Document gD6XxQZoDZjwjvxX7rOzL3Qze

py. 'r O.D. The sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is hereby appropriated to the Department of Labor and Industry for compensation payable by the Com monwealth under the provisions of this section for the biennium one thousand nine hundred fifty-five one thousand nine hundred fifty-seven. (Section 421. All hearings before the board or one or more members thereof, or before a referee, shall be public. 'Section 422. The board, its members and the referees shall not be bound by the technical rules of evidence in conducting hearings and investigations, but all findings of fact shall be based only upon sufficient, competent evidence to justify them. If any party or witness resides outside of the Commonwealth, or through illness or other cause is unable to testify before the board or a referee, his or her testimony or deposition may be taken, within or without this Common wealth, in such manner and in such form as the board may, by special order or general rule, prescribe. The records, kept by a hospital of the medical or surgical treatment given to an employee in such hospital, shall be admissible as evidence of the medical and surgical matters stated therein, but shall not be conclusive proof of such matters. Where any claim for compensation at issue before a referee involves five weeks or less of disability, either the employee or the employer may submit a certificate by any qualified physician as to the history, examination, treatment, diagnosis and cause of the condition, and the statements shall be admissible as evidence of medical and surgical matters therein stated, but such statements and . certificates shall not be admissible in any subsequent proceedings. Where an employer has furnished surgical and medical services or hospi talization in accordance with the provisions of subsection (f) of Section 306, or where the employee has himself procured them, the employer or employee shall, upon request, in any pending proceeding be furnished- with or have made available a true and complete record of the medical and surgical services and hospital treatment, including X-rays, laboratory tests, and alt other medical and surgical data in the possession or under the control of the party requested to furnish or make available such data. (Section 423. Any party in interest may, within twenty days after notice of a referee's award or disallowance of compensation shall have been served upon him, take an appeal to the board on the ground: (1) that the award or disallowance of compensation is not in conformity with the terms of this act, or that the referee committed any other error of law; (2) that the find ings of fact and award or disallowance of compensation was unwarranted by sufficient, competent evidence, or was procured by fraud, coercion, or other improper conduct of any party in interest. The board may, upon cause shown, extend the time provided in this article for taking such appeal or for the filing of an answer or other pleading. In any such appeal the board may disregard the findings of fact of the *As amended by Act No. 482, Laws of 1951: and by Act No. 155, Laws of 1953. t As amended by Act No. 482, Laws of 1951, effective January 2, 1952. 129