382 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

sold and delivered in such municipality or county, the Commis-
sion shall investigate as to the cause for such complaint. When
such complaint is made, the Commission may, by its agents,
examiners and inspectors, inspect the works, system plant and
methods used by such person or corporation in manufacturing,
transmitting and supplying such gas or electricity, and may
examine or cause to be examined the books and papers of such
person or corporation pertaining to the manufacture, sale,
transmitting and supplying of such gas and electricity. The
form and contents of complaints made as provided in this sec-
, tion shall be prescribed by the Commission. Such complaints
shall be signed by the officers, or by the customers, pur-
chasers or subscribers making them, who must add to their
signature their places of residence, by street and number, if
any.

NOTICE AND HEARINGS: ORDER FIXING PRICE OF GAS OR ELEC-
TRICITY OR REQUIRING IMPROVEMENT.

SEC. 37. And be it further enacted, That before proceeding
under a complaint presented as provided in this Act, the Com-
mission shall cause notice of such complaint, and the purpose
thereof, to be served upon the person or corporation affected
thereby. Such person or corporation shall have an oppor-
tunity to be heard in respect to the matters complained of at a
time and place to be specified in such notice. If an investi-
gation be instituted upon motion of the Commission the person
or corporation affected by the investigation may be permitted
to appear before the Commission at a time and place specified
in the notice and answer all charges which may be preferred
by the Commission. After a hearing and after such investiga-
tions as may have been made by the Commission or its officers,
agents, examiners or inspectors, the Commission within lawful
limits may, by order, fix the maximum price, according to law,
of gas and electricity to be charged by such corporation or
person, or may order such improvement in the manufacture
or supply of such gas, in the manufacture, transmission or sup-
ply of such electricity, or in the methods employed by such
person or corporation as will, in its judgment, justly and law-
fully improve the service. The price so fixed by the Commis-
sion shall be the maximum price to be charged by such person
or corporation for gas or electricity in such municipality or
county until the Commission shall, upon complaint, as pro-
vided in this section, or by the corporation interested, or upon
its application for a new adjustment of rates or upon an inves-
tigation conducted by the Commission on its own motion, again
fix the maximum price according to law of such gas or elec-
tricity. In determining the price to be charged for gas or elec-