720 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 514]

building of any bridge and opening any new road, and for
repairing and reconstructing public roads and bridges in said
county. All of the taxes levied and collected under the pro-
visions of this section shall be disbursed by the said County
Commissioners upon the roads and bridges in said county, and
in the manner hereinafter provided, and in no other way.

SEC. 269. The County Commissioners of Dorchester County
shall, within sixty days after the passage of this act, appoint
some competent person as County Road Engineer of Dorchester
County, who shall be a graduate civil engineer, and shall have
sufficient knowledge of civil engineering and road construction
to enable him to accurately make surveys, plats, profiles and
specifications for the grading, draining, maintenance, repair
and construction of public roads and bridges of said county,
and also to do all necessary engineering work for the building
or rebuilding of roads and bridges, and who shall have had at
least three years' experience in road engineering work, at a
salary of not more than fifteen hundred dollars ($1500.00) a
year, payable monthly; and the said County Road Engineer
shall hold his office for a term of four years, or until his suc-
cessor is appointed and qualified, unless removed for cause, as
hereinafter provided; and in addition thereto a sum not exceed-
ing three hundred dollars ($300.00) annually to cover all act-
ual and necessary traveling expenses and other expenses incurred
by him in the discharge of his official duties hereund'er, to be
approved by the County Commissioners; and the County Com-
missioners shall make such appointment without any reference
whatever to the political opinions of the person so appointed.

SEC. 270. The said County Road Engineer shall not be
liable to removal from office for any reason other than incompe-
tency or wilful neglect of duty, and then only upon the sworn
complaint of ten or more resident taxpayers of Dorchester
county, to be filed with the County Commissioners of Dor-
chester County, or upon complaint by the clerk of said County
Commissioners, filed by direction of said County Commis-
sioners; and every such complaint shall state specifically the
nature and character of such charge, of which due notice shall
be given to said County Road Engineer; and if the said County
Commissioners, after hearing such charges, at which hearing
the said County Road Engineer and the parties making com-
plaint shall be entitled to be present, in person and by counsel,
to produce any competent testimony, shall find that said County
Road Engineer is incompetent or has been guilty of wilful neg-
lect of duty, it shall be their duty to immediately remove said
County Road Engineer from office; but either party to such