HEALTH. 1543

poena lawfully issued, or on refusal of any witness to testify to any matter
regarding which he may be lawfully interrogated, it shall be the duty of
the Circuit Court of any county or the judge thereof, or of either of the
Circuit Courts of Baltimore city or the judges thereof, on application of
any member of the State Board of Health, to compel obedience by attach-
ment proceedings for contempt. Every witness who shall appear before
the Board by its orders shall receive for his attendance the fees now pro-
vided for witnesses in civil cases in courts of record, which shall be audited
and paid by the State in the same manner as other expenses are audited
and paid upon the presentation of properly verified vouchers. But no
witness subpoenaed at the instance of parties other than the Board shall be
entitled to compensation from the State for attendance or travel unless the
Board shall certify that his or her testimony was material to the matter
investigated. Fees paid under this section shall be charged to the general
appropriation for the State Board of Health. The State Board of Health
may, in any investigation, cause depositions of witnesses residing within
or without the State to be taken in the manner prescribed by the law for
like depositions in civil actions in courts of record.

An. Code, sec. 3. 1904, sec. 3. 1888, sec. 3. 1880, ch. 438, sec. 4.

5. The said board shall meet quarterly in the city of Baltimore and at
such other times and places as they shall appoint, a majority to be a quorum
for the transaction of business; they shall elect one of their number to be
president of the board and adopt all needful rules and regulations subject
to the provisions of this article; they shall organize, as far as practicable,
in every city, village and legislative district in this State, local boards or
advisory committees to serve without pay, to assist the board in the proper
performance of their duties and to make a report quarterly to the board of
the sanitary condition of their respective cities, villages or districts. The
board shall have authority to send their secretary or a committee of the
board to any part of the State at any time when necessary to investigate the
cause of any special or unusual sickness or mortality. In the event of an
epidemic or pestilential disease occurring in any county, city or village of
the State the board shall forthwith cause all needful sanitary measures and
precautions to be taken which the emergency may call for and which may
be consistent with law, and shall be approved by the governor, said approval
to be expressed in writing; and upon the application of said board, with
the approval of the governor, the comptroller is hereby authorized to draw
his warrant upon the treasurer in favor of the board for an amount not
exceeding ten thousand dollars, to be paid out of any unappropriated money
in the treasury, to be applied and expended under the direction of the
governor and the said board of health in carrying out such needful sanitary
measures and precautions.

An. Code, sec. 4. 1904, sec. 4. 1888, sec. 4. 1880, ch. 438, sec. 5.

6. At their first meeting, or as soon as a competent and suitable person
can be secured, the board shall elect a secretary 1 who shall be an educated

1 Ch. 29 of 1922 (p. 64) abolished the office of secretary and provided that the director
of health should exercise all the powers, perform the duties, etc., of the secretary.
See sec. 2 of this article.