36       REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE.


MASSACHUSETTS
BOARD OF APPEAL
Section 1. The governor, with the advice and consent of
the council, shall appoint for a term of three years each two
persons who shall be citizens of this. commonwealth and who,
with the insurance commissioner or some person whom he may
appoint as special deputy for that purpose, shall constitute a
board of appeal for fire insurance rates. The insurance com-
missioner or his special deputy shall be chairman of the
board. An office and a room for hearings shall be provided
by the commonwealth, when they are deemed necessary by
the governor and council, and the board may employ a sten-
ographer and shall have power to compel the attendance of
witnesses and the production of books and documents.
HEARING AND ORDER
Section 2. Any person, firm or corporation aggrieved by
any rating of a fire insurance company or board may file a
complaint with the insurance commissioner, who! shall notify
the board above provided for. The complaint shall be in
writing and shall state in detail the grounds upon which the
complaint asks, relief. The said board shall notify in writing
all parties whom it deems to be interested, and shall set a
time, not earlier than seven days after the date of the no-
tice, and a place for a hearing upon the complaint. After
due hearing the board shall make a finding 'as to whether the
established rate is excessive, unfair or discriminatory, and
shall make such recommendations as it deems advisable. The
finding and recommendation in each case shall be made a
matter of record and shall be open to public inspection.
COMPENSATION
Section 3. The compensation of the two appointees of the
governor and a special deputy, if appointed, shall be sever-
ally ten dollars a day for each day or fraction thereof actij-