The referee shall have all the powers of the superior courts to compel parties to produce books and all other papers which may be deemed necessary and proper for the investigation of the matters submitted to arbitration, giving to the party, his agent, or his attorney, from whom the production is required, such notice as is required in the superior courts for the production of papers.
(Code 1933, § 7-415, enacted by Ga. L. 1978, p. 2270, § 2; Code 1981, §9-9-124; Code 1981, §9-9-74, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1988, p. 903, § 3.)