1426 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 680

the provisions of this Act, shall appoint one or more probation
officers, who may be either male or female, who shall be paid
a salary to be fixed by the Court in monthly installments by
the County Commissioners of Harford County. It shall be
the duty of such probation officer or officers to inform himself
or themselves when any child is to be brought into Court, and
to make investigation of all such cases, to be present in Court
to represent the interest of the child when the case is heard,
and to furnish the Clerk such information and assistance as
the Court or Judge may require, and to take charge of such
child before or after the trial as the Court may direct, and
whenever such probation officer shall have knowledge of any
dependent, neglected, or delinquent child, it shall be the duty
of such officer to bring the same to the attention of the Court
or the Judge by petition, as hereinbefore provided. In addi-
tion to the salary above provided for such probation officer, he
or she shall be allowed for all actual traveling expenses when
in the discharge of duties imposed by order of the Court or
Judge, to be paid by the County Commissioners upon the ap-
proval and order of such Court or Judge. And the said Court
or Judge shall have opportunity to retain or employ a Psy-
chologist who holds a degree of medicine and authorized to
practice in this State, for the examination, when necessary, of
said delinquents, the costs of the same to be paid by the
County Commissioners of said County and to be charged to
the item of Court Expenses.

166. If upon a hearing and investigation, the Court or
Judge shall find any male child under twenty years of age,
or any female child under the age of eighteen, to be dependent,
neglected or delinquent within the meaning of this Act, liber-
ally construed, the Court or Judge may allow such child to
remain at its home, subject to the supervision of the probation
officer, and may require such child to report to the Court or
probation officer at such times as the Court or Judge shall
order. Or if the Court shall then or thereafter find the parent,
parents, guardian or custodian of such child an unfit or im-
proper person or persons, or unable or unwilling to care forr
protect, train, educate and discipline such child, and shall fur-
ther find it to be for the interest of such child or the people
of the County that such child be taken from the custody of
such parent, parents, guardian or custodian, the Court may
make an order committing such child to the custody of the pro-
bation officer or other agency, or to some suitable institution,