FRANK BROWN, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

them or either of them, and used in connection with the tele-
phone business in said State of Maryland; and also the cost of
furnishing in the city of Baltimore and other places in said
State said telephone service, both that known as the ordinary
or grounded service, and also that known as the metallic
circuit service; they shall also procure all such other informa-
tion which in their judgment shall be necessary and proper to
determine what ought to be fair and sufficient rates for fur-
nishing such telephone service in the city of Baltimore and
other places in the State of Maryland; for the purpose of dis-
charging the duties hereby imposed on them, the commis-
sioners above named are hereby authorized to make such ex-
amination of the books, papers and accounts of the companies
above named, as shall be necessary for that purpose, and also
to summon before them and examine under oath, to be by them
administered, all the officers and agents of said companies and
such other, persons whom they may deem necessary to examine
for the purposes above mentioned, which said summons the
sheriffs of Baltimore city and the several counties of Mary-

268

land are hereby directed to serve. The said commissioners are
also hereby authorized to employ an expert accountant to assist
them in the discharge of their duties, the salary to be paid the
said accountant and also the necessary expenses of the said
commissioners in the discharge of their duties, shall be paid by
the said Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company of
Baltimore City; the exercise of the privileges granted by sec-
tion 232 F of this article, shall be considered as an assent by
the companies above named to the examination authorized to
be made by this section, of the books, papers and accounts of
said companies so far as necessary for the purposes above men-
tioned, and of their officers and agents; it is hereby made the
duty of said commissioners to report to the next General
Assembly of this State, the result of the investigation and ex-
amination by this section directed to be made, together with
any recommendations they think proper to make upon the
subject matter thereof.

Expense, how
to be paid.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect
from the date of its passage.

Approved April 3d, 1894.

Effective.