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LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 334

CHAPTER 334.

AN ACT to protect Infants and Young Children from being
received or boarded in improper homes in the city of
Baltimore.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-

License to be
secured.

land, That no midwife, institution, corporation or home not
duly incorporated for such a purpose shall receive infants or
young children for the purpose of caring for them with a
view to compensation without first securing a license from
the board of health.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That before the granting of such

Application to
be endorsed

a license the board of health shall require each application
to be endorsed by four reputable citizens, and that as far as
possible thereafter a record shall be kept by the commis-
sioner of health containing the full name and address of
each infant or child received, the date of its birth, the date
of its reception, and in case of a change in address the date
and place of its removal.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That before issuing said license
the home or institution of each applicant shall be visited by

Investigation
to be made.

an agent or inspector of the board of health and a full inves-
tigation made as to the sanitary conditions, accommoda-
tions, the ability and fitness of the applicant to take charge
of such infant or child and such other information bearing
on the subject as may be of value, and that the agent's report
and recommendation may be a basis upon which the board
of health may base its action for granting or rejecting the
application for such license.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That any midwife or institution,
corporation or person which shall receive or board an infant

Guilty of mis-
demeanor.

or small child under three years of age with a view to com-
pensation, without first securing such license, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall be fined $25.00 and costs for each and every offense,
one-half of the said fine to be paid to the informer, and upon
failure to pay the fine imposed and the cost of the proceed-
ings, the person or persons so convicted shall be committed
by court or the justice who imposed such fine to the city jail
for a period not less than ten days nor more than thirty days.