346 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 149

ties. All statements in the application shall be sworn to
or affirmed by the applicant.

6. The said Local Board or the Department of Welfare
of Baltimore City shall promptly make or cause to be made
such investigation as they may deem necessary. The Local
Board or the Department of Welfare of Baltimore City
shall decide upon the application and fix the amount of the
pension, if any. An applicant whose application for a
pension has been rejected may not again apply for a pen-
sion until the expiration of six months from the date of his
or her previous application.

Any applicant or pensioner deeming himself or herself
to be aggrieved by any decision of the Local Board or the
Department of Welfare of Baltimore City in the exercise
of its duties under this Section or any other Section of this
Article, or by any decision of the Administrator of Pen-
sions and Relief under this Article, (may within thirty days
after the announcement of such decision appeal therefrom
to the Board of State Aid and Charities. Such Board
shall cause an investigation to be made and shall set a date
for the hearing of said appeal, reasonable notice of which
shall be given to the said applicant or pensioner and to
the Local Board of the County in which the applicant or
pensioner resides, or the Department of Welfare of Balti-
more City, if he resides therein. The said Board shall take
testimony and proceed in an orderly manner but may con-
sider the reports of local investigators and of its investi-
gators and shall not be limited by any of the common law
rules of evidence. It shall have the same powers to secure
the attendance of witnesses and to compel the production
of documents as the State Industrial Accident Commission.
The County Commissioners of the County in which the ap-
plicant or pensioner resides, if said Commissioners shall
not at that time be and constitute the Local Board, or the
Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, if the applicant or
pensioner resides in Baltimore City, shall have the right
to appear and become a party to said case. The decision
of the Board of State Aid and Charities shall be final
and not subject to further appeal, provided that the said
Board may at any time thereafter review and reopen said
case.

It shall be unlawful for any person to make any charge
or receive any fee for representation of an applicant or
pensioner in any proceeding hereunder, or with respect to