ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 227

added to Section 6 of Article 4 of the Code of Public Local
Laws of Maryland, title "City of Baltimore, " sub-title "Char-
ter, " to be numbered 20B and to follow immediately after
Paragraph 20A, headed "Pensions, " of said Section 6 of Arti-
cle 4 (said Section 6 being a part of the Charter of Baltimore
City), and to read as follows:

20B. To establish and maintain in connection with the
system of pensions and retirements for the benefit and ad-
vantage of the officers, agents, servants and employees of the
Mayor and City Council of Baltimore established by Ordi-
nance No. 553 of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore,
approved February 1st, 1926, or any other system which here-
after may be established under the authority of the aforegoing
paragraph known as 20A and headed "Pensions, " a system of
allowances and payments to be made to the beneficiaries and
dependents of such officers, agents, servants and employees,
after the death of such officers, agents, servants and employees
(whether accidental or otherwise and/or whether occurring in
the actual performance of duty, or otherwise); with full power
and authority to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore to
make such exceptions, conditions, limitations, restrictions and
classifications as it may deem proper and expedient.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Mayor and
City Council of Baltimore be, and it is hereby authorized and
empowered to provide that the said system of allowances and
payments to the beneficiaries and dependents of officers, agents,
servants and employees, in the event of death (whether acci-
dental or otherwise and/or whether occurring in the actual per-
formance of duty or otherwise) shall be retroactive to January
1st, 1926, the effective date of said Ordinance No. 553, ap-
proved February 1st, 1926.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That Ordinance No.
553 of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, approved
February 1st, 1926, and all acts done and awards heretofore
made by the Board of Trustees of the Employees Retirement
System of the City of Baltimore under the supposed or as-
sumed authority of said Ordinance be, and the same are here-
by ratified, confirmed and validated to the same extent and as
fully as if the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore prior to
the passage of said ordinance had been expressly empowered
by Act of the General Assembly of Maryland to ordain an