600

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAPTER 356.

AN ACT to regulate Gas Metres in the City of Bal-

timore.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of

Maryland, That it shall be the duty of every Gas

Correct appa-

Company manufacturing, furnishing, and selling

ratus or metre

gas in the City of Baltimore, to place upon the prem-

ises of every consumer using gas, a correct appara-

tus or metre for registering the consumption of the

same, and it shall be the duty of the company to see

that said apparatus or metre is kept in proper work-

ing order and condition.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That it shall not be law-

Not be lawful.

ful for said company, under any circumstances, to

charge or collect for any greater amount of gas than

is registered by said apparatus or metre.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That any consumer may,

at any time, cause said apparatus or metre to be

Be tested.

tested by the Inspector and Sealer of Gas Metres of

Baltimore city, who shall make said test in the pre-

sence of consumer and of an agent of the Gas Com-

pany, by which the gas may be supplied, if desired,

and shall furnish to the consumer, a certificate, under

oath, of the true condition and working of said ap-

paratus or metre, and if it shall be found, upon any

such test, that said apparatus or metre is registering

gas in favor of said company, then in the absence

of any fraud upon the part of the consumer, the said

Shall refund.

company shall refund to the consumer an amount

in lawful money equal to the per centage that the

said apparatus or metre has been registering too

fast, upon the bills of said consumer, registered by

said apparatus or metre, for the four months next

preceding the said test, unless the said company can

prove that such inspection and certificate do not

show the correct result; and in case such refunding

does take place, the said company shall also pay the

expenses incurred in making said test.

In force.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That this act shall take

effect from the date of its passage.

Approved April 7, 1876.