1634 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 684

(e) If the member resigns or is dismissed prior to
retirement, his contributions, with interest, are to be
returned to him.

(f) If the member should die before retirement, his
contributions, with interest, will be paid to his estate or
beneficiary, regardless of the member's length of service,
and if he has had one or more years of creditable service
his estate or beneficiary will receive in addition a lump
sum equal to 50% of his final annual compensation.

(g) The pension plan or plans adopted by Ordinance
or Ordinances of the Mayor and City Council of Cumber-
land, pursuant to this Act, must give to the members of
the fund, benefits which are at least equivalent to those
provided for them in the Police Department Pension Plan
and Fire Department Pension Plan, presently in effect as
of the date of the passage of this Act.

Section 4. It is the intention of this Act that the pres-
ent pension funds of the Police Department and Fire
Department of the City of Cumberland, are to remain in
full force and effect, until such time as the pension plan
or plans, proposed by Ordinance or Ordinances of the
Mayor and City Council of Cumberland passed pursuant
to the authority contained in this Act, shall be approved
by a three-fourths vote of the active members of the
Police or Fire Department, or both, as the situation may
require.

Section 5. In the event that three-fourths of the active
members of the Cumberland Fire Department shall ap-
prove a pension plan proposed by an Ordinance of the
Mayor and City Council of Cumberland, pursuant to the
authority extended to them by this Act, then Chapter 663
of the Acts of 1941 and Chapter 922 of the Acts of 1945
of the General Assembly of Maryland, and House Bill No.
438 of the 1949 Regular Session and Sections 139 to 148,
inclusive, of House Bill No. 108 of the Regular Session of
1949 of the General Assembly of Maryland, all pertaining
to Firemen's Pension Plan, shall be deemed repealed and
in the event that three-fourths of the active members of
the Police Department of Cumberland shall approve the
by vote, a pension plan proposed by an Ordinance of the
Mayor and City Council of Cumberland, passed pursuant
to the authority extended in this Act, then Chapter 798
of the Acts of 1943 of the General Assembly of Maryland
and Section 129 of House Bill No. 128 as introduced in
the Regular Session of 1949 of the General Assembly of