ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 1447

of the very large amount of technical bridge work which has
to be done in Allegany County.

Chapter 368, House Bill 502. This bill provides a City
Manager for the City of Cumberland. It was only introduced
about two weeks before the close of the session, and I have been
advised of a number of ambiguities and conflicts with the pro-
visions of the charter of Cumberland which are contained in
the bill. For instance, the bill provides that the City Mana-
ger shall make contracts for the purchase of materials, while
the charter provides that the Mayor and City Council shall
make such purchases. The bill provides that the City Mana-
ger shall be the chief administrative officer of the City, while
the charter provides that the Mayor shall be the executive offi-
cer of the City, and no attempt is made to distinguish between
what are administrative duties and what are executive duties.
The City Manager form of Government may be a very excel-
lent thing, but certainly any legislation providing for it should
be carefully thought out and drawn with due regard for its
workability and effect. It seems that the present bill does not
measure up to this standard.

Chapter 65, House Bill 143. This bill requires pawnbrok-
ers in Hagerstown to make daily written reports in minute
detail to the Chief of Police. There are only two pawnbrokers
in Hagerstown, and there has never been any failure on the
part of either to give full reports and information to the po-
lice whenever desired. I do not see any necessity for this law,
and it will be vetoed.

Chapter 54, Senate Bill 131. At present the Road Superin-
tendent of Somerset County is appointed by the State Roads
Commission. Senate Bill 131 provides that after January 1,
1930, he shall be appointed by the. County Commissioners
There has for years been a controversy in Somerset County
over the method of the superintendent's appointment. The
two groups were supposed to have reached an agreement where-
by the present superintendent was to continue in office until
January, 1930, and thereafter the County Commissioners were
to make the appointment. Senate Bill 131 does continue the
superintendent in office until January, 1930, but it also de-
prives him of a considerable portion of his powers as superin-
tendent. It can hardly be said that this was contemplated by
the agreement, and before the Legislature adjourned I gave
sufficient opportunity to correct the situation but this was not
done, In view of this, and of the further fact that the State
Roads Commission advises me that the present road superin-