EMERSON C. HARRINGTON, GOVERNOR. 685

or her real estate free of any right of dower of any husband or
wife therein, without the joinder of said husband or wife.

Section 4. This Act shall not be construed as abolishing
the estates known as the dower of a widow and the dower of a
surviving husband, but any party entitled to such right of
dower shall be presumed to have waived and surrendered the
same, and to have accepted the provisions of the Act, unless
within the period of six months after the death of the spouse
by virtue of whose ownership such right of dower attached,
such surviving wife or husband shall file with the Orphans'
Court or Register of Wills for the county or counties where
such real estate is situate, a signed written election to take the
dower to which she or he is so entitled by virtue of such incho-
ate right; in which case such surviving wife or husband shall
be entitled to dower, but shall be considered to have renounced
any other right in tie real estate in Maryland of the deceased
spouse in favor of the other heirs, to whom the same shall pass.

Approved April 18th, 1916.

CHAPTER 326.

AN ACT to confer additional powers upon the Circuit Courts
for the several counties of Maryland relating to children
who are now, or hereafter become dependents, neglected or
delinquents; to define such terms and to provide for the.
treatment, protection, guardianship and care of such chil-
dren, and to prescribe the procedure in such cases, to pro-
vide for the appointment of probation officers and for the
payment of their salaries and expenses; to restrict and under
certain circumstances take away the jurisdiction of the Jus-
tices of the Peace for the several Counties in such cases,
and to prescribe the punishment for persons encouraging
the dependency or delinquency, or neglecting the support, of
minors or advising any minor to leave the custody to which
he or she may have been committed.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That for the purposes of this Act, the words "de-
pendent child" and "neglected child" shall be construed as
meaning any male child under the age of twenty years, or any
female child under the age of eighteen years, who for any
cause is destitute, homeless or abandoned, or dependent upon