WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 1811

work or for the supplies and materials required for such con-
struction shall be awarded by the Commission to the lowest
responsible bidder, unless in the opinion of said Commission
the interests of the State shall be better served by awarding
the contract to some other bidder, when this may be done.
All work which shall be done by the said Commission,
whether on State roads, county roads or municipal streets,
the labor and materials of which are estimated to cost over
Three Thousand Dollars ($3, 000), shall be advertised as afore-
said, except such labor and materials as may be required
from time to time to maintain the various roads to the width
and cross section, as previously or originally constructed.
The construction and improvement of all State highways or
parts thereof shall be under the supervision and subject to
the approval of the said Commission, in accordance with the
plans and specifications prepared by the chief engineer and
approved by said Commission. In all cases where the con-
tract for work and materials shall be given out after competi-
tive bidding, the successful bidder shall promptly execute a
formal contract to be approved as to its form, terms and con-
ditions by said Commission, and shall also execute and de-
liver to said Commission a good and sufficient bond to be
approved by said Commission to the State of Maryland in not
less than the amount of the contract price. In no case shall
any such bond be approved or accepted unless the obligors
bind themselves therein to the payment of all just debts for
labor and materials incurred by the bidder in the construc-
tion and improvement of the road contracted for. To all
such bids there shall be attached the certified check of the
bidder, and the bidder who has the contract awarded to him
and who fails to promptly and properly execute the contract
and bond shall forfeit the said contract. The said check shall
be taken and considered as liquidated damages, and not a
penalty, for failure of said bidder to execute said contract
and bond. Upon the execution of said contract and bond by
a successful bidder his check shall be returned to him. The
amount of the check to be attached to the bid shall be based
on the aggregate amount of the bid submitted and covered by
the following table:

Aggregate Amount of Bid Amount of Check

Less than $20, 000....................... $ 500

$20, 000 to 50, 000....................... 1, 000

50, 000 to 75, 000....................... 1, 500

75, 000 to 125, 000....................... 2, 000

125, 000 to 175, 000....................... 2, 500

175, 000 to 225, 000....................... 3, 000

225, 000 to 275, 000....................... 4, 000

275, 000 to 325, 000....................... 5, 000