city. Weber v.
State, 116 Md. 404.

This section applies to a corporation and also to a club which charges for use of
pool table. State may tax amusements of people either for revenue, or as police
regulation. Germania v. State, 7 Md. 6.