282 LAWS OF MARYLAND [CH. 30

AND TO ESTABLISH AND RE-ESTABLISH, FROM
TIME TO TIME, THE GENERALLY PREVAILING
RATE OF WAGES IN THE AREAS OR LOCALITIES
SO ESTABLISHED. SAID COMMISSION SHALL HAVE
THE AUTHORITY TO SECURE OFFICE SPACE
EITHER IN SOME NOW EXISTING STATE AGENCY
OR TO OTHERWISE SECURE SUCH OFFICE SPACE
AS SHALL BE NECESSARY FOR THE PERFORM-
ANCE OF ITS DUTIES AND THE COMMISSION
SHALL ALSO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY
SUCH ADMINISTRATIVE AND CLERICAL ASSIST-
ANCE AS IT SHALL DEEM NECESSARY FOR THE
PERFORMANCE OF ITS DUTIES. THE BOARD OF
PUBLIC WORKS IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO PAY
OUT OF THE GENERAL EMERGENCY FUND OR
FROM SUCH OTHER FUND AS IS DEEMED DESIR-
ABLE THE EXPENSES INCURRED IN THE PER-
FORMANCE OF THE COMMISSION'S DUTIES IN-
CLUDING THE SALARIES OF THE EMPLOYEES OF
SAID COMMISSION.

79. 80. Hours. Eight hours shall constitute fa day's
work and forty hours shall constitute a week's work for all
laborers, workmen, or mechanics who may be employed by
any general contractor in the building industry and their
sub-contractors in the execution of any contract or con-
tracts for the State for any department, commission, bureau
or agency thereof for the construction of buildings, roads
or bridges. Any such laborer, workmen or mechanic may
be required to work longer than eight hours in one calendar
day, or longer than 40 hours in one calendar week, but in
all such cases the laborer, workman or mechanic so em-
ployed longer than eight hours in one calendar day or
longer than forty hours in one calendar week shall be paid
overtime rates for any work in excess of eight hours in any
day or forty hours in any week.

80. 81. Contracts—Wages, (a) Not less than the gen-
erally prevailing rate of per diem wages for work of a
similar character in the locality AREA OR LOCALITY in
which the work is performed, and not less than the gener-
ally prevailing rate of per diem wages for legal holidays
and overtime work, shall be paid to laborers, workmen and
mechanics employed by a contractor or sub-contractor in
the execution of any contract or contracts for the State, or
any department, commission, bureau or agency thereof, for
the construction of buildings, roads or bridges.

(b) The Department of Labor and Industry THE COM-
MISSION ON PREVAILING WAGES FOR THE STATE