1136 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 464

1st, nineteen hundred and fourteen, be compelled by the
Commission to insure to his employees and their dependents
the payment of the compensation specified in this Article,
by paying to the State Treasurer for the use and benefit
of the State Accident Fund, hereinafter authorized to be
established, the premium or taxes levied and published
by the State Accident Fund for the group of employ-
ments, industries or works to which said employer belongs.
And any such employer who fails or refuses to so insure
within ten days, after being ordered by the Commission
to do so, shall be liable to the State in an amount equal
to the premium or taxes required of him for six months'
insurance in the State Accident Fund, as a penalty, which,
together with his premium or tax due the State Accident
Fund for the first six months, may be collected by the
Commission in the same manner and with the same effect
as provided in Section 75 of this Article for the collection
of premiums or taxes in default.

(e) In exercising the discretion conferred upon it by
this section and Section 14 of this Article, the State Indus-
trial Accident Commission shall consider the reputation
of any insurance company or association, in which any
such employer may desire to insure, for promptness and
fairness in the settlement of compensation claims, without
unreasonable resistance on the part of any such insurance
company or association, and shall also consider the finan-
cial strength of his employer, the number of employees
employed, the degree of hazard to employees engaged in
the employment, the likelihood or danger of several em-
ployees being injured or killed by one and the same acci-
dent, the relative influence, the different methods, by
which compensation may be assured under this Article,
are likely to exert upon the employer and his employees
for the prevention of accidents, and any other facts or
conditions bearing upon the security and promptness of
payment of the compensation and the prevention of
accidents.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall
take effect June 1, 1949.

Approved April 29, 1949.

CHAPTER 464
(Senate Bill 350)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sec-
tion 27 of Article 101 of the Annotated Code of Mary-