1196 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 688

after Section 17 of said Article, to be known as Sections
18 and 19, changing the title of "Chief Mine Engineer" to
"Director of the Bureau of Mines", and providing the quali-
fications of such Director.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Sections 18 and 19 of Article 89 of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1939 Edition), title "Statistics and In-
formation", sub-title "Bureau of Mines", be and the same are
hereby repealed and two new sections be and the same are
hereby enacted in lieu thereof, to follow immediately after
Section 17 of said Article, to be known as Sections 18 and 19,
and to read as follows:

18. The Governor shall select and appoint from a list of
eligibles prepared by the State Employment Commissioner, a
competent person to be known as the "Director of the Bureau
of Mines", who shall be in charge of the Bureau, and in case
of any vacancy in the said office by reason of death, resignation
or otherwise, the Governor shall appoint from a list of eligibles
prepared by the State Employment Commissioner, a competent
person to fill such office, provided, however, that the present
Chief Mine Engineer, who shall hereafter be designated as
"Director of the Bureau of Mines", shall continue to hold
such office in accordance with the provisions of the Merit
System Law. Wherever the title "Chief Mine Engineer" is
used in this Article, the title "Director of the Bureau of
Mines" shall be substituted, and all the powers, duties and
authority conferred on the Chief Mine Engineer by this Article
are hereby conferred on the Director of the Bureau of Mines.

19. The Director of the Bureau of Mines shall be a male
citizen of Maryland, and shall be a competent person, having
had at least ten years' practical experience in the working,
ventilation and drainage of bituminous coal mines, and hav-
ing a practical and scientific knowledge of all noxious and
dangerous gases found in such mines, and, provided, that
graduation in mining engineering from a school of recog-
nized standing shall be considered as equivalent to two years'
working experience. He shall devote all of his time to the
duties of his office, and shall not be directly or indirectly in-
terested in a financial way in any coal mines in this State.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1941.

Approved May 26, 1941.