ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 351

on the said commission shall hold or be a candidate for any
office of public trust in the City of Frostburg. Two of said
members shall constitute a quorum to transact business. The
commissioners must be citizens of Maryland and residents of
Frostburg for more than three years next preceding their ap-
pointment.

The Mayor and Councilmen may remove any of the said
commissioners during their term of office for cause, and shall
fill any vacancies that may occur in said commission for the
unexpired term. The Mayor and Councilmen shall provide a
suitable room in which the said civil service commission may
hold its meetings. The City Clerk shall act for them and shall
keep record of all their meetings. The City shall also supply
the said Commissioner all necessary equipment to properly
attend to such business. Before entering upon the duties of
their office, each of said commissioners shall take or subscribe
an oath which shall be filed and kept in the office of the City
Clerk to support the constitution of the United States and the
State of Maryland and to obey the laws and to aim to secure
and maintain an honest and efficient police force, free from
partisan distinction or control and to perform the duties of his
office to the best of his ability. Such commission shall, on the
second Monday in June and December of the year 1928, and
each year thereafter or oftener, if they shall deem it necessary,
under such rules and regulations as it may prescribe, hold
examinations for the purpose of determining qualifications of
applicants for positions of Chief of Police, Assistant Chief of
Police, patrolmen or policemen of the police department, which
examinations shall be practical in their character and shall
relate to such matters as will fairly test the fitness of the per-
son examined to discharge the duties of the position to which
he seeks to be appointed.

Such commission shall, as soon as possible after every such
examination, certify to the Mayor and Councilmen the names
of the persons for said police department who, according to
its records have the highest standing for the position they
seek to fill, as a result of such examination, and all vacancies
in positions under civil service which shall occur before the
holding of the next examination, shall be filled from the said
list so certified; provided, however, if the list for any cause
shall be reduced to less than two for the position of Chief of
Police and Assistant Chief of Police or three for the position
of policemen or patrolmen, then the Mayor and Councilmen
may temporarily fill a vacancy until the next examination