380 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 165

Section 469. The Governor of the State of Maryland shall,
after the passage of this Act, appoint as Baltimore County
Roads Engineer, a man having the degree of civil engineer and
experienced in bridge and road building, or a man who has had
at least ten years' experience in road and bridge building, in
a supervisory and executive capacity, in charge of important
road and bridge work. The Baltimore County Roads Engineer
shall be directly answerable to the County Commissioners of
Baltimore County for the faithful and efficient discharge of his
duties and it shall be the duty of said County Commissioners
to remove him from office and he shall be removable from office
by them for neglect of duty, inefficiency, dishonesty and for
any other cause, matter or thing whatsoever which in the opin-
ion of said County Commissioners necessitates his removal for
the better, more efficient or more economical administration of
county affairs relating to roads. But the Baltimore County
Roads Engineer shall not be removable from his office by the
County Commissioners except after written charges preferred
against him and an opportunity to be heard in his defense
afforded him. Hearings in regard to removal of the Roads
Engineer from office shall be public, and there shall be no
appeal from the decisions of the County Commissioners there-
on. Whenever a vacancy exists in the office of the Roads

Engineer the Governor of Maryland shall immediately fill the
same.

The Baltimore County Roads Engineer shall be respon-
sible to the County Commissioners for the proper expenditure
of all money collected, by levy or otherwise, for county road
and bridge purposes. He shall have power to employ so many
and such mechanics and laborers as he may think necessary for
the proper construction, care and maintenance of the county
roads and fix the wages thereof. He shall have power to ap-
point so many and such assistants, inspectors, foremen and
clerks as he may think necessary and to fix their salaries, sub-
ject to the approval of said County Commissioners. He shall
have power to arbitrarily discharge any of his employees or
appointees, without the consent of the County Commissioners,
but whenever any one appointed by him and whose salary has
been approved by the County Commissioners is discharged by
him, he shall immediately notify said County Commissioners
in writing of his action and of his reason or reasons therefor.
He shall be the sole purchasing agent of all road supplies, ma-
terials, and equipment of every kind for use on the county
roads and bridges. But he shall make no purchase except on a