740                              Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 577

and Industry. No person shall engage in business as an employment
agent in this State until (1) he shall pay to the said Commissioner
[a license fee of $25.00 for a full year or pro rata for less than a full
year, provided, however, that the fee shall not be less than $10.00,
(2) and shall also deposit with the said Commissioner a bond in the
penal sum of $1,000] an annual license fee of $100.00 for a first
agency and an annual license fee of $50.00 $100.00 for each additional
agency to be operated in this State, (2) and shall also deposit with the
said Commissioner a bond in the penal sum of $2,000 for each agency
to be operated in this State signed by the applicant for the license as
principal and by a surety company authorized to do business in this
State as surety, payable to the State of Maryland as obligee and
conditioned on the compliance of such applicant with the provisions
of this subtitle, and the payment by such applicant of all damages
occasioned to any pension by reason of any misstatement, misrepre-
sentation, fraud or deceit forbidden by said sections of such applicant
or his agents or employees. All licenses granted by the said Commis-
sioner shall irrespective of the date of issue, expire on the first day
of May next thereafter. No license shall be issued by the said Com-
missioner unless the applicant for such license shall have an office
within the State at which such applicant carries on, or proposes
to carry on, business as an employment agent [.] and such appli-
cant shall have resided in the State of Maryland for a period of one
year. If such applicant for license to conduct an employment agency
in this State has, at time of filing application, been a duly licensed
agent in a state licensing such agents for a period of at least one
year immediately prior to filing application, resident requirement
may be waived at the discretion of the said Commissioner. Such ap-
plicant shall submit to the said Commissioner two business refer-
ences. The said Commissioner is hereby authorized to refuse to issue
a license to any applicant whose license has been suspended or re-
voked as hereinafter provided, unless and until it shall be shown to
the satisfaction of said Commissioner that the applicant will not
be guilty of the offense for which such prior license was suspended
or revoked.

164. The Commissioner of Labor and Industry is hereby author-

ized, at any time and from time to time, after a public hearing

(notice of which shall be given as hereinafter in this section pro-

vided), to make and publish rules and regulations for the regulation
of employment agents not inconsistent with the provisions of this
subtitle and in like manner to repeal or amend such regulations from

time to time. The Commissioner shall give notice of any such public

hearing at least ten days in advance thereof by mailing a notice
thereof to all licensed employment agencies in the State and in addi-
tion by publishing such notice in two daily newspapers of general
circulation published in Baltimore City. The said Commissioner is
hereby authorized to revoke or to suspend for such period as he shall
think proper the license of any employment agent violating any of
the provisions of Sections 162 to 170, inclusive, or of any rule or
regulation made and published pursuant to the provisions of this sec-
tion. Provided that the said Commissioner notify by registered mail
the employment agent of such violation or violations at least 10 days
prior to the revocation or suspension of such license. The Commis-

sioner shall specify in the notification the violation or violations
committed and shall set a date for a hearing to be held by the Com-

missioner no later than 10 days following the date of notification.