634                                     LAWS OF MARYLAND                                 Ch. 102

PERMITS TO APPRENTICES. The Commissioners may fix the
requirements of the competency and qualification of
applicants, whether of master plumbers or of journeyman
plumbers, as different standards, in their judgment, for
different parts of the State, and may accordingly limit the
certificates so as to permit the holder thereof to do
plumbing work only in certain specified sections of the
State, as the Commissioners may determine. Any person
appointed or employed by the State, a county, or any local
government to inspect plumbing or drainage work may not have
any pecuniary interest in any plumbing business, and, upon
such appointment or employment, shall relinquish his
master's or journeyman's certificate to the Board. Upon
termination of the appointment or employment, the person may
reactivate his master's or journeyman's certificate without
examination by written request to the Board and payment of
the appropriate renewal fee. The Board may issue
identification receipts or cards to inspectors who have
relinquished their certificates. In cases of emergency in
which it would be impractical to require two years'
experience, one year's experience as a journeyman plumber
will qualify the applicant for a master's certificate.
Whenever by any of the general or local laws of this State
it is provided that a permit shall be granted to anyone
qualified to work at the plumbing business or to do plumbing
work, however the same may be designated, or that certain
appointments shall be given to or certain duties shall be
performed by one qualified to do plumbing work, or any other
reference is made to one qualified to do work which is
included under the term "plumbing work," however the same
shall be designated, then such general or local laws shall
be held to refer only to one qualified to work at the
plumbing business under his own direction, that is, one
holding a certificate authorized to be called a "master
plumber's certificate," and may not be held to refer to a
journeyman plumber or to an apprentice. The Commissioners
may revoke any certificate or permit which, after notice to
the holder and hearing, they may determine has been obtained
by fraud or misrepresentation, or has been issued by mistake
or inadvertence. The Commissioners may revoke or suspend
for such time as they may deem proper the operation of any
certificate or permit when the Commissioners, after notice
to the holder and a hearing, determine that the holder has
used the certificate or permit contrary to the provisions of
this subtitle, or to any rules or regulations of the
Commissioners adopted in pursuance of the provisions of this
subtitle, or contrary to the limitations contained in the
certificates or permit, or has violated any of the
provisions of this subtitle. Nothing in this subtitle shall
be construed to prevent incorporated gas companies from
making connections of gas appliances for domestic purposes.
The Board of Commissioners shall prescribe rules and
regulations for the issuance of a certificate, on a
reciprocal basis, to any plumber presenting a master
plumber's certificate issued by a board or agency of any
subdivision or official body of this State, for the current
year, when the standards of competency or fitness