If Harold Hill, the fast-talking salesman from the musical The Music Man, were to stroll into New Glarus today, he might find at least one thing familiar. While few people would argue that a pool table leads to the downfall of civilization, the village still maintains an ordinance requiring businesses to obtain a permit for each pool or billiard table they operate.

Pool tables have long since become a common fixture in neighborhood taverns, family restaurants and community gathering places. Yet tucked away in the Village of New Glarus municipal code is a licensing requirement that dates to a time when many communities regarded pool halls with suspicion.

The village ordinance requires any person keeping or maintaining a pool or billiard table for public use to first obtain a license from the village. Rather than establishing a fixed dollar amount, the ordinance provides that the annual fee is set by the Village Board for each table maintained on the premises. The present cost of the permit is $10.