246                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 148

committee, the Circuit Court of the counties, or the Equity Courts of
Baltimore City, upon petition of [any County Department, or the
Department of Public Welfare of] any of the local welfare depart-
ments in the counties or Baltimore City, and with the consent of the
next of kin, next friend, natural guardian or custodian of the appli-
cant or recipient, shall have the power after notice and hearing to
appoint a competent person as his [guardian] legal representative
for assistance, without bond, whose duty shall be without compensa-
tion to receive, manage and disburse the recipient's assistance on his
behalf and to make true and accurate account thereof as often as re-
quired. Funds in the hands of any such [guardian] legal representa-
tive for assistance shall be expended only for the purposes contem-
plated by this Article, or as directed in the grant of assistance.

13.

[(a) The State Department of Public Welfare shall be empow-
ered to create or continue in each county a county welfare board to
be known as such with the name of the county prefixed thereto,
which board shall be an administrative department of the local
government. Such boards shall have authority to administer aid to
dependent children, old-age assistance, public assistance to the needy
blind, general public assistance, aid to the permanently and totally
disabled, child welfare services and the investigation and certifica-
tion of persons eligible for employment on local, State or federal
projects, or to administer any other program in the field of public
welfare, and such boards shall have authority to administer, handle
and distribute commodities in accordance with the rules of the State
Department of Public Welfare, as well as work, relief and services
to families and individuals, and the care of neglected and dependent
children.]

(a)  The State Department of Public Welfare shall create or con-
tinue in each county a local welfare department to be known as such
with the name of the county prefixed thereto. In each county such
local welfare department shall have a local board and a local director
appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 14 and Section
14A of this Article.

In Baltimore City the Department of Welfare shall have a Welfare
Commission appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section
48(d) of Article VII of the Charter of Baltimore City, 1964 Edition,
and the local director of the Department of Welfare in Baltimore
City shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section
2 of this Article.

The local boards in the counties and the Welfare Commission in
Baltimore City shall have all the duties and functions provided in
Section 14A of this Article.

The local welfare director in each county and in Baltimore City shall
administer the welfare activities within the counties and Baltimore
City, respectively, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of
this Article.

(b)  Administrative costs of the [county welfare boards] local
welfare departments for the purpose of this section shall be paid
out of funds derived from local sources or out of allotments from
State or Federal funds, or any of them, as the State Department of