HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 251

All promotions shall be made within the Department, and no
person shall be promoted to any rank, grade or position, ex-
cept to ranks, grades or positions of a technical character,
unless he shall have filled the rank, grade, or position inferior
to the rank, grade or position to which he shall be promoted.
All promotions up to and including the rank of Sergeant shall
be departmental, and to such promotions, the Merit System
shall not apply. All promotions above the rank of Sergeant
shall be made from the entire eligible list for such rank or
position.

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

Approved March 16, 1945.

CHAPTER 294.
(House Bill 27)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 10
of Article 88B of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1939
Edition), title "State Police", relating to the residence re-
quirements of employees of the Department, the probation-
ary period and eliminating certain obsolete provisions.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Section 10 of Article 88B of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1939 Edition), title "State Police", be and it is
hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as
follows:

10. The Superintendent shall, within the limits of any
appropriation made for such purpose, appoint such employees
to his Department as are deemed necessary by him for the
efficient administration of the Department. All appointees
shall be taken from a list duly prepared by the State Employ-
ment Commissioner in accordance with the provisions of the
Merit System, and no person shall be appointed to the Depart-
ment unless he is a bona fide resident of the State of Maryland,
and has been such for at least six months immediately preced-
ing his appointment. All of the police employees appointed to
the Department shall be probationer, and on probation for a
period of two years from the date of appointment. The Super-
intendent shall have full power and authority to discharge any
probationer for any cause which he may deem sufficient in his
sole discretion. Probationers are not within the Merit System.