222 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 109]

Said County Commissioners shall have full power to determine
how the roads of the county and any special road or roads
thereof may be worked, repaired, improved or maintained, and
to regulate the wages that shall be paid employees engaged in
such work, and the prices to be paid for material to be used
on the same, and to provide for such clerical or other assistance
as may be required by them or the Montgomery County Road
Superintendent for the efficient performance of their several
duties. Said County Commissioners shall have the power to
have work done by direct employment of labor or to let out the
construction, repairs, maintenance or improvement of any road
or portion of a road by contract when, in their judgment, such
course is deemed advisable, in which case preference shall be
given where practicable to persons directly interested in the
proper care or improvement of such road or roads. All con-
tracts made by the County Commissioners for the repair or
construction of roads or bridges, or for materials to be used
therein or thereon, shall be reduced to writing and filed for
record with the clerk to said County Commissioners. When-
ever work on any road or bridge involves an outlay of five
hundred ($500) dollars or more, plans and specifications there-
for shall be prepared by or under the direction of said road
superintendent, who shall recommend to the board the manner
in which the work shall be done, and if by contract, bids for
the work shall be invited by reasonable publication; such bids
when publicly opened and read shall be referred to the said
road superintendent for analysis and report and no adverse
action on the recommendations of the road superintendent shall
be taken except by a majority vote of the full Board of County
Commissioners. All material and supplies, machinery and
equipment to be used on 'the roads and bridges involving a cost
of more than two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) shall be
contracted for after requesting bids for the same by reasonable
publication in the county papers as the said commissioners may
designate. All said material and supplies, machinery and
equipment shall be subject to the approval of the county road
superintendent. Said County Commissioners shall purchase all
stone-crushers, rollers, scrapers and road material, equipment
and appliances for use in connection with such roads, after
referring the same to the said road superintendent and receiv-
ing his recommendation thereon. Said County Commissioners
shall and may adopt all necessary and reasonable rules, regula-
tions and orders with reference to the proper use, care, repair,
improvement, construction and maintenance of the county roads
and bridges, and shall have power to make all such rules and