720 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 394

son or persons being within this State, and to administer to him
or them the proper and necessary oath, and to examine him or
them, under oath, in relation to the affairs and conditions of
any insurance company. The result of the official examina-
tion of any such company may, at the discretion of the Com-
missioner, be published within thirty days thereafter at the
expense of said company in one daily newspaper published in
the City of Baltimore in such condensed form as shall show
the true condition of the company examined. Should any in-
surance company organized under the laws of this State refuse
to permit its affairs to be examined as herein provided, or re-
fuse free access to its books or papers, or in any manner what-
ever prevent a thorough examination, the said insurance com-
missioner shall proceed against said company in the manner
provided in Section 51.

Section 56. Special Deputy for Investigation of Fires.
That in order to carry out and perform the powers and duties
conferred by the preceding section, the commissioner is author-
ized to appoint and remove at pleasure an additional deputy, at
such compensation as fixed and provided by the budget, and
such additional assistants as the said Commissioner may deem
necessary, at such compensation as fixed and provided by the
budget.

Section 108. Premium Reserve. Every company doing any
of the classes of business mentioned and embraced in section
105 shall be charged with and maintain as any other liability
an unearned or reinsurance reserve for all unexpired policies
or risks in force, equal to the unearned portions of the gross
premiums charged for covering said policies or risks, computed
on each respective policy or risk from the date of the issuance
of the policy, bond or other contract of insurance; or, in the
discretion of the commissioner, at the rate of fifty per centum
of the current annual premiums on each outstanding bond,
policy or contract in force and written for one year or less, and
on policies and bonds in force and written for more than one,
year at the rate of fifty per centum of the current year's pre-
miums, plus the whole of the premiums for subsequent years.

Section 161. Annual License. Associations which are now
authorized to transact business in this State may continue such
business until the first day of July next succeeding the
passage of this Act, and the authority of such associations