CITY OF BALTIMORE. 643

that the current rate of per diem wages shall be paid to labor-
ers, workmen and merchants employed upon Baltimore City
work; providing that persons employed by contractors en-
gaged in work for said city shall be considered city employ-
ees; providing penalties for the violation of the provisions of
this Act, and excepting certain employees of Baltimore City;
and to re-enact the same with all provisions of Chapter 85 of
the Acts of 1908, but with the amendment that no laborer,
workman or mechanic employed directly by Baltimore City
shall be paid less than two dollars per diem.

Whereas, By the resolution passed by both branches of the
City Council of Baltimore City, it was declared that there was
a preponderance of public opinion in the City of Baltimore that
the laborers employed by the City of Baltimore should be put
upon a better wage basis; that the establishment of a living
wage rate by the city would materially advance the average of
living among wage-earners in the entire city; that the slight
effect which the increased wage would have upon the tax ques-
tion would be more than offset by the increased circulation of
money through the different business channels of the city and
by the many advantages that would accrue to the laboring men
of Baltimore; and.

Whereas, By said joint resolution of both branches of the
City Council of the City of Baltimore the General Assembly of
Maryland was petitioned to enact such legislation as would
enable and compel the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore
to pay to city laborers not less than two dollars per day; now,
therefore,

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Chapter 85 of the Acts of 1908, relating to the hours
of labor of mechanics and laborers employed upon city work,
providing that the current rate of per diem wages shall be paid
to laborers, workmen and mechanics employed upon city work;
providing that persons employed by contractors engaged in city
work shall be considered city employees; providing penalties
for the violation of the provisions of the Act, and excepting
certain employees of the city, be and the same is hereby re-
pealed and re-enacted with amendments, fixing the minimum
rate of wages for laborers employed by the City of Baltimore
at two dollars per diem, so that said Act when re-enacted shall
read as follows:

SEC. 2. That eight hours shall constitute a day's work for
all laborers, workmen or mechanics who may be employed by
or on behalf of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, ex-
cept in cases of extraordinary emergency, which may arise in
time of war or in cases where it may be necessary to work