608 LAWS OF MARYLAND.

the powers and duties and the procedure of such commission,
and providing also for the improvement of the sidewalks
in said annex portion of the city at the expense of the prop-
erty owners and for grading, paving and curoing such streets,
avenues, lanes and alleys in whole or in part at the expense
of the adjacent property upon the request of the owners of a
majority of the front feet thereof.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That the Commissioners for opening streets of the City
of Baltimore are hereby constituted a commission to be known
as the Annex Improvement Commission, and as such in addition
to their ordinary duties are hereby vested and clothed with all
the powers and rights in this Act contained and "are hereby
authorized, empowered and directed to carry into effect all the
provisions of this Act. As compensation for their services
hereunder the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore may in its
discretion award the said Commissioners such annual sum as
it may deem proper in addition to the compensation to which
they are respectively entitled for discharging the ordinary
duties of their office, provided that the total compensation
received by each of said commissioners shall in no event exceed
the sum of two thousand five hundred ($2,500) dollars per
annum. The clerk of said commissioners shall act as their
secretary in connection with the powers and duties hereby
conferred, and for his services in this connection, the Mayor
and City Council of Baltimore may, in its discretion, award
him such annual sum as it may deem proper, in addition to
the compensation to which he is entitled for discharging the
ordinary duties of his office as clerk; provided that his total
compensation shall in no event exceed the sum of two thousand
($2,000) dollars per annum. The said secretary shall keep a
record of all proceedings of the commission, and shall enter in a
well-bound book and carefully preserved, neat, legible and
accurate minutes of all meetings of the commission, and he
shall perform all such other duties as usually appertain to the
office of secretary of a private corporation, or as may be im-
posed upon him by this Act or as may be assigned to him by
the commission, shall annually make to the Mayor a detailed
report of all its official transactions and expenditures. The
said commission shall have authority and power, subject to the
approval or ratification of the Board of Estimates, to employ
any help or assistance necessary to promote the object and
purpose of this commission and its work, and to fix the com-
pensation of such help and to remove or discharge them at
their pleasure; also to purchase necessary office furniture and
stationery."