HARRY W. NICE, GOVERNOR. 79

pealed and re-enacted with amendments to read as
follows:

6. The said commission, when about to construct any
highway, shall advertise for at least two weeks in one or
more newspapers published in each county in which the
highway lies, and for three consecutive issues in at least
one daily newspaper published in Baltimore City for sealed
proposals for the construction of said highway, accurately
describing the same and stating the time and place for
opening said proposals, and reserving the right to reject
any and all proposals; said proposals shall be publicly
opened at the time specified in said advertisement, and
the contract for such work or for the supplies and ma-
terials required for such construction (or for the sup-
plies and materials required for such construction) shall
be awarded by the commission to the lowest responsible
bidder, unless in the opinion of said commission the in-
terests of the State shall be better served by awarding
the contract to some other bidder, when this may be done.
All work which shall be done by the said commission,
whether on state roads, county roads or municipal streets,
the labor and materials of which are estimated to cost over
one thousand dollars ($1, 000. 00), shall be advertised as
aforesaid, except such labor and materials as may be re-
quired from time to time to maintain the various roads to
the width and cross section, as previously or originally con-
structed. The construction and improvement of all State
highways or parts thereof shall be under the supervision
and subject to the approval of the said commission, in
accordance with plans and specifications prepared by the
chief engineer and approved by said commission. In all
cases where the contract for work and materials shall be
given out after competitive bidding, the successful bidder
shall promptly execute a formal contract to be approved
as to its form, terms and conditions by said commission,
and shall also execute and deliver to said commission a
good and sufficient bond to be approved by said commission
to the State of Maryland in not less than the amount of
the contract price. In no case shall any such bond be
approved or accepted unless the obligors bind them-
selves therein to the payment of all just debts for
labor and materials incurred by the bidder in the con-
struction and improvement of the road contracted for. To
all such bids there shall be attached the certified check of
the bidder, and the bidder who has the contract awarded
to him and who fails to promptly and properly execute