44 TWENTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT

safekeeping of records which would be housed and cared for by per-
sonnel over whom they held no direct personal authority. It is hoped
that these issues will be resolved and the depository become a reality
in the coming fiscal year.

While the survey of the Baltimore City Courthouse was in pro-
gress, we were also cooperating with the State Purchasing Bureau on
plans for new office and records areas for the Clerk of Court and the
Register of Wills in Washington County. An annex to the courthouse
had been constructed for the use of other county agencies, thus releasing
additional space to the Clerk and the Register.

Plans for new offices or re-assignment of space usually involve
working with both county and State officials. The county is responsible
for providing room in the courthouse for the offices of the Clerk of
Court and the Register of Wills, and for the improvements needed to
protect their records. Since the Clerk and the Register must account to
the State Comptroller for the fees they collect and must deposit those
not required for the operation of their offices in the State Treasury, the
State must authorize their use of funds for the purchasing of furniture
and records equipment. Sometimes this dual responsibility results in
misunderstandings. For example, the original plans prepared by the
county for the renovation of the areas assigned to the Clerk and the
Register in Washington County failed to provide for adequate protec-
tion of records against fire or theft. Considerable time and persuasion
were required before the changes recommended were finally adopted.
As a rule, however, the counties willingly cooperate in improving these
offices.

During the year we also worked with a committee of the Clerks
of Court appointed to study their new duties under the Uniform Com-
mercial Code. The Code, which had been enacted by eighteen other
states, was adopted by the Maryland General Assembly of 1963 and
became effective on February 1, 1964. The purpose of the Code is "to
simplify, change, and modernize the law governing commercial trans-
actions and to make the law uniform among the various jurisdictions."
It deals with personal property and mentions realty primarily where
personalty is also affected. It is of interest to the Clerks of Court be-
cause it affects any transaction (regardless of form—chattel, conditional
sale, etc.) which is intended to create a security interest in personal