1600                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 848

cerning pari-mutuel betting privileges and the tax thereon for the
so-called harness racing tracks in this State.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 17 (b) of Article 78B of the Annotated Code of Mary-
land (1956 Supplement), title "Racing Commission", be and it is
hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

17. Trotting and pacing races.

(b) Tax on wagers; payment to State Fair Board.—Each licensee
licensed under the provisions of this section shall at its option be
permitted to avail itself of the pari-mutuel betting privileges granted
in this section, retaining for its own use 11% 11½% of all money
wagered not in excess of [$2,000,000] $3,000,000 and 8% of all money
wagered in excess of [$2,000,000] $3,000,000 on all races conducted by
it during the year, and shall pay to the Racing Commission for the
use of the State within five days after the close of the meeting held
during the year 1956, and each calendar year thereafter, an annual
tax at the rate of [2%] 4% 3½% of all money wagered not in excess
of [$2,000,000] $3,000,000 and [5%] 7% of all money wagered in
excess of [$2,000,000] $3,000,000 on all races conducted by it during
the year, together with one half of all breakage computed to ten
cents (10¢), and together with a license fee of twenty-five dollars
($25.00) for each day that races are held, provided that the Racing
Commission shall not authorize more than twenty-four (24) days at
any one track. The Commission shall promptly pay all taxes collected
under the provisions of this section to the Comptroller. Each licensee
licensed under the provisions of this section shall, in addition to
the other taxes and fees imposed under the provisions of this
Article, pay annually to the Maryland State Fair Board a sum repre-
senting one-tenth of one percentum of all money wagered in excess
of two million dollars ($2,000,000) with a maximum of three thou-
sand five hundred dollars ($3500.00) from each licensee.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect

June 1, 1957.

SEC. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT THIS ACT
IS HEREBY DECLARED TO BE AN EMERGENCY MEASURE
AND NECESSARY FOR THE IMMEDIATE PRESERVATION OF
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND HAVING BEEN
PASSED BY A YEA AND NAY VOTE, SUPPORTED BY THREE-
FIFTHS OF ALL THE MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH OF THE
TWO HOUSES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARY-
LAND, THE SAME SHALL TAKE EFFECT FROM THE DATE
OF ITS PASSAGE.

Approved April 17, 1957.

CHAPTER 848
(House Bill 791)

AN ACT to add a new Section 66 (f) to Article 2B of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1951 Edition and 1956 Supplement), title

Explanation: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.

[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.