TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT

including the establishment and/or revision of record reten-
tion schedules, in order to insure prompt and orderly dis-
posal of records not required by the operations of the
agency." If, acting pursuant to this provision, your agency
determines that cancelled checks over fifteen years of age
should be destroyed, there would be no legal objection to
this determination, provided that the decision be approved by
the Hall of Records Commission (as it apparently has been),
and by the Board of Public Works, as required by Section
180.

Very truly yours,

JOHN MARTIN JONES, JR.

Asst. Attorney General.
JMJ:MH

October 19, 1959
Hon. Meyer M. Cardin
Chairman

Workmen's Compensation Comm.
Equitable Bldg.
Baltimore 2, Md.

Dear Mr. Cardin:

You have asked our opinion as to whether all records of
the Workmen's Compensation Commission must be preserved
indefinitely under Article 101, Section 7, Annotated Code of
Maryland (1957 Ed.), or whether the Commission may at
its discretion dispose of any and all records which are no
longer necessary for its operation.

We are of the opinion that you are authorized to de-
stroy all records which in your opinion are no longer of
any value, provided:

1. The Commission establishes a definite program for
the disposal of records no longer required for its
operations;

2. The program thus established is approved by both
the Hall of Records Commission and the Board of
Public Works;