1042 LAWS OF MARYLAND [CH. 333

of Maryland (1930 Edition), title "Howard County, "
sub-title "County Commissioners and County Collec-
tors, " increasing the amount which may be expended
for certain public work or for making certain purchases
by the County Commissioners of Howard County with-
out advertising for bids.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 76 of Article 14 of the Code of Public Local
Laws of Maryland (1930 Edition), title "Howard Coun-
ty, " sub-title "County Commissioners and County Collec-
tors, " be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

76. Whenever any matters, or works of internal im-
provement are hereafter to be done in Howard County,
over which the County Commissioners shall have super-
vision, costing more than [three hundred dollars ($300. -
00) ] Six Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($6, 500. 00)
when the same shall be on roads, bridges, culverts, or
[matters or] more than One Thousand Dollars ($1, 000. 00)
for any other work under their control, or whenever any
material, equipment or other things are to be purchased
costing more than One Thousand Dollars ($1, 000. 00), it
is hereby made their duty to let the same by advertise-
ment for not less than twice, in one county paper, printed
and published in Howard County, giving notice of the
nature and kind of work to be contracted for, and the day
when said sealed bids will be publicly opened, and upon
the day named in said advertisement for opening said
bids the said County Commissioners shall open the same
publicly in their office at Ellicott City, and shall award the
contract therefor to the lowest responsible bidder, or may
in their discretion reject any and all bids. The County
Commissioners may contract for the work advertised, if
they can obtain a contract for the work so advertised, at
a price lower than the lowest bidder, without re-advertis-
ing for said work, and when any bid is accepted require a
bond in double the amount of the contract thereby let, be-
fore any contract shall be made, and on failure of giving
a satisfactory bond within a reasonable time, the said bid
or bids shall be null and void, and the County Commis-
sioners may re-advertise for new bids as herein provided,
and should they give out any work or make any purchase
amounting to more than [three hundred ($300) dollars]
One Thousand Dollars ($1, 000. 00) or Six Thousand Five
Hundred Dollars ($6, 500. 00), as the case may be, at any
time after [this Act shall become effective] June 1, 1951,
the party taking such contract or agreement, unless it shall