SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                         521

depositary selected with reasonable care, but only for his own negli-
gence or default.

53. Funds.

(a)    In General. The Fund provided by this subtitle shall consist
of the assets turned over to the Board of Trustees by the Police
Commissioner of Baltimore City from the Relief Fund, and any
increments from gifts or contributions from any source, less benefit
payments and expenses. The Board of Trustees may receive and
accept gifts, devises, and bequests to be administered in accordance
with this subtitle from any person, governmental agency, or public
or private corporation, or association. The Board may make such
expenditures, for the purpose of carrying out this subtitle, as in
their judgment may be necessary, including but not limited to
organization, clerical and office expenses.

(b)    Assessment of Members of Department. When the Fund
falls below $75,000.00, the Board of Trustees may require the collec-
tion, by means of payroll deductions, from each officer and civilian
employee of the Police Department of Baltimore City, of an amount
not exceeding ten cents ($.10) per week, for payment to the Fund,
for such time or times as the Board may require, except that all such
assessments shall cease whenever the Fund reaches $200,000.00,
and may not again be required until the Fund again falls below
$75,000.00. Upon written request of at least ten per cent (10%) of
the total number of personnel of the Department, the action of the
Board in requiring an assessment shall be submitted to a secret
ballot vote of the officers and civilian employees of the Department,
and if a majority of the votes cast are opposed to assessment, the
assessment shall not be imposed. If not replenished by assessment,
the Fund shall be used until exhausted to pay the benefits herein,
whereupon the Fund shall cease.

(c)    Investment. The Board of Trustees may invest the assets
of the Fund in such investments as in their discretion they deem
prudent, but at least sufficient cash shall be deposited in federally
insured savings accounts to meet the anticipated benefit payments
for each year.

(d)    Audit and Report. The accounts of the Fund shall be regu-
larly audited by the State Auditor, and from time to time by such
independent certified public accountant, the Board of Trustees may
engage. On or before May 1 in each year, the Board of Trustees
shall publish annually a report including the fiscal transactions of
the Fund for the year ending the preceding December 31, and a
detailed balance sheet as of the said preceding December 31. The
Board shall submit copies of said report for posting at all the head-
quarters and all other buildings, facilities and installations of the
Department, and shall file with its own records one or more copies,
which shall be made available to any office or civilian employee of
the Department or potential beneficiary of any deceased officer or
civilian employee wishing to inspect the same.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the Board of Trustees,
as of the effective date of this Act, shall consist of Major Vincent
D. Gavin, Captain Edward A. Mooney, Lieutenant John A. Good-
rich, Sergeant Albert T. Lobos, Patrolman Joseph J. Kelly and