428
OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
T- AUSTIN
a- c. nAm
~aolau
Honorable Ton Saay
oouaty Attorm f
pottrr county
Amrlllo, Terar
Dear Sir:
Wa hart oara your lrttar or April 25,
1940, In whioh you oi thir drpartmnt on
qurationr propound aI r0iiowrt
with thankr your rblr di#oursion of
on of authorftirr set forth in your
283, Penal Coda, Vernon’s Annotatrd Statutes,
01 to work on Sunday, rrrdr:
*iny prreon who shall lhbar, or ooapel,
tome, or oblige his aplOyes, IIC)T~IMII,or ap-
prsntiorr fa labor on Sunday, or any prrron who
shall hunt gamr of any kind whatsoever on Sunday
within one-half ail. of any church, school hous*,
429
-
Honoreblo Tom Seey, Fags 2
or private rseidenoo, rhall be fined not lose
than tan nor nora than rtrty dollars. Act Dec.
16, 1863, Aot Deo. 2, 1887. Aote 1887, p. 108.~
Art1010 284, excepting osrtain types and kindo or
work, rredr I
“The prrosding artlola ehall not apply to
houerhold dutlar, works of neoeealty or oharlty;
nor to neoeaeery work on ferme or plentatIone In
order to provent thr 1060 of sny orop; nor to th8
runnlq of etesmboate end othrr wstrr orafte, rail
oar8, wagon traina, oo.mmon oarrlars, nor to thr dr-
livery of goods by thorn or thr rrooltlng or rtorlng
of raid goods by the partlse or thsIr agents to whom
eeld goods are drllverrd; nor to stagse oarrylng the
Unltrd States mall or pasaengars; nor to foundries,
sugar mIlla, or hardrr; who have a hard of stook
actually gathered end utier hard; nor to prreone
traveling; nor to ferrymen or kaepara of toll
bridgea, keepers oi hotels, boarding houses end rea-
taarente and thrlr servants; nor to keepers of
llrrry stables end thalr esrrants; nor to any person
V&LO ooneolentlouely bellrvee that the aavanth or
any other day or the wark ought to be obsarvrd 88
thr Sabbath, and who actually rafrelnr f’xm bualnrse
and labor on that day ior rellgl~ua reaeone. Aot
Deo. 2, 1871,‘Aotr 1871, p. 62. Aarndad In rule-
lag 1879.”
Artlola 286, prohlbltlng thr salr oi goode on Sun-
day, made:
wAny marchant, erocar, or daaler In werae or
merohandisa, or trader In any b.ueInser whateoayar,
or the proprlrtor of any plaoe of pub110 amusemant,
or thr a&ant or enploya of any euah parson, who
shall sell, barter, or permit hle placr of buslnaas
or place or public amusement to ba opan for the pur-
posa or traffic or publio amusement on .%ndey, shall
be CIned not laar then twenty nor more than fifty
dollars. Tha tarra placr of pub110 amuaa>snt, shall
ba oonetruad to mean olrcuaae, theaters, varlrty
theaters and auoh other amuaaaents as ara axhlbltad
and for whloh an ad.nlsslon far la ohargad; and shall
also include danora at disorderly housrs, low divas
end places or like oharaoter, with or without free
430
tinorrblr %a Srry, Pa60 )
i&r rtiaalon. AOt I)rO.2, 1671, Aotr 1883. D. 66,
.Aots UN?, p. 1OP.”
rente,, llrrry qtab\ra, bath houara, or ior doel-
era, no* tor$ole6re$h o?‘ trlrphonr ~OfrioeL, nor to
+@S.'Ol 6erOfiM, 0, Othir SOtOr f'1Irlj~~O~30-~ .
tehlolo lubrIceata, fior to aotlon piotore: lh6ra -
0~ theetrra oprzatrd in dnr inoorporetra rlty
or tow,. .thrtrp one 0~01ook P. lib
*Sao. 2. Tha ComIr~Ionr~e ir City Counoll
91 ti' 80-6 OP iitka ia which adid siOti6n
‘Qlotarr alloiva or :theatPaaare looetrd ‘ahmU ha*6 -
the :right ,an&~~tiF b$ propor ordlnenor to prohibit
or regulate the kerplng open or ehowlng of auoh
motion Irturr ehoh :‘br ‘.hhertrLr 611.hndny. Aota
19ns, 3B th.L66., p; 347. .oh. 139, 1.11 Aofe 1931,
42n6 L-r&; Qe 195,4n. 110 .-
The ebovr quotwl ertloles he+@ eppeerad in prrrloua
~~tloeti~nr :oi .thr Taxar Itatutes rnder the- ~artielo numbrra
‘a Iedio+ea by tM -r0n0wiag teblrr
Tha gsnsrel validity ot th; Sunday leas and the 8x-
ztion of Orrtaln oooapatlone end lrtlolaa of nerohandiar
‘* brrn rroognlred end uphrld by thr ooarta. 139 TOI:. fur.
Ilonorablr Toa Sray, Page A
$58, 0% @OQ.)
Art1010 284, la9ra, rrpr~eely rxorpte ima the pro-
gpon egelnet lebor on Sunday, wworke of nrooeelty or ohar-
. It le to be noted, horsrrr, thet tharr le no euoh ax-
raption oa looount or neosrelty from the prohibition against
ealrr ot good8 oa Sundeyr.
The raot thet Artlelr 267 roads mrrely. to lxoept
l
koe91re of drug ltoree, hotele, boarding houere, roeteuraate,
,...’ GO., wlthout rxorptlng e9oolflo ltrae handlad and rold
by mob flrae, night, oa the fear of it, be oonetrued a8 a
rnsrel lxoeption. But l hletorloal eurvay mek a l e
uoh e hold-
L iapoeelblr .
The Act of 1871 (Ooasral Idwe, Sroond Soeelon, 12th
Lag., 9. 62) ( entitled, -An Aot co Pualeh Cartaln Offansae Com-
mittad on Sun4ay,W In Seotloan 4, makae It unlewful to oprrata
a bualaree on Sunday, within thr olty limite, between 9.00 A.M.
*Ia 4.00 P.M., “provided, that aothlq in this eot ehall be
sonstrurd to prohibit ths sale oi drug8 and msdlolnee oa Sunday.*
The Aot oi 1883 (Csnrral Lawe, 18th Lsg., 9, 66), sn-
titled, *AB Aot to ~msnd Artlolr 186 (oodlflcatlon of 1879) of
thr Pm81 Code,* sootlon lr
“Be it lnaoted by the Legislature of the
Statr of Texae: That Art. 186 or thr Pmal Code
be amendad 80 es herrsitar to read a8 followe,
to-WI t t
*Art. 186. Any mrrohant , grooar, or doalar
in wares or morchandlsa, or trader in any lawful
bueiaaee whatsoavsr, . . . . who shall sell or bartar
on Sunday, shall br finrd.. , . , provided thle Art-
iolr rho11 not apply to narkrte or dealsre In pro-
~i~lo ne l e to tha ssla o? 9rorlel~ne bide by them
“efon9.00 o’clook A.!d., nor the eals oi burial or
shrouding matarial; provided, the Sal0 of nawe-
ice and milk at any hour dn thr day shall
~:“;::~leeibl.. . . .” end al80 exempt8 the sanding
or raaalvlng or t&graph nreaagss.
Tha Aot of 1687 (Gsnrral Lawe, 20th Leg., 9+ 1081,
ztitlrd, “Amandlng the Sunday Law - Additional ExaWtione 9”
ArtiOlr 1868 (oodirloatlon of 1679) says:
-_
432
Eonorabl8 Toa 6say, Pa68 5
“Tha proordlag artlolr (166) shall not apply
to markets or dralare in provielons as to ealae. . . .
brfora 9.00 ogolook A.M., nor to ths @ala of burial
or ehroudln,f meterlel, newepepore, 108, lob #ream,
ailk, aor to thr bonding of tslrgraph or t l lsphono
mreeagee et eny hour of tha day, nor to kaapere of
dru6 stores, hotale, boarding houses, raetaurante,
llrrry ltebli~; barbor shops, bath houses, or loe
deelere, nor to telegraph or trlephoae offloee.a
The Aot of 1691 (General Laws, 22nd Leg., p. 173),
roads the sane as above, lx o epthatt barbs? ehope arr omitted
as bein lxasptad.
The Act of 1925 (39th Leg. pa 347, oh. 139, 1 l),
adds to the oxosptrd artlolee wgaeol~ar or other motor fuel’
and *‘tshlole lubrloaate. *
The Aot o? 1931, amending Art1018 267 (42nd Lag.,
9. 195, oh. 116). adds %aotlon ploturr shows or theatrae opar-
atod la an7 lnoorporatod city or tom artrr 1.00 ololook P.l4.*
Thus whlla tha Act of 1871 epeclfloally rxrmpte *drugs
and medlelnae,* end the Aot of 1667 simply exorpte “k80porSw Of
drug etorse, hotels, end restaurants, yet in srarof vs. Stat.,
(1869), lairs, tha court lntrrpnted thm axorptlone es llmltrd
to drugs and mealo’lnse~ e& ln Se&h vs. Stat0 (1922)) lnfra,
tha court again axproeeod ltealr vary olaerly as ooneidrrln&
that drug ltorae ara llmlted to the eels of drugs end mediolnre,
arrl raetaurants aAd hotels to thr ealr of foods, although in
1916 (Orlmre tn. State, infir), tho oourt had hald that “la
00netruillg thr etetutory *xorptlone, thr ordinary elgnifloatlon
of thr mrde usrd oontrole.a
~1 canoe oltsd horeln port-date the Act of 1867.
With regard to tbr first part ot your pUa@tiOn, hsr-
ing to do with drug stores, hotrle, raetaurante, lto.r
In Saaroy TS. Stata, 51 S. a. 1119 (Ct. Cr. App. of
Taxae, JUM I, 16991, the arrandaat had born oonvlotsd of esll-
tne liquor on sunany, nnd appsalrd on thr grounds that the Sun-
*ay law 18 ~dlaee 10g181at10n.” Ths oourt ruled thst tale 18
cot so, and held ths t thr Legislature has thr rltzht to rxsmpt
Oartelu articles, an4 said ln part:
“mugs and msdlolnre war0 vary properly placaa
Honorable Toa Seey, Pago 6
in thle oategory, aad tha krapor of a drug ltora Is
authorized to erll dm68 and modloinae, but not eth-
er good8 that do not boloeg in this 01888.~
In the one@ of Selrh vs. Steta, 91 Tax. Cr. Rap. 316,
(Ct. Cr. Ap9. of Taxae, Ldaroh 22, 19221, tha oourt held that
Salah, the proprietor of a oold drink stand, did not rlolata
the Sunday law In celling his ouetoaer 8 nllk ohooolato, whloh
the ouetoner teetlfied ho bowht in llau of braakfaet es a
froquont praotioo, boceuee, the oourt bald, milk was rxempt b7
tha sot, and ohoooleta war hrld to be a food. :a rondoring
the aooleloa, tho oourt sold la pert8
“The artlolee in qaeetlon (Art10188
302, 303,
Pan01 coda, or 1911) es oonetruod by tho
codirioation
oourt in searoy vs. State, 40 Tex. Cr. Rap. 460, 51
s. W. 1119, are not latonded to Exempt rretaurant
keepers’, hotel keaprre and keepers of drug etoree in
the transaction of all buelneee whloh alght be on-
gaged la by them in oonnootlon with thrlr general
occupation; but is lntendod to exempt hotel kropere
and raetaurant krapere in tha sale of fOoda to the
publlo, and druggists in the eele of Oruge and nedl-
olnre. It 1s apparent that the pumoeo ot-
lelature was to rxeapt the lrtiolre sold end not
he seller by reesoa of the oharaotrr of business
ho might be lng a g ain.* a Umpheeie ours.)
In Orlaos vs. Stata, .200 8. U. 376 (Jan. 16, 1918))
thr Texas Court or Crlmlnal Appoale quoted from 37 Cyo. 546,
68 rollowea
Bare the statute oontalne A0 lxOeptione,
tha naturo or tho bueineee or aeranaant 18 lmuia-
tarlal, and tho raot that it is 8 work of nooee-
elty, or oharlty, or that it is not unlawful in
lteelr, oonetltutee no aarenea. In oonetruing
the statutory exoaptlone, tho ordinary eignifi-
cation or the words urea controle.W
Tha fact that tha Leglelatura in on4adlng from tima
to timr th0 Aat or 1671, prorenting thr sale or 80048, to ex-
lmPt oerteln ertialae, has in eaoh 0168 eddrd exproes rxoep-
tione, trnds to bear out the oontmtlon that the sale of aDy
artme not 8X00pted 18 0 tlolatlon 0r thr law. Yhlle the
Phraseology was somawhat altered in 1867, the wording of thr
434
Rcnorablo Tom Sony, Page 7
lot has not boon ohenged llnce then, lxoopt to add lpeolrlo
exeeptloae as to lrtloloe (6aeolln8, 011 and rahlolo lubrl-
oonte, in 1925) and one buelnaee (notion ploturoe, 1931).
For further referenoee, sea 39 Tex. Jur. 656, at seq.,
60 c. J. 1042, at @a~., 59 A. L. R. 1547, et req.
IA regard to the queetloa whether garegee and tilling
etetlone ma7 ball automobile parts and lo o o eeo r leer
Ia Orimee vs. State, eupre, thr oourt upheld 8 ooa-
rlotlon oa the grounds that “a ealr of enulna 011 br a dealer
la automobllo lupplloe was not rxO8ptea as a work of neoseelt7,
where there was nothing to prevent the loquleltloa of the 011
flea e prbtlslon dealer or drug ltore....W
In Johnson vs. Btata, 216 S. W. 1033 (Ct. Cr. A9p. of
?erae, 192)), the oourt uphold the oonrlotlon of Johneon, even
though ho tostlrlod that ho had been told by 8 proseouting of-
fioer that the selling of gasoline on Sunday on17 to aare oom-
polled to hate gasoline to reaoh their deetlnetlon would not
llolato tho law. The court raid in part:
aArtlole 303 (codifloation or 1911) oxsmpte
from the prorlelon persons l r ig a ing oertaln
od
olaeeoe of business, but the uomptloa door aOt
inolude the keeper of a gerege xior name gasolina
08 an article whloh may be eold.W
In the amended Artiole (267, Panal Coda, peered b7
the 39th Logioloture, 1925), gaeolina and "other motor fuel*
*nd “Tehlolo lubrloants* a relxprosaly exoepted. If the Log-
~lature had meant to l xoept parts and eooossorlee, it would
acubtloee have so stated.
This lnterprotatlon of the ~etotutoe as appllad to
~*raI3er and rllllng stations la further substantiated by the
‘*ee ot Doniolo gt. al. vs. Southern Surety CO., 40 S. W. (26)
209. In this oaoe the widow of Daniela woe ruin6 the Southern
t$*tY Company for compeneatlon benrflts, rhloh the UompanY
refuaod to pay On the ground that the deoeasrd wao emplOyOd
‘y the rliiiW station on Sunday, and wa.n engaged la ohanglng
’ tira when injured.
The court, while holdliog thot whether thlb constituted
4o*asarp labor was a quoetion Or fact to be aotemnlnod by the
JUY~ added that, “It 1s aleo true that it (the eerrioe station)
^.
435 .
Hononble Tom Sony, Pago 6
hod for sale automobllo tires, taboe, and aooreeorlor, but
thera is no lntlmotloa that anyone oonnooted with the bue-
bee, either as owner or oaployeo, sold or ooatrnpleted
-king eoloe ot outomobllo tires, tubas, or any other anto-
xoblla eoooeeory oa Sunday.. .~.*
Clearly the oourt 1R)uld hold the sale of euoh artloloe
on Sunday to be lllegel.
The forogolng authorltloe lndloate, thorafore, (1)
that drug storer are prltllegrd to sell only drugs end nedl-
olnoe, foods, end newepapore oa Sundays, and thet hotels end
reeteurente era prltlleged to sell only foods; (2) that 6uegoe
and tilling etatlone era pormltted to sell gaeollnr, 011 en6
lubrloante on Sundays, but not ~ooeeeorloe or pert@.
Vary truly yours
ATlW’ilGYOWERALOF TEXAS
Woe COMMITTEE
APPFKWETMAY
16, 1940