728 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 307

SEC. 151. The person authorized to take such weight and
keep such record shall, before entering upon his duties, satisfy
the district mine inspector that he understands the operation
and adjustment of mine scales; and shall before entering upon
his duties take and subscribe before a person authorized to
administer oaths, an affidavit that he has not, and will not
have, while so employed, any financial interest, direct or indi-
rect, in such mine; and that he will accurately weigh and
carefully keep a: record of all coal weighed; which affidavit
shall be filed in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court
for the County, and a copy thereof kept conspicuously at the
place of weighing, provided that in the event that any person
so authorized to take such weight and keep such records shall
become incapacitated, the operator may in such emergency
appoint some other person, who understands the operation and
adjustment of mine scales, who may act in the place and stead
of the person authorized until such emergency appointee or
some other person may be duly qualified; provided, that im-
mediate action shall be taken to qualify such a person and an
immediate report of such emergency action shall be trans-
mitted to the district mine inspector.

SEC. 152. The miners employed in any coal mine in this
State shall have power, if they desire, of employing at their
own expense a check-weighmaster, who shall have the right
to be present and observe the weighing of coal by the weigh-
master, to examine and test the scales, to inspect records made
by such weighmaster; and be subject to the same qualifications,
oath and penalties as such weighmaster.

SEC. 153. The weighmaster shall balance, test and exam-
ine the scales each morning before starting to weigh coal; and
shall accurately weigh and record the just net weight of such
coal, crediting the employee who has sent the same to the
surface in tons and hundred-weights computing therefor any
majority fraction of a hundred-weight as a whole hundred-
weight, and omitting credit of any fraction of a hundred-
weight less than one-half a hundred-weight.

SEC. 154. Seventy-six pounds avoirdupois shall constitute
one bushel of coal; and two thousand pounds avoirdupois
shall constitute one ton of coal.

SEC. 155. The Bureau is hereby made inspector of weights
and measures at all mines of this State, and all inspectors
thereof are authorized, empowered and directed, under regu-