ART. 23. ] FIRE MARSHAL. 19

of any resident of this State any policy participating in the
profits or surplus under which the accounting, apportionment
and distribution of surplus to the policy holder shall be
delayed for a longer period than five years from the date at
which the insurance first went into effect, or from any pre-
ceding accounting, apportionment or distribution of surplus.

1906, ch. 273.

198 B. No life insurance company incorporated under the
laws of Maryland, or incorporated elsewhere and doing busi-
ness in said State, shall be permitted to enter into any agree-
ment with any policy holder or applicant for insurance intended
as a waiver of any of the provisions of the preceding section,
and it shall be the duty of the insurance commissioner to
revoke the authority of any such corporation to transact busi-
ness in this State for failure to comply with any of the require-
ments of the preceding section. *

Approved April 2, 1906.

Fire Marshal.

1894, ch. 248. 1906, ch. 709, sec. 2.

204. It shall be the duty of the said fire marshal or the
deputy fire marshal hereinafter created to examine into the
causes, circumstances and origin of all fires occurring within
the State to which his attention may be called, and which, in
his judgment, requires examination; and in making said
examinations the said fire marshal or deputy fire marshal may,
when in his judgment said proceedings are necessary, take the
testimony on oath of all persons supposed to be cognizant of
any facts, or to have the means of knowledge in relation to the
matters herein required to be examined and inquired into, and
to cause the said testimony to be reduced to writing; and when,
in his judgment, such examination discloses that the fire was
of incendiary origin, the fire marshal or deputy fire marshal
may cause the supposed incendiary to be arrested and charged
with the crime; and shall transmit a copy of the testimony so
taken to the State's attorney for the county or city wherein said
fire occurred; and upon the request of the owner or insurer of
any property destroyed or injured by fire, the said fire marshal
or deputy fire marshal shall make a written report to the

*Called sections 199 and 200 in the act.