642 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 388

any premises to which entry without permission is forbid-
den by Section 576G and may detain him for the purpose
of demanding, and may demand, of him his name, address
and business in such place. If said peace officer or employee
has reason to believe from the answers of the person so
interrogated that such person has no right to be in such
place, said peace officer shall forthwith release such person
or he may arrest such person without a warrant on the
charge of violating the provisions of Section 576G; and
said employee shall forthwith release such person or turn
him over to a peace officer, who may arrest him without a
warrant on the charge of violating the provisions of Sec-
tion 576G.

576-1. Closing and Restricting Use of Highway. Any
individual, partnership, association, corporation, municipal
corporation or State or any political subdivision thereof
engaged in or preparing to engage in the manufacture,
transportation or storage of any product to be used in the
preparation of the United States or any of the States for
defense or for war or in the prosecution of war by the
United States, or by any country with which the United
States shall then maintain friendly relations, or
in the manufacture, transportation, distribution or
storage of gas, oil, coal, electricity or water,
or any of said natural or artificial persons operating any
public utility, who has property so used which he or it
believes will be endangered if public use and travel is not
restricted or prohibited on one or more highways or parts
thereof upon which such property abuts, may petition the
highway commissioners of the state or of any city, town or
county to close one or more of said high way s or parts thereof
to public use and travel or to restrict by order the use and
travel upon one or more of said highways or parts thereof.

Upon receipt of such petition, the highway commission-
ers shall set a day for hearing and give notice thereof by
publication in a newspaper having general circulation in
the city, town or county in which such property is located,
such notice to be at least seven (7) days prior to the date
set for hearing. If after hearing the highway commission-
ers determine that the public safety and the safety of the
property of the petitioner so require, they shall by suitable
order close to public use and travel or reasonably restrict
the use of and travel upon one or more of said highways or
parts thereof: Provided, the highway commissioners may
issue written permits to travel over the highways so closed
or restricted to responsible and reputable persons for such
term, under such conditions and in such form as said com-