3666 ARTICLE 16.

brook or water course, or any personal property which they may deem
expedient for the purposes aforesaid. And said council is hereby vested
with all the rights and powers necessary for the construction, maintenance
and operation of said improvements in said town. If from any cause said
council shall be unable to agree with any owner of real estate, spring,
brook, water course or right of way, or of any interest or claim therein, or if
said owner be under any disability or incapacity to contract, or absent from
the State, or unknown, the said council is hereby granted the powers of
condemnation under the light of eminent domain, as provided in section
203, Article 23 of the Code of Public General Laws of Maryland, as fully
as if said section had been herein incorporated; and the manner and pro-
cedure in condemnation for the purposes of this act shall be in all par-
ticulars the same as is provided by section 203; provided, that if it shall
become necessary to condemn any property lying within the limits of said
town, and partly in Montgomery and partly in Prince George's County,
the proceedings in relation thereto shall be had in the former county.

1898, ch. 125, sec. 4. 1912, ch. 790, sec. 630.

978. Said council is hereby authorized and empowered to do all acts
necessary and proper to carry out the provisions of this subtitle of this
article; to contract for the building and construction of all or any portion
of said improvements, either in one contract or in several, either with
or without prior advertisement for bids, and with power to reject any or
all bids which may be received therefor. And said council shall have full
control of said water works, sewerage system and electric lighting plant
when constructed, and shall have authority to employ such superintendents,
workmen or other employees as may be necessary to carry on the same,
and to purchase all supplies necessary for the successful operation thereof;
to establish and maintain rules and regulations for furnishing said water
and electric lighting to the residents thereof, and to sell water, light or
power to any person or corporation, and to compel the householders of
said town to connect their houses with the sewerage system so to be estab-
lished, whenever in their judgment the public health and safety makes such
action necessary, and to pass all ordinances necessary thereto; to establish
and enforce rules and regulations governing sewer, water and electric wire
connections and construction in said town; to fix and establish, from time
to time, a schedule of rates and charges to be made and collected for the
use of said water and electric lighting, by private consumers and to pro-
vide for the manner of collecting the same, which said charges are hereby
made a lien upon the real estate to which said water and light may be
furnished of the same degree and to be collected in the same manner, when
delinquent, as the general taxes of said town The said council is also em-
powered to make suitable provision for the protection of the property in
said town from fire by providing a suitable number of fire plugs or public
hydrants properly adapted to that purpose and conveniently situated for
use.