760                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                       CH. 451

ONCE IN EACH TWO SUCCESSIVE MONTHS, TO DEVELOP
A PLAN OF MERGER OF THE TWO AUTHORITIES AND TO
INSTITUTE JOINT USE OF MATERIALS, OFFICES OUTSIDE
THE STATE OF MARYLAND, STUDIES, PROMOTIONS, PRO-
GRAMS, OPERATIONS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES, WHERE
SUCH JOINT ACTIVITIES WILL CREATE ECONOMIES AND
EFFECTUATE THE OTHER PURPOSES OF THIS ACT AND
ARTICLE 62B OF THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE PLANNING DEPARTMENT
SHALL CALL AND CHAIR SUCH JOINT SESSIONS. THE
PLAN OF MERGER SHALL BE SUBMITTED BY THE AU-
THORITIES TO THE GOVERNOR AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 1, 1969.

23.    Penalties.

Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this
Article, or of any rule or regulation lawfully promulgated and
adopted by the Authority is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon con-
viction thereof shall be subject to a fine of not less than fifty dollars
($50) and not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or to impris-
onment for a period of not more than one year, or to both such fine
and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.

24.    Liberal construction.

This Article, being necessary for the welfare of the State and its
inhabitants, shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes
thereof.

25.    Severability.

The provisions of this Article are severable, and if any of its pro-
visions shall be held unconstitutional by any court of competent
jurisdiction, the decision of such court shall not affect or impair any
of the remaining provisions.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That as of the effective date

of this Act, all fulltime employees of the Mayor and City Council of
Baltimore, including the Airport Fire Fighting Force, who for a

SEC. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT AS OF
JULY 1, 1968, ALL REGULAR AND PERMANENT PERSONNEL
NOW EMPLOYED BY THE AIRPORT FIRE-FIGHTING FORCE
AND ALL OTHER FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OF THE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL WHO FOR A period of six months or more
immediately preceding have been regularly engaged in the manage-
ment and operation of Friendship International Airport are trans-
ferred to the employment of the Maryland Airport Authority herein
created. Without further examination or qualification they are sub-
ject to the provisions and restrictions of Article 64A of the Anno-
tated Code of Maryland, title "Merit System." THEREAFTER
THEIR EMPLOYMENT IS SUBJECT GENERALLY TO THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT AND OF THE SAID ARTICLE 64A.
THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR AND OTHER KEY PERSONNEL AS DETERMINED
BY THE AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 (O) TO THE
EXTENT THAT THE SAME MAY BE INCONSISTENT THERE-
WITH.