ART. 23] PROCESS. 643

insurance commissioner of this State a report of its affairs and opera-
tions during the year ending on the thirty-first day of December imme-
diately preceding, which annual report shall bo in lieu of all other
reports required by any other law; such reports shall be upon appro-
priate blank forms to be provided by the insurance commissioner, and
shall be verified under oath by the duly authorized officer of such asso-
ciation, and shall be published, or the substance thereof, in the annual
report of the insurance commissioner, under a separate part, entitled
"Fraternal Beneficiary Associations." The insurance commissioner is
authorized and empowered at any time to address any additional
inquiries to any such association, in relation to its doings or condition,
or any other matter connected with its transactions relative to the busi-
ness contemplated by section 229 to section 237 (both inclusive) of this
article, and such officers of such associations as the insurance commis-
sioner may require, shall promptly reply in writing under oath to all
such inquiries if so required; and in case after such inquiry the insur-
ance commissioner shall have reason to believe that such association is
insolvent or cannot meet its obligations to its beneficiaries or certificate
holders, or is conducting its business in an illegal manner, he may, by
some person designated by him, examine the accounts, books and invest-
ments of said association at its home office, at the expense of said associa-
tion, not to exceed in the aggregate the sum of fifty dollars; each such
association on filing its annual report shall pay to the insurance com-
missioner the sum of twenty-five dollars.

Cited but not construed in Himmel v. Eicheugreen, 107 Md. 612; Supreme
Lodge v. Simering, 88 Md. 284; International Fraternal Alliance v. State, 86
Md. 552; Barton v. International Fraternal Alliance, 85 Md. 31.
See notes to sec. 229.

1904, art. 23, sec. 214. 1894, ch. 295, sec. 143 I.

233. Each such association now doing or hereinafter admitted to do
business within this State, and not having its principal office within
this State, and not being organized under the laws of this State, shall
appoint, in writing, the insurance commissioner, or his successor in
office, to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom all lawful process
in any action or proceeding against it may be served, and in such
writing shall agree that any lawful process against it which is served
on said insurance commissioner shall be of the same legal force and
validity as if served upon the association, and that the authority shall
continue in force so long as any liability remains outstanding in this
State. Copies of such certificate, certified by said insurance commis-
sioner, shall be deemed sufficient evidence thereof, and shall be admitted
in evidence with the same force and effect as the original thereof might
be admitted. Service upon such attorney shall be deemed sufficient
service upon such association. When legal process against any such
association is served upon said insurance commissioner, he shall imme-
diately notify the association of such service by letters prepaid and
directed to its president, secretary and supreme or chief secretary or