1440 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 932

155. (Evasions. ) The provisions of Section 153 of this sub-
title shall apply to any person who seeks to evade its applica-
tion by any devise, subterfuge or pretense whatsoever.

156. (Penalty. ) Any person and the several members, offi-
cers, directors, agents and employees thereof, who shall violate
or participate in the violation of any provision of Section 153
of this sub-title shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon con-
viction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than
Five Hundred Dollars ($500) or more than Five Thousand
Dollars ($5, 000), and/or suffer imprisonment not less than six
(6) months, nor more than three (3) years, in the discretion
of the court. Any contract of loan in the making or collection
of which any act shall have been done which violates Section
153 of this Article shall be void and the lender shall have no
right to collect, receive, or retain any principal, interest, or
charges whatsoever.

157. (Application and Fee. ) Application for a license shall
be in writing, under oath, and in the form prescribed by the
Commissioner. The application shall give the exact location
where the business is to be conducted and shall contain such
further relevant information as the Commissioner may require
including the names and addresses of the partnership, corpora-
tion, officers, directors, or trustees, and of such of the principal
owners or members as will provide the basis for the investiga-
tions and findings contemplated by Section 158 of this sub-title.
At the time of making such application, the applicant shall pay
to the Commissioner the sum of Fifty Dollars ($50) as a fee
for investigating the application, and the sum of One Hundred
and Fifty Dollars ($150) as a license fee for the period ending
on the last day of the current calendar year; provided that
if the license is granted after June SO in any year, the license
fee shall be Seventy-five Dollars

158. (Investigation of Application. ) Upon the filing of
such application and the payment of such fee, the Commissioner
shall investigate the facts concerning the application and the
requirements provided for in Section 159 of this sub-title. At
least twenty days before entering the order granting or deny-
ing such application, the Commissioner shall cause notice of
the receipt of the application to be given by publication in
some newspaper. Any applicant, or other interested party,
at any time after filing the application and before the fif-
teenth day after the publication of the notice of receipt
of the application as herein provided, may file in writing
a demand for a formal hearing upon such application.
Upon such demand being made, the Commissioner must,
and in the absence of such demand, may on his own motion,