16                                Laws of Maryland                          [Ch. 2

(i) to make directly, or through the hiring of expert consultants,
investigations and surveys of whatever nature, including studies of
business conditions, freight rates, port services, physical surveys of
the conditions of channels and structures, and the necessity for addi-
tional port facilities for the development and improvement of com-
merce and for the more expeditious handling of such commerce, and
to make such studies, surveys and estimates as may be necessary for
the execution of its powers under this Article;

(j) to issue its special obligation bonds and its revenue bonds as
hereinafter provided;

(k) to fix and revise from time to time and charge and collect
rates, fees, rentals or other charges for the use of any project under
its control;

(l) to appear in its own behalf before boards, commissions, depart-
ments or other agencies of the Federal government or of any State
or international conference and before committees of the Congress
of the United States and the General Assembly of Maryland in all
matters relating to the design, establishment, construction, extension,
operation, improvement, repair or maintenance of any project oper-
ated and maintained by the Authority under the provisions of this
Article, and to appear before any Federal or state agencies in mat-
ters relating to rail rates, water rates, port services and charges,
demurrage, switching, wharfage, towage, pilotage, differentials, dis-
criminations, labor relations, trade practices, river and harbor im-
provements, aids to navigation, permits for structures in navigable
waters, and all other matters affecting the physical development of
and the business interest of the Authority and those it serves;

(m) to make application for, receive and accept from any Federal
agency grants for or in aid of the planning, construction, operation
or financing of any port facility, and to receive and accept contri-
butions from any source of either money, property, labor or other
things of value, to be held, used and applied for the purposes for
which such grants and contributions may be made;

(n) to appoint an executive director, who shall serve at the pleasure
of the Authority, be responsible to it and receive such salary as may
be fixed by the Authority from time to time; he shall be the chief
administrative officer of the Authority, and the Authority may dele-
gate to him any of its administrative powers and authorizations;
he shall be a man of good character, integrity and business experi-
ence, and during the time of his employment as such he shall have no
financial interest in any port facilities or projects with respect to
which the Authority has jurisdiction or any power or authorization
to act;

(o) to employ consulting engineers, bond counsel, accountants, con-
struction and financial experts, superintendents, traveling represen-
tatives, managers, clerks, stenographers, laborers, and such other
agents and employees as may be necessary in its judgment, and to fix
their compensation; the employment and tenure of all full-time em-
ployees, except the executive director and traveling representatives,
shall be subject generally to the provisions and restrictions of Article
64A of the Annotated Code of Maryland, title "Merit System," and
such employees, together with the executive director and traveling