ART. 23] FRATERNAL BENEFICIARY ASSOCIATIONS. 243

in its home State, province or county that the association is legally
organized; a copy of its contract, which must show that benefits are
provided for by periodical, or other payments by persons holding simi-
lar contracts; and upon furnishing the commissioner such other infor-
mation as he may deem necessary to a proper exhibit of its business and
plan of working, and upon showing that its assets are invested in
accordance with the laws of the State, territory, district, province or
country where it is organized, he shall issue a license to such associa-
tion to do business in this State until the first day of the succeeding
January, and such license shall, upon compliance with the provisions
of this sub-title, be renewed annually, but in all cases to terminate on
the first day of the succeeding January; provided, however, that license
shall continue in full force and effect until the new license
be issued or specifically refused. Any foreign association desiring ad-
mission to this State shall have the qualifications required of domestic
associations organized under this sub-title and have its 'assets invested
as required by the laws of the State, territory, district, country or prov-
ince where it is organized. For each such license or renewal the asso-
ciation shall pay the commissioner twenty-five dollars. When the com-
missioner refuses to license any association or revokes its authority to
do business in this State, he shall reduce his ruling, order or decision
to writing and file the same in his office, and shall furnish a copy
thereof, together with a statement of his reasons, to the officers of the
association upon request, and the action of the commissioner shall be
reviewable by proper proceedings in any court of competent jurisdic-
tion within the State; provided, however, that nothing contained in
this or the preceding section shall be taken or construed as preventing
any such association from continuing in good faith all contracts made
in this State during the time such association was legally authorized to
transact business herein.

See notes to this section (as it stood in 1011) in volume 1 of the Anno-
tated Code.

1912, ch. 824, sec. 17A.

244A. (Power of Attorney and Service of Process.) Every asso-
ciation, whether domestic or foreign, now transacting business in this
State shall, within thirty days after April 15, 1912, and every such
association hereafter applying for admission, shall, before being
Jicensed, appoint in writing the Insurance Commissioner and his suc-
cessors in office to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom all legal
process in any action or proceeding against it shall be served, and in
such writing shall agree that any lawful process against it which is
served upon such attorney 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 appointment, certified by said Insurance Commissioner,
shall be deemed sufficient evidence thereof, and shall be admitted in