WATER FOWL—BIRDS AND GAME 3587

all employees of the Conservation Commission employed in the game or
fresh water fisheries, shall be and remain under the Merit System and
no employee shall have his or her status under the Merit System altered
by reason of his or her transfer to the Commission of Game and Inland
Fish.

No member of the Commission, nor any one who has served as a member
thereof within one year prior to the occurrence of a vacancy, shall be
eligible for selection as Game Warden. The Game Warden shall have
charge of, direct, supervise and control all deputy game wardens and em-
ployees of the Commission.

The Game Warden shall have authority to have printed the Annual
Report of the Commission, and such bulletins, literature, posters, licenses
and other printing as may be necessary to the work of the Commission,
including the publication now known as the "Maryland Conservationist."

It shall be the duty of the Commissioners, the Game Warden and Depitty
Game Warden to prosecute all persons and corporations having in their
possession any game or inland fish contrary to the laws of this State. It
shall be their duty to see that the game and fish laws are enforced, and they
are particularly directed to enforce the muskrat laws.

1939, ch. 354, sec. 4.

5. Having a due regard for the distribution, abundance, economic
value and breeding habits of wild birds, wild animals, and fish in inland
waters, the Commission is hereby vested with the necessary power and
authority to determine when, to what extent, if at all, and by what means
it is desirable to restrict or prohibit in any degree the provisions of law
obtaining in any county in this State for the hunting, taking, capture, kill-
ing, possession, sale, purchase, shipment, transportation, carriage or export
of any wild bird, wild animals, or fish from inland waters, and may, upon
its own initiative or upon written petition of fifty licensed residents of
any county, propose regulations for such purpose. The full text of any
regulations proposed shall be published ten days before the same may be
acted upon and shall name the time and place that the matters mentioned
therein will be taken up, at which time any interested citizen shall be heard.
Such publication shall be made in a newspaper published in the county
and if there be none such, in a newspaper in an adjoining county or section,
or in such manner as may be convenient. If the Commission is satisfied
that the proposed regulation, or any part thereof is advisable, such regula-
tion, or any part thereof, may be adopted in the manner directed for pro-
posing the same and shall name the date when it is to become effective. It
shall be a misdemeanor to violate such regulation, or any part thereof, and
any person convicted of such violation shall be fined not less than Ten
Dollars ($10.00) nor more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) and
may be sentenced to thirty (30) days in jail, either, or both, in the discre-
tion of the court or justice before whom said person shall be tried. A copy
of any regulation adopted by the Commission shall be mailed to the Clerk
of the Circuit Court who shall make a record thereof and cause the same
to be posted in front of the Court House of the County.

1939, ch. 354, sec. 5.

6. The Game Warden shall have the power to appoint deputy game
wardens to assist him in more efficiently enforcing the game and inland
fish laws of this State, he may issue a commission signed by him to such
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