1156                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 553

(5) Any differences in limitations or conditions or provisions
which directly or indirectly affect the benefits.

In any determination of the incompleteness or misleading character
of any comparison or statement, it shall be presumed that the insured
had no knowledge of any of the contents of the contract involved.

(d) Any person who violates any provision of this section or
knowingly receives any compensation or commission by or in con-
sequence of such violation, shall upon conviction be punished by a
fine not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than one
thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment in the county jail
not less than thirty (30) days nor more than ninety (90) days, or
both fine and imprisonment and shall in addition, be liable for a civil
penalty in the amount of three (3) times the sum received by such
violator as compensation or commission, which penalty may be sued
for and recovered by any person or society aggrieved for his or its
own use and benefit in accordance with the provisions of civil
practice.

346.    Discrimination and Rebates.

(a)   No society doing business in this State shall make or permit
any unfair discrimination between insured members of the same
class and equal expectation of life in the premiums charged for cer-
tificates of insurance, in the dividends or other benefits payable
thereon or in any other of the terms and conditions of the contracts
it makes.

(b)   No society, by itself, or any other party, and no agent or
solicitor, personally, or by any other party, shall offer, promise,
allow, give, set off, or pay, directly or indirectly, any valuable con-
sideration or inducement to, or for insurance, on any risk authorized
to be taken by such society, which is not specified in the certificate.
No member shall receive or accept, directly or indirectly, any rebate
of premium, or part thereof, or agent's or solicitor's commission
thereon, payable on any certificate or receive or accept any favor
or advantage or share in the dividends or other benefits to accrue on,
or any valuable consideration or inducement not specified in the
contract of insurance.

347.    Service of Process.

Every society authorized to do business in this State shall appoint
in writing the Commissioner and each successor in office to be its
true and lawful attorney upon whom all lawful process in any action
or proceeding against it shall be served, and shall agree in such
writing that any lawful process against it which is served on said
attorney shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served
upon the society, and that the authority shall continue in force so
long as any liability remains outstanding in this State. Copies of
such appointment, certified by the Commissioner, shall be deemed
sufficient evidence thereof and shall be admitted in evidence with
the same force and effect as the original thereof might be admitted.

348.    Consolidations and Mergers.

(a) A domestic society may consolidate or merge with any other
society by complying with the provisions of this section. It shall file
with the Commissioner: