1718 PUBLIC EDUCATION. [ABT. 77

they shall have authority to consolidate schools when, in their
judgment, consolidation is practicable and desirable, and to
arrange for and to pay charges of transporting pupils to and
from such schools, and shall perform such other duties as may
be necessary to secure an efficient administration of the public
school system, subject to the provisions of this article.

1888, art. 77, sec. 22. 1872, ch. 377. 1904, ch. 584.

25. The State school tax and free school fund are primarily
intended, under this article, to pay the salaries of the teachers of
the several counties and to provide school books and stationery
for the children of the State; if, however, in apportioning the
said school tax among the different counties and the city of
Baltimore, the share of any county should prove inadequate
for the purposes aforesaid, then the county commissioners of
such county are hereby authorized, empowered, directed and
required to levy and collect such a tax upon the assessable
property of such county as the board of county school com-
missioners shall designate to make good the deficiency; pro-
vided, that said tax shall not exceed fifteen cents on the hun-
dred dollars, unless the county commissioners shall approve
und sanction an additional tax; taxes so levied and collected
shall be paid quarterly, on the day fixed for payment of the
State school tax to the several counties (but the proceeds from
special taxes may be paid oftener, upon the order of the board
of county school commissioners to the treasurer of said board
of county school commissioners) in order that the schools of
said counties may be kept open for the time herein set forth,
and said tax shall be levied and collected as other taxes; any
sums of money which may have been specially collected or
levied on any election or school house district for educational
purposes connected with these districts shall be collected for
and applied to the purposes so intended originally, and shall
be used for no other purpose; and if said funds have been
used otherwise they shall be returned and applied as afore-
said.

Ibid. sec. 23. 1872, ch. 377.

26. In all cases where the county has not been properly
divided into school districts, and full records of the boundaries
thereof have not been made and recorded, the board of county
school commissioners shall appoint a committee, if in their
opinion they deem it necessary, consisting of three persons of
intelligence and sound judgment, who shall divide the county