of not more than sixteen days and not more than fourteen days. In case any said corporations or associations doing business as aforesaid, or any of their officers, shall refuse to make payment at the times above set forth to their wage-workers, laborers or other employees the wages due them, or any of them, said association, corporation or officer so refusing shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and be liable to indictment therefor, and, upon conviction, shall be fined a sum not exceeding two hundred dollars for each offense.

1894, ch. 629, sec. 104A.

112. No corporation incorporated under the laws of this State, for any purpose whatsoever, nor any foreign corporation doing business in this State, shall offer to procure or act as agent for any person or persons in procuring or making any loan of money or other valuable thing on the security of any chattels, nor shall make any loan of money or of any other valuable thing on the security of any chattels or otherwise, except in its own proper corporate name and for its own behalf or benefit; and no such corporation making any such loan, as aforesaid, shall be entitled to charge any borrower of money from it, or shall take from any borrower from it, or other person, any other thing for or in the name of premium, or of compensation for renewing or continuing any such loan as it may be authorized to lawfully make, than lawful interest at the rate of six per centum per annum, for the term during which such loan shall be renewed or continued; and every security taken by any such corporation for any such loan as aforesaid shall express plainly the period of time for which such loan is made, and the entire interest agreed to be paid for said loan for the term of such loan, which entire interest shall in no case nor by any means be made to exceed the rate of six per centum per annum on the money or other thing loaned for the term of such loan; and any contract or security for any such loan, or providing for the renewal or continuance of any such loan, made in violation of this section, shall be absolutely null and void. And no person or persons in this State shall assume to deal or act as a corporation, or in any corporate name or in any other than in his, her or their own proper name or names, in

any of the matters or things prohibited by this section under a penalty of not less than fifty dollars for every offense, to be recovered by indictment in any court having criminal jurisdiction in the city or county where any such offense may have been committed; and every security taken by any such person or persons in any such name of a corporation, or in any other than his, her or their own proper name or names, shall be absolutely null and void; provided, this section shall not apply to homestead and building and loan associations incorporated under the laws of this State.

Comm'l Association v. Mackenzine, 85 Md. 136.

COMPANIES FOR THE ERECTION OF BRIDGES.

1888, art. 23, sec. 86. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 118.

113. If any corporation formed under the provisions of this article shall desire to erect any bridge over any river, creek or stream of water in this State, or between this and another State, the said corporation shall first obtain the consent, in writing, of the County Commissioners of the county in which said bridge may be proposed to be located; or if said bridge be proposed to be erected over a stream dividing two counties, then such corporation shall obtain the consent, in writing, of the County Commissioners of both of said counties; and the resolution of the said County Commissioners giving said consent shall be recorded among the proceedings of said Commissioners, and also in the journal or book of proceedings of said corporation.

1888, art. 23, sec. 87. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 119.

114. The corporation may agree with the owners for the lands necessary for the abutments of the bridge, and for roads and ways thereto, and for earth or stone required in the construction of said bridge and of said ways; and the rights acquired by agreement shall be conveyed by deed, duly acknowledged and recorded. In case of failure to agree, or of disability of the owners to contract, or of their absence from the State, the corporation may obtain the lands, earth and stone by condemnation.

Ibid. sec. 88. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 120.

115. When a bridge located in one county shall be completed, the president and directors of the corporation shall report in writing to the County Commissioners of said county, under the oath or affirmation of the president and a majority of the directors, and of the treasurer of the company, the actual cost of construction of said bridge; and the County Commissioners shall appoint three persons to examine the same and report whether it has been constructed in such a substantial and durable manner as is required to promote the public convenience, and the report shall be reviewed and ratified, or rejected by the County Commissioners, who may appoint other persons to report thereon, in their discretion; and if it shall be finally determined by the County Commissioners that the bridge is erected in a proper manner, they may authorize the corporation to charge such rates of toll as may be sufficient to yield a net dividend of eight per centum per annum to the stockholders or members of said corporation, making due allowance always for cost of necessary repairs and reconstruction from accident or otherwise.

Ibid. sec. 89. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 121.

116. The corporation shall revise the rates of toll every six months for three years from the completion of the bridge, and shall report at each period to the County Commissioners the gross amounts of receipt and expenditure; and the rates of toll shall be so readjusted, if need be, as to yield not more than eight per centum net dividend; and at any time thereafter the corporation shall, on demand of the County Commissioners, report the amounts of receipt and expenditure for any period demanded, and the tolls shall be readjusted so as to yield not more than said dividend. The rates of toll to be charged shall be specified in writing by the County Commissioners.

1888, art. 23, sec. 90. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 122.

117. If the bridge be erected over a stream dividing two counties, or between this State and another State, the corporation shall make the like report herein before provided to be made to the County Commissioners, to the Comptroller of the

Treasury, who shall lay the same before the Governor, who shall issue his warrant specifying the rates of toll to be charged so as to yield eight per centum per annum net dividend; and like reports shall be made to the Comptroller every six months, and at any subsequent times as are provided in the preceding section to be made to the County Commissioners; and revisions and re-adjustments of tolls shall be made by the Governor, as are directed to be made by the County Commissioners, in cases of bridges located in any one county.

Ibid. sec. 91. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 123.

118. The written authority or warrant of the County Commissioners and of the Governor, in the respective cases, shall be evidence of the right of the corporation to charge the tolls demanded; and said authority or warrant shall be printed and exposed to public inspection at every place where the payment of tolls may be demanded.

Ibid. sec. 92. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 124.

119. No bridge shall be erected on a navigable river, unless authorized by an Act of the General Assembly.

Dundalk, etc., Ry. Co. v. Governor Smith, 97 Md. 180.

Ibid. sec. 93. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 125.

120. Before the Governor shall issue his warrant authorizing the collection of tolls, he shall be satisfied, from the report of five commissioners, to be appointed by him, that the bridge has been erected and completed in a substantial and proper

manner.

1888, art. 23, sec. 94. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 126.

121. When any citizen shall allege, in writing, to the circuit court for any county, that any bridge situate within or partly within said county is not kept in proper order and repair, the same proceedings may be had in said court as are hereinafter provided in cases of turnpike or plank roads alleged not to be in proper order and repair.

BUILDING OR HOMESTEAD ASSOCIATIONS.

Ibid. sec. 95. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 84.

122. Any homestead or building association, formed under the provisions of this article, shall have power, in its certificate of incorporation, to limit the number of shares which each stockholder may be allowed to hold; to prescribe the entrance fee to be paid by each stockholder at the time of subscribing; and to regulate the instalments to be paid on each share; provided, the same shall not exceed the sum of one dollar per share per week; and the times at which the same shall be payable.

Middle States Co. v. Mattress Co., 82 Md. 515. Faust v. Building Asso., 84 Md. 190. Commercial Asso. v. Mackenzie, 85 Md. 142. Salisbury Asso. v. Wicomico County, 86 Md. 619. Balto. Bridge Asso. v. Powhatan Co., 87 Md. 64.

Ibid. sec. 96. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 85.

123. Any such corporation shall have power to enforce the payment of all instalments and other dues due to the corporation from the members or stockholders, by such fines and forfeitures as the corporation may, from time to time, provide in the by-laws or articles of association of such corporation.

Ibid. sec. 97. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 86.

124. Any person applying for membership, or for stock in any such corporation, after the end of one month from the time of incorporation, may be required to pay, on subscribing, such bonus or assessment as may from time to time be fixed or assessed, in such manner as may be provided by the corporation, in order to place such new member or stockholder on a footing with the original members and others holding stock at the time of such application.

Geiger v. 8th German Bldg. Ass'n, 58 Md. 569.

1888, art. 23, sec. 98. 1868, ch. 471, sec. 87. 1894, ch. 321. 125. Such corporation, at any time in advance of the period of time at which it may cease to exist, according to the plan

Art. 23, Sec. 122B. Void because in violation of Constitution. Kafka v. Wilkinson, 99 Md. 238.