438 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 454

of the present war and for six months after the termi-
nation thereof.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 56A of Article 1A of the Code of Public Local
Laws of Maryland (1930 Edition), title "City of Cumber-
land, " sub-title "Taxes, " as said section was enacted by
Chapter 788 of the Acts of 1943, be and it is hereby
repealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as
follows:

56A. In addition to the taxes authorized by Section 56
of Chapter 96 of the Acts of 1922, the Mayor and City
Council of Cumberland shall be and is hereby authorized
and directed to levy a special tax for each fiscal year
beginning April 1, 1945, and continuing for the duration
of the present war and for six months after the termina-
tion thereof; said special tax not to exceed the sum of
fifteen ($. 15) cents on each One Hundred ($100. 00) Dollars
worth of assessable property within the limits of the City
of Cumberland, and shall expend the, proceeds derived
from the levy and collection of said special tax, first, to
the payment of wages and salaries of all general city
employees with the exception of casual or temporary
employees, in an amount equal to twenty (20%) per cent of
the sum of money paid said employees either on an hourly
or monthly basis as of March 31, 1943, and, second, to use
any proceeds not expended for wages and salaries
as aforesaid for the general purposes of the city in order to
provide for deficiencies in revenues caused by conditions
created by the war. The additional twenty per cent in sal-
aries and wages as herein provided for shall be considered
as a bonus payment to general city employees to provide for
rise in costs of living for services to be rendered to the
city, and the authority and direction to levy the tax or
any part thereof as herein provided for and the payment
of said bonus shall cease six months after the signing of
an armistice or the conclusion of the war by peace treaty,
whichever shall first occur.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act is
hereby declared to be an emergency measure and necessary
for the immediate preservation of the public health and
safety and having been passed by a yea and nay vote,
supported by three-fifths of all of the members elected to
each of the two Houses of the General Assembly, the same
shall take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved March 29, 1945.