940 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 501

cant is not less than twenty-one years of age; (2) each appli-
cation for a license must be verified by the affidavit of the ap-
plicant; (3) in lieu of the certificate, there shall be annexed
to every such application the affidavit of at least ten reputable
citizens, voters and taxpayers residing in the election district
in which the applicant lives, certifying that each of them has
been personally acquainted with the applicant for one year at
least, knows him to be a person of good moral character,
knows that the statements of fact contained in the applicant's
petition for a license are true, and verily believes that the
assurance in such application will be faithfully fulfilled.

(i) WASHINGTON COUNTY. In Washington County the cer-
tificate shall be signed by at least three citizens who shall
be owners of real estate and registered voters in Washington
County, setting forth a statement that the qualifying appli-
cant, or applicants, as the case may be, is personally known
to them and has been a resident of the county for two years
next preceding the presentation to them of the application.

50. PUBLICATION AND OTHER EXPENSES. All ex-
penses in connection with the publication of the notice of ap-
plication and the giving of notice to the applicant and the
protestants, shall be borne by the applicant, and the applicant
shall deposit, in advance, with the Board of License Commis-
sioners or the Clerk of the Court, as the case may he, a suffi-
cient sum to cover such publication and the giving of such,
notice.

PROCEDURE FOR ISSUE OF LICENSES

51. COMPTROLLER. Before the Comptroller shall approve
any license or permit he shall cause an investigation to be
made regarding the applicant, the business to be operated and
the facts as set forth in the application. After the investiga-
tion, if the Comptroller is of the opinion that the applicant is
not a fit person to receive the license or permit applied for,
or has made a material false statement in his application or
has practiced fraud in connection with said application or
that there are other reasons, in the discretion of the Comp-
troller, why the license or permit should not be issued, then
the application shall be denied, and no such license or permit
shall be issued. If no such findings are made by the Comp-
troller, then the application shall be approved and the license
or permit issued.

52. BOARDS OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS, (a)
GENERAL PROCEDURE. Before the Board of License Commis-
sioners for Baltimore City or any County shall approve any