(1) The sheriffs of the respective counties of the state be and they are hereby authorized and empowered to furnish adequate guard service to vital war industries if requested to so do by such industries; provided, such industries reimburse said sheriffs the actual cost of such guard service; that the furnishing of guard service by said sheriffs to vital war industries is and shall be an official act of the various sheriffs and said guards shall be deemed to be in the employ of the various sheriffs as an instrumentality of the state.
(2) Such guards shall be regular or special deputy sheriffs, residents of the state, citizens of the United States, and bonded, with no prior criminal record, and shall be always under the control of the respective sheriffs who employ said guards. All orders to said guards shall emanate from the respective sheriffs; provided, however, that industry shall have the right to supervise said guards and make recommendations in connection with the guarding of its property to said sheriffs.
(3) The term “industry,” as used in this section, shall be construed to include any person, firm, or corporation engaged, directly or indirectly, in the manufacture or furnishing of any materials, equipment, commodities, or services which contribute to the prosecution of the war effort.
(4) The said guards employed by the various sheriffs hereunder shall be acceptable to the particular industry involved at all times and shall receive such pay as is agreeable to the sheriff, industry, and the guard to be employed.
(5) All guards heretofore employed by sheriffs and used in connection with the guarding of industry, shall be deemed to have been employed according to the terms and conditions of this section and the employment by the various sheriffs in this connection is hereby ratified, confirmed, and held to be employment in their official capacities as an instrumentality of the state.
(6) The powers given to the various sheriffs of the various counties of this state herein shall not be deemed to be limiting the powers of the sheriffs already existing but shall be deemed to be cumulative.
History.—ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, ch. 21798, 1943.