Commonwealth ex rel. Attorney-General v. Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Ass'n

8 Pa. D. & C. 77, 1926 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 176
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Dauphin County
DecidedSeptember 16, 1926
DocketNo. 61
StatusPublished

This text of 8 Pa. D. & C. 77 (Commonwealth ex rel. Attorney-General v. Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Ass'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Dauphin County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth ex rel. Attorney-General v. Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Ass'n, 8 Pa. D. & C. 77, 1926 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 176 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1926).

Opinion

Hargest, P. J.,

The Attorney-General filed his suggestion for a writ of quo warranto to require the respondent to show by what authority it conducts the Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition on Sundays, to which it charges an admission fee, wherein goods, wares and merchandise are sold and amusements and diversions conducted; and also to show by what authority it licenses, permits and sanctions the sale of goods and the operation of such amusements on that day. The respondent filed its answer, averring that the Exhibition conducted by it is charitable and educational in its nature and that it violates no law by permitting said Exhibition to be open on Sundays, for which an admission fee is charged, or by permitting the amusements which are therein conducted to be open without charging a separate admission fee therefor. It also avers that the Exposition cannot be successfully carried on if it shall be closed on Sundays, and denies the jurisdiction of the court to entertain this proceeding. The relator filed a reply, whereupon the case was [78]*78heard by the court without the intervention of a jury, under a stipulation filed pursuant to the Act of April 22, 1874, P. L. 109.

Facts.

The facts have been separately found in answers to requests of both parties and filed herewith, but for convenience we may restate briefly those- upon which our conclusion largely rests.

The Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Association was incorporated May 9, 1921, pursuant to the Act of June 14, 1887, P. L. 383. It is not a corporation for profit. It is formed for the purpose of conducting, in the City of Philadelphia, an exhibit of the progress of the United States in art, science and industry, trade and commerce, to celebrate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The directors of said association directed the Exposition to be opened on Sundays, and, beginning July 4, 1926, the said Exhibition has been open on Sundays. The said Exhibition covers a large area of ground, approximately 1000 acres; great buildings have been erected; exhibits of all character in the arts, science and industry are displayed; many classes of recreational amusements are conducted, such as theatres, a switchback railroad, a carousal, the panorama of the battle of Gettysburg, Fire and Flame, which is a reproduction of descriptive conditions in the tenement districts of large cities; Tunisian village, portraying the activities of Tunisian life, and many others.

The respondent has entered into contracts for exhibits with sale privileges, and with concessionaires for conducting and operating amusements of the character above referred to. Many of these contracts provide for a percentage, to be paid to the Exhibition Association, based upon receipts or the invoice price of goods. There is within the grounds a space set apart exclusively for amusements, called the “Gladway,” which covers approximately eighty acres, but the amusements are also scattered over the grounds. The Exposition has a large number of employees and about 2000 are on duty on Sundays. The concessionaires also employ from 1500 to 2000 people. Replicas of the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence Hall are stamped or printed on souvenirs of all kinds, such as spoons, large pencils, paper weights and novelties.

The order directing the Exposition to be opened on Sunday provided:

“There can be no selling of merchandise on Sundays, no solicitation or ‘barking.’ Sales must be confined wholly to foods and beverages.”

Later on an order was addressed to all concessionaires, which provided :

“Sales within the Exposition grounds on Sunday must be confined to foods, beverages and ‘official souvenirs’ of the Exposition. For the purpose of these instructions, the term ‘official souvenirs’ means articles which have been made up as souvenirs of the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition and have been so marked in the process of manufacture; articles emblematic of the Exposition, such as replicas of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, copies of the Declaration of Independence and similar emblematic articles. Novelties and other articles of merchandise cannot be classed as ‘official souvenirs,’ notwithstanding that they may bear stickers, rubber stamps or other quickly and especially devised markings indicating that they are official souvenirs. Articles of merchandise cannot be converted into official souvenirs by placing them in boxes or other containers so marked. No donations may be solicited. No charges may be made for amusements. No oriential dance nor show of similar character will be permitted to open.”

The theatres were not permitted to be open on Sundays. While no additional charge is made for recreations and amusements on. Sundays, the Exhi[79]*79bition Association pays to each concessionaire whose place is operated on those days an amount which will cover their depreciation, their operating expenses of every nature, and a certain percentage to cover the overhead for the officers of the company whose time cannot be directly distributed against a day’s operation. To illustrate: For each Sunday $3000 is paid for Treasure Island, $1800 for Fire and Flame, $1000 for the Battle of Gettysburg, $200 for the Scooter. Notwithstanding the order against sales of merchandise which cannot properly be classed as “official souvenirs,” sales of such merchandise have been made on Sundays and “barking” has been carried on.

Discussion.

At the threshold of this case the respondent raises the question of jurisdiction. While the pleadings raise the general question, we do not understand it to be contended that this court does not have jurisdiction generally in proceedings in quo warranto against corporations of the State, at the relation of the Attorney-General, and, indeed, we are of opinion that this is no longer an open question, in view of the irresistible logic of the opinion of Simonton, P. J., in the case of Com. v. Penna., Slat. & New Eng. R. R. Co., 2 Dauphin Co. Reps. 283. See, also, Com. ex rel. Attorney-General v. Order of Solon, 166 Pa. 33, 38, and Com. ex rel. Attorney-General v. Wilkins, 271 Pa. 523, 526.

The respondent, however, denies that quo warranto is the proper remedy. This requires us to consider somewhat the nature and character of that proceeding. Quo wa/rranto is the appropriate writ for the forfeiture of a charter or the ouster of a corporation from using powers and privileges which it does not possess. It is not a criminal proceeding, but is essentially a civil proceeding, remedial in its nature: Respublica v. Wray, 2 Yeates, 429; Com. v. Philadelphia County Commissioners, 1 S. & R. 382; Com. v. Burrell, 7 Pa. 34.

Judge King, in Miller v. McCutchen, 2 Parsons, 205, 211, said: “Our clear duty is to give such a construction of this act (Act of 1836) as will advance the remedies it was intended to impart, not to nullify them in effect, by giving it one too narrow.”

In Com. v. Stevens, 168 Pa. 582, 587, the Supreme Court, speaking of the Act of 1836, said:

“This statute is remedial and is to be so construed and administered as to advance, that is, to render effective, the remedy: Com. v. Dillon, 61 Pa. 488.”

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8 Pa. D. & C. 77, 1926 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 176, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-ex-rel-attorney-general-v-sesqui-centennial-exhibition-assn-pactcompldauphi-1926.