10 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 10

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Section 17 of Article 64A of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1943 Supplement), title "Merit System", be and it
is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read
as follows:

17. The State Employees Standard Salary Board shall for-
mulate rules and regulations for the administration of Sections
15-17 which shall include provisions for automatic increases,
from minimum to maximum, of the rates established by the
schedule except that said Board shall have the power to estab-
lish flat or fixed salaries and wage rates for special classifica-
tions or cases, for a period not to exceed two years, where, upon
the recommendation of the State Employment Commissioner
and in the discretion of said Board, provisions for automatic
increases are deemed inadvisable; and such rules shall, after
approval by the Governor, have the force of law in the same
manner as other conditions herein prescribed. Provided, that
the rate of pay of any employee, who on June 1, 1943, is paid at
a higher rate than the maximum rate of the scale prescribed for
his class, shall not be reduced by reason of the establishment of
the standard rates of pay prescribed, so long as he remains the
incumbent of the same position and class, but the rate of pay
for his successor in the same position and class shall conform
to the rate of pay prescribed for his position and class.

SEC. 2. And 'be It further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1945.

Approved January 26, 1945.

CHAPTER 10.

(House Bill 45)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sub-section
(b) of Section 240 of Article 56 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1939 Edition), title "Licenses", sub-title "Gaso-
line Tax", including Diesel oil, oil, or other liquids used
in Diesel engines or in any internal combustion engines
for the propulsion of motor vehicles in the list of motor
vehicle fuels subject to the license tax on motor vehicle fuels.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Sub-section (b) of Section 240 of Article 56 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1939 Edition), title "Licenses",