prosecutions goes to the State officers operating under authority of the
Commissioner, where these officers make the arrests.

The system of licensing all pleasure vehicles on a horse-power basis,
commercial vehicles and trucks on a tonnage basis, and public service
lines, both freight and passenger, on ton-mile or passenger-mile basis,
which had obtained for years in arriving at licensing charges, was
changed by the Legislature in 1922. Under this new system, a gasoline
tax became operative in Maryland on January 1st, 1924. This tax is
in addition to a reduced horsepower fee and adjustments under the other
types of fees.

Administration of the detail of collecting the gasoline tax is vested
in the State comptroller, the Motor Vehicles Commissioner retaining,
however, his former duties in the issuance, at a nominal cost, covering
cost of tags and clerical work, of the licensing and registration of cars.
The gasoline tax is imposed as an additional charge upon public service
vehicles. Their ton-mile and passenger-mile ratings and charges will
continue to be computed and enforced by the Commissioner.

All fine and fee income collected by the Commissioner, above the
costs of administration of his office and field forces, goes into the State
Highway Maintenance fund of the State, thus putting back into the
highways built by other means by the State what the motorist is as-
sumed to have taken out in depreciation of surface and base.

In addition to the headquarters supervision of titling all motor
vehicles purchased new or changing ownership in the State, and regis-
tering and licensing the automobiles, and registering and licensing all
drivers of motor .vehicles, there operates under the Commissioner's
appointment and jurisdiction a corps of motor vehicle enforcement
officers. This force of approximately 73 uniformed motorcycle-mounted
officers operates largely over the rural highways and in the smaller
towns, but has full jurisdiction within Baltimore City. Created
originally as an exclusively motor vehicle regulator force, the State
officers are now, through arrangements whereby the County Sheriffs
vest them with authority as deputies, given jurisdiction under the
State Criminal Code. They thereby have the power of arrest in all
criminal cases. The Commissioner's field force includes, too, a plain-
clothes investigation department, operating In the case of accidents,
thefts and similar violations. He also has the appointment of civilian
deputies.

While trials, with either dismissals or convictions, carrying fines
or jail sentences before magistrates furnish a part of the machinery
of the enforcement of the motor vehicle statutes, control of all drivers'
permits to operate cars or motorcycles is vested solely in the Com-
missioner. He not only controls issuance of licenses and can refuse
to permit an unfit applicant to operate a car in the State, but In addi-
tion he holds the power of suspension for a stated period or the abso-
lute revocation of a driver's permit. This without regard to the action
of the Courts in cases tried before them.

Appeal to the Courts from the action of the Commissioner, in sus-
pending, refusing or revoking licenses, is provided in the law, however.