388                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                       CH. 334]

as shall be provided in the annual Ordinance of Estimates of Balti-
more City and approved by the Supreme Bench under the provisions
of Section 303D of Article IV of the Code of Public Local Laws of
Maryland as it may be amended from time to time. The Supreme
Bench is further authorized to adopt appropriate rules governing
the court reporters and the manner in which they shall perform
their duties.

298.    Court Reporters: Longevity Retirement

(a)    Any official court reporter of the Supreme Bench appointed
prior to January 1, 1956, including any reporter assigned to the
grand jury, who has served twenty-five preceding consecutive years
or has attained the age of seventy years while so employed, shall
be entitled to retirement with a salary of $4,000 per annum; pro-
vided, however, such retirement shall be mandatory at age seventy
years.

(b)    Every court reporter receiving a retirement salary on the
effective date of this Act, who was retired upon attainment of sixty
or more years of age, and the completion of twenty-five consecutive
years of service, shall be entitled to a retirement salary of $4,000
per annum.

(c)    Retirement salaries paid under subsections (a) and (b) of
this Section shall not be diminished by reason of the retired re-
porter's having any earned income.

(d)    No reporter appointed after January 1, 1956 shall be en-
titled to any retirement salary under this Section.

299.    Court Reporters: Disability Retirement

(a)    Every official court reporter who, on the effective date of
this Act is receiving a retirement salary under the provisions of
this subtitle by reason of physical or mental incapacity to perform
the duties of his position, shall thereafter be entitled to a retire-
ment salary of $4,000 per annum when eligible therefor under para-
graph (c) of this Section.

(b)    Any official court reporter appointed prior to January 1,
1956, who, having served less than twenty-five preceding consecu-
tive years and being under seventy years of age, shall become phy-
sically or mentally incapable of performing the duties of that posi-
tion by reason of ailments or accidents not resulting from his own
misconduct, shall be entitled during the period of such incapacity
to a retirement salary of $4,000 per annum when eligible therefor
under paragraph (c) of this Section.

(c)    Every court reporter otherwise entitled to a retirement
salary under subsections (a) or (b) above, shall receive such salary
only when such retired reporter's earned income is less than $4,000
per annum; and the amount of such retirement salary shall be the
difference between the retired reporter's earned income and the
$4,000 maximum provided herein. In order to claim a retirement
salary under this Section, each court reporter retired by reason of
incapacity shall, on January 1st of each year, file with the Admin-
istrator of the Supreme Bench a statement showing (1) his earned
income for the previous year, and (2) his anticipated earnings for