ART. 4.] CITY OF BALTIMORE. 663

half of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore without the
necessity for any further legislative action by the Mayor and
City Council of Baltimore be exercisable and exercised as one
continuous, unbroken delegation of authority by the municipal
officials or official who may for the time being have charge of
the general municipal water supply of Baltimore city, except
that in the event that the charge of said water supply shall at
any time or times be confided by law to one municipal official,
there shall be associated with him until said main reservoir or
lake, and all its working appurtenances and connections of
every sort have been completed in the exercise of all his powers
and discretion, and in the discharge of all of his duties under
this Act by the appointment of the Mayor, subject to the provi-
sions of section 25 and other related sections of article 4, en-
titled "City of Baltimore," of the Code of Public Local Laws of
Maryland, and any amendment or amendments thereof, two
capable and upright citizens of the city of Baltimore, who shall
serve without pay in the award of contracts for work under
this Act, the persons clothed with the power of doing the work
contemplated by this Act shall be authorized, if they see fit, to
insert in the specifications for any such contract work reason-
able and lawful conditions as to hours of labor, wages and the
residence or character of workmen to be employed by the con-
tractor, and especially so far as may be practicable in their
judgment, such reasonable and lawful conditions as will tend to
confine employment on such work, in whole or in part, to per-
manent and bona fide residents of the State of Maryland only,
and said persons, clothed with the power of doing the work con-
templated by this Act may, with the consent of all of their num-
ber themselves, do any part or parts of any such work under
such conditions, in every respect, as they may prescribe, by day
labor, in which event, said persons, in addition to their other
powers in the premises shall likewise be authorized to devise,
promulgate and enforce such rules and regulations as will
make merit and personal fitness, ascertained by some system of
open competition or registration, or both, the sole test of eligi-
bility for all positions or employments under their control that
they may see fit to embrace within the scope of said rules and
regulations, which, however, may be limited to permanent and
bona fide residents of this State in any particular; provided,
however, that neither any contractor or contractors, nor the
persons clothed with the power of doing the work contemplated
by this Act as aforesaid, shall at any time during the progress
of said work employ thereon or permit, or allow to be employed
thereon any person who is at the time of such employment, or
who shall at any time thereafter and during the progress of