qII)c Commomocaltl) of iltassachusctto 
 
 BOARD OF GAS AND ELECTRIC LIGHT COMMISSIONERS. 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS UBW* 
 
 NEW LEGISLATION 
 
 OF 
 
 ESPECIAL INTEREST 
 
 GAS, ELECTRIC AND WATER 
 
 COMPANIES 
 
 AND 
 
 MUNICIPALITIES OWNING LIGHTING PLANTS. 
 
 1915. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 
 
 32 DERNE STREET. 
 
 1915. 
 
Approved by 
 
 The State Board of Publication. 
 
 / 
 
\ w university or mmois imm 
 
 o 1 1 » 
 
 Pr * NOV 9 1915 
 
 New Legislation, 1915 . 
 
 _ r Note. — There have been omitted in this pamphlet all acts amending or 
 k affecting the Workmen’s Compensation Act, as these acts are printed for 
 .^distribution by the Industrial Accident Board, and may be obtained by 
 application to that Board, 1 Beacon Street, Boston. 
 
 In accordance with the provisions of chapter 449 of the Acts of 1914 
 ' the general acts are divided into chapters and numbered in series without 
 A) regard to the numbering of the special acts, and the special acts are sim- 
 \ ilarly arranged in chapters without regard to the general acts. 
 
 ACTS. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 15. 
 
 An Act relative to Changes in Officers of Business Corporations. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Section one of chapter two hundred and eighty-two 
 of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and seven, as amended by 
 chapter one hundred and eighty of the acts of the year nineteen 
 hundred and eight, is hereby further amended by striking out the 
 word “ president ”, and the words “ and the majority”, in the 
 seventh line, and the words “ of its directors ”, in the eighth line, — 
 so as to read as follows: — Section 1. Whenever any change is 
 made in the officers of a domestic corporation subject to the provi¬ 
 sions of chapter four hundred and thirty-seven of the acts of the 
 year nineteen hundred and three the corporation shall forthwith file 
 in the office of the commissioner of corporations a certificate of such 
 change signed and sworn to by the clerk. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Ap¬ 
 proved February 17, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 20. 
 
 An Act relative to the Manufacture, Distribution and Sale of Gas and 
 
 Electricity. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Section one hundred of chapter seven hundred and 
 forty-two of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen is 
 hereby amended by striking out the word “ commissioners ”, in the 
 
4 
 
 twenty-eighth and fifty-sixth lines, and inserting in each instance, 
 in place thereof the word : — board. 
 
 Section 2. Section one hundred and forty-eight of said chapter 
 is hereby amended by inserting after the word “ held ”, in the four¬ 
 teenth line, the following sentence : — Such trustees shall also within 
 thirty days after the adoption of any amendment of such instrument 
 or declaration file a copy thereof with the board, the said commis¬ 
 sioner and said clerk, — so as to read as follows: — Section 1J+S. 
 Trustees of a voluntary association under a written instrument or 
 declaration of trust the beneficial interest under which is divided 
 into transferable certificates of participation or shares, who own or 
 control a majority of the capital stock of a gas or electric company, 
 shall file a copy of such written instrument or declaration of trust 
 with the board, the commissioner of corporations and the clerk of 
 every city or town in which such association has a usual place of 
 business, and shall annually, on or before the first day of April, file 
 with the commissioner of corporations and with the board a state¬ 
 ment showing the number of shares of such company owned or con¬ 
 trolled by them and the stockholders of record on the books of such 
 company in whose names such shares are held. Such trustees shall 
 also within thirty days after the adoption of any amendment of 
 such instrument or declaration file a copy thereof with the board, 
 the said commissioner and said clerk. Every such trustee who fails 
 to comply with the foregoing requirements shall for such failure be 
 liable to a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or to imprison¬ 
 ment for the term of three months. 
 
 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Ap¬ 
 proved February 22, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 21. 
 
 An Act relative to the Supervision of Water Companies by the Board of 
 
 Gas and Electric Light Commissioners. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Sections six, seven and eight of chapter seven hun¬ 
 dred and eightv-seven of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and 
 fourteen are hereby repealed. 
 
 Section 2. Chapter six hundred and sixty of the acts of the year 
 nineteen hundred and thirteen is hereby amended by striking out 
 section one and inserting in place thereof the following: — Sec- 
 , tion 1. In all proceedings conducted by the board of gas and 
 
5 
 
 electric light commissioners in accordance with the law relating to 
 the petition of any water company for authorization to issue capital 
 stock or bonds, and in all matters connected with the determination 
 by said board of any question relating thereto and before any such 
 authorization is given, said board may require and the state depart¬ 
 ment of health shall, without charge, furnish to said board engineer¬ 
 ing services and advice for its assistance and guidance in such 
 proceedings. 
 
 Section 3. Sections two and three of chapter six hundred and 
 sixty of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen are 
 hereby repealed. 
 
 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved February 22, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 50. 
 
 An Act relative to the Abatement of Smoke in the City of Boston and 
 
 Vicinity. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as folloivs: 
 
 Section 1 . The last paragraph of section two of chapter six 
 hundred and fifty-one of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and 
 ten is hereby amended by striking out the word “ thirty ”, in the 
 fifth line, and inserting in place thereof the word: — fifteen, — so 
 that said paragraph will read as follows: — And provided, further, 
 that stacks of locomotives, moving trains of six cars or more, be per¬ 
 mitted to emit smoke in any five-minute period for ten seconds in 
 excess of that already provided for in this act, and that stacks of 
 Class VI, in and about round houses, may emit smoke for fifteen 
 minutes during the period when the fire is being built, or rebuilt 
 after cleaning. The number of minutes or seconds during which 
 smoke may be emitted in any period as provided in this section shall 
 be deemed to mean the aggregate number of minutes or seconds, 
 and such minutes or seconds need not be consecutive. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect on the first day of July, 
 nineteen hundred and fifteen. [Approved March 11, 1915. 
 
6 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 72. 
 
 An Act to repeal the Act providing for licensing Dealers in Coal and Coke. 
 
 Be it efiacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Chapter four hundred and eighty-four of the acts 
 of the year nineteen hundred and three, as amended by chapter four 
 hundred and thirty-four of the acts of the year nineteen hundred 
 and six, being an act to provide for licensing dealers in coal and 
 coke, is hereby repealed. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [. Ap¬ 
 proved March 17, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 75. 
 
 An Act relative to the Weekly Payment of Wages. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Section one hundred and twelve of chapter five hun¬ 
 dred and fourteen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and nine, 
 as amended by chapter three hundred and fifty of the acts of the 
 year nineteen hundred and ten, by chapter two hundred and eight 
 of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and eleven, by chapter seven 
 hundred and eighty-four of the acts of the year nineteen hundred 
 and thirteen, and by chapter two hundred and forty-seven of the 
 acts of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen, is hereby further 
 amended by striking out the words “ or any of the building trades ”, 
 in the fifth line, and inserting in place thereof the words: — or in 
 the erection, alteration, repair or removal of any building or struc¬ 
 ture, — so as to read as follows: — Section 112. Every person, firm 
 or corporation engaged in carrying on a factory, workshop, manu¬ 
 facturing, mechanical or mercantile establishment, mine, quarry, 
 railroad or street railway, or a telephone, telegraph, express or water 
 company, or in the erection, alteration, repair or removal of any 
 building or structure, or the construction or repair of any railroad, 
 street railway, road, bridge, sewer, gas, water or electric light works, 
 pipes or lines, shall pay weekly each employee engaged in his or its 
 business the wages earned by him to within six days of the date of 
 said payment, hut any employee leaving his or her employment, shall 
 he paid in full on the following regular pay day; and any employee 
 discharged from such employment shall he paid in full on the day 
 of his discharge, or in the city of Boston as soon as the provisions 
 
7 
 
 of law requiring pay rolls, bills and accounts to be certified shall 
 have been complied with; and the commonwealth, its officers, boards 
 and commissions shall so pay every mechanic, workman and laborer 
 who is employed by it or them, and every person employed by it or 
 them in any penal or charitable institution, and every county and 
 city shall so pay every employee who is engaged in its business the 
 wages or salary earned by him, unless such mechanic, workman, 
 laborer or employee requests in writing to be paid in a different 
 manner; and every town shall so pay each employee in its business 
 if so required by him; but an employee who is absent from his 
 regular place of labor at a time fixed for payment shall be paid 
 thereafter on demand. The provisions of this section shall not 
 apply to an employee of a co-operative corporation or association if 
 he is a stockholder therein unless he requests such corporation to 
 pay him weekly. The public service commission, after a hearing, 
 may exempt any railroad corporation from paying weekly any of its 
 employees if it appears to the board that such employees prefer less 
 frequent payments, and that their interests and the interests of the 
 public will not suffer thereby. ISTo corporation, contractor, person 
 or partnership shall by a special contract with an employee or by 
 any other means exempt himself or itself from the provisions of 
 this and the following section. Whoever violates the provisions of 
 this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more 
 than fifty dollars. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved March 17, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 83. 
 
 An Act relative to the Borrowing of Money by Towns. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as folloivs: 
 
 Section 1 . To provide the necessary funds to meet liabilities 
 authorized to be incurred by section two of chapter six hundred and 
 ninety-two of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, 
 the town treasurer, with the approval of a majority of the selectmen, 
 may borrow on notes of the town during any one month between 
 January first and the next annual town meeting a sum not ex¬ 
 ceeding one twelfth of the previous tax levy, the same to be regarded 
 as a part of the total amount which may be borrowed under the 
 provisions of section three of chapter seven hundred and nineteen 
 
8 
 
 of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, as amended; 
 said notes shall be subject to certification by the director of the 
 bureau of statistics in accordance with law. 
 
 Section 2. The director of the bureau of statistics in certifying 
 notes authorized by this act shall furnish a statement certifying to 
 the amount of the tax levy by the preceding year as filed with the 
 tax commissioner by the assessors of the town. 
 
 Section 3. • This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved March 20, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 84. 
 
 An Act relative to the Certification of Town and District Notes by the 
 
 Director of the Bureau of Statistics. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1. The certification of town and district notes by the 
 director of the bureau of statistics under the provisions of chapter 
 six hundred and sixteen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred 
 and ten, as amended, and as affected by chapter four hundred 
 and sixteen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, 
 and chapter seven hundred and twenty-seven of the acts of the year 
 nineteen hundred and thirteen, as amended, shall be deemed prima 
 facie evidence of the liability of the town or district issuing the 
 same for the payment of the debt. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved March 20, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 85. 
 
 An Act to authorize Fire, Water, Light, Watch and Improvement Districts 
 / to incur Indebtedness. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Fire, water, light, watch, and improvement districts 
 may, by a two thirds vote of the voters present and voting at a 
 meeting duly called, authorize the incurring of debt for the pur¬ 
 poses prescribed, and payable within the periods specified, by sec¬ 
 tions five and six of chapter seven hundred and nineteen of the 
 acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, as amended, so far 
 as they are authorized by law to make expenditures for the purposes 
 mentioned in said sections. 
 
9 
 
 Section 2. The proceeds of any sale of bonds or notes, except 
 premiums, shall be used only for the purposes specified in the au¬ 
 thorization of the loan: provided, however, that transfers of unex¬ 
 pended amounts may be made to other accounts, to be used for 
 similar purposes. 
 
 Section 3. A district which has authorized a debt to be in¬ 
 curred within the limitations as to amount and time of payments 
 prescribed by this act may issue bonds or notes therefor, signed by 
 the treasurer and countersigned by a majority of the prudential 
 committee or commissioners, at such rates of interest as may be 
 deemed proper, and such a district may, except as is otherwise 
 provided by section ten of chapter seven hundred and nineteen of 
 the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, sell such bonds 
 or notes at not less than par, at public or private sale, or may use 
 the same in payment of such debts: provided, however, that if the 
 amount of the annual payment and the period of the loan are not 
 specified by the vote authorizing the debt to be incurred, the officers 
 authorized to issue bonds or notes therefor may issue the same 
 subject to the provisions and limitations of this act. The prudential 
 committee or commissioners shall, not later than May first of each 
 year, notify in writing the board of assessors of the amount of debt 
 falling due during the current financial year, the sinking fund re¬ 
 quirements, if any, and what provision has been made for meeting 
 such requirements; and the board shall make such provision for 
 meeting said debt and sinking fund requirements in the tax levy 
 of that year as, in its judgment, may be necessary. 
 
 Section 4. No further sinking funds for the payment of debt 
 shall be established by any district, but districts shall contribute to 
 every sinking fund established prior to the passage of this act until 
 every such sinking fund, with its accumulations, shall be sufficient 
 to extinguish at maturity the debt for which it was established; 
 and all provisions of law relating to the manner of establishing, 
 administering, and investing sinking funds which may be in force 
 at the time of the passage of this act shall remain in force with 
 respect to all sinking funds established prior thereto. 
 
 Section 5. Districts shall not issue any notes payable on de¬ 
 mand, and they shall provide for the payment of all debts, except 
 those incurred under the provisions of sections three and nine of 
 chapter seven hundred and nineteen of the acts of the year nineteen 
 hundred and thirteen, as amended, by such annual payments as 
 will extinguish the same at maturity, and in such manner that the 
 
10 
 
 first of such annual payments on account of any loan shall he made 
 not later than one year after the date of the bonds or notes issued 
 therefor, and that the amount of the annual payment in any year 
 on account of any such debt, so far as it may be issued, shall not 
 be less than the amount of principal payable in any subsequent 
 year; and such annual amounts, together with the interest on all 
 debts, shall, without further vote, be assessed until the debt is 
 extinguished. 
 
 Section 6. Districts may pay or provide for the payment of any 
 debt, whether incurred before or after the passage of this act, at 
 an earlier period than is required by the provisions of this act, 
 and shall not refund any debt except as provided in section nine 
 of chapter seven hundred and nineteen of the acts of the year nine¬ 
 teen hundred and thirteen, as amended; and districts may, for the 
 purpose of reducing the whole debt for the redemption of which 
 sinking funds have been established prior to the passage of this 
 act, or of reducing the amount to be raised by taxation for such 
 funds, add to any such sinking fund the excess of an appropriation 
 over the amount required for the purpose thereof, or add to such 
 funds any sums derived from taxation or from other sources not 
 required by law to be expended otherwise. 
 
 Section 7. All provisions of chapter seven hundred and nine- 
 
 m 
 
 teen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, as 
 amended, which relate to districts or which are not inconsistent 
 with this act shall remain in full force and effect and shall be 
 deemed to apply to districts. 
 
 Section 8 . This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved March 20 , 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 92. 
 
 An Act relative to the Payment of Fees by Gas and Electric Companies 
 for filing and recording Certain Certificates in the Office of the Sec¬ 
 retary of the Commonwealth. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section ninety-one of chapter seven hundred and forty-two of the 
 acts of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen is hereby amended 
 by striking out the word “ organization ” in the fifth line, and in¬ 
 serting in place thereof the word : — incorporation, — and by add¬ 
 ing at the end thereof the words: — For filing and recording the 
 certificates or copies of the vote required by sections twenty-nine. 
 
11 
 
 \ 
 
 forty-eight, fifty-two, fifty-three, sixty-eight, sixty-nine, seventy-one 
 and seventy-two, one dollar for each certificate or copy of the vote. 
 For filing and recording the certificate required hy section sixty- 
 five, five dollars, — so as to read as follows:— Section 91. The 
 fees for filing and recording the certificates which are required by 
 this act to be filed with the secretary of the commonwealth shall 
 be as follows: — 
 
 For filing and recording the certificates required by section ten, 
 including the issuing of the certificate of incorporation by the secre¬ 
 tary, one twentieth of one per cent of the amount of the capital 
 stock as fixed by the agreement of association; but not less in any 
 case than five dollars. 
 
 For filing and recording the certificate required by section sixty- 
 eight, one twentieth of one per cent of the amount by which the 
 capital is increased. 
 
 For filing and recording the certificates or copies of the vote re¬ 
 quired by sections twenty-nine, forty-eight, fifty-two, fifty-three, 
 sixty-eight, sixty-nine, seventy-one and seventy-two, one dollar for 
 each certificate or copy of the vote. 
 
 For filing and recording the certificate required by section sixty- 
 five, five dollars. [Approved March 22, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 115. 
 
 An Act relative to Municipal Indebtedness. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Clause (4) of section six of chapter seven hundred 
 and nineteen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen 
 is hereby amended hy striking out the words “ a city or town ”, in 
 the second and third lines, and inserting in place thereof the words: 
 — the territory within which such gas or electric lighting plant is 
 authorized to distribute its product, — so as to read as follows: — 
 (4) For establishing, purchasing, extending or enlarging a gas or 
 electric lighting plant within the limits of the territory within 
 which such gas or electric lighting plant is authorized to distribute 
 its product, twenty years; but the indebtedness so incurred shall he 
 limited to an amount not exceeding in a town five per cent and in 
 a city two and one half per cent of the last preceding assessed valu¬ 
 ation of such town or city. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved March 30, 1915. 
 
12 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 121. 
 
 An Act to authorize the Exchange of Certain Bonds, Notes and Certificates 
 of Indebtedness issued by Cities and Towns. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Section four of chapter seventy-three of the Eevisecl 
 Laws is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following: 
 — Coupon or registered bonds, notes or certificates of a city or town 
 may be surrendered to the city or town treasurer for cancellation 
 and in exchange therefor one or more registered bonds, notes or 
 certificates having the same maturity and rate of interest, may be 
 issued to the same or to a new owner or owners. In cities, such 
 new bonds, notes or certificates shall be signed by the treasurer and 
 countersigned by the city auditor or comptroller and the mayor, 
 or their successor or successors in office. In towns, such new bonds, 
 notes or certificates shall be signed by the treasurer and counter¬ 
 signed by a. majority of the selectmen, — so as to read as follows: — 
 Section L A county, city or town or any corporation organized 
 under the laws of this commonwealth may, at the request of the 
 owner or holder of a bond, promissory note or certificate of in¬ 
 debtedness issued by it payable to bearer, at any time more than 
 one year before maturity thereof, issue in exchange therefor a bond, 
 note or certificate of the same effect, pa}^able to the owner or holder 
 by name. Coupon or registered bonds, notes or certificates of a 
 city or town may be surrendered to the city or town treasurer for 
 cancellation and in exchange therefor one or more registered bonds, 
 notes or certificates having the same maturity and rate of interest, 
 may be issued to the same or to a new owner or owners. In cities, 
 such new bonds, notes or certificates shall be signed by the treas¬ 
 urer and countersigned by the city auditor or comptroller and the 
 mayor, or their successor or successors in office. In towns, such 
 new bonds, notes or certificates shall be signed by the treasurer and 
 countersigned by a majority of the selectmen. 
 
 Section 2. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are 
 hereby repealed. 
 
 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved March 30, 1915. 
 
13 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 135. 
 
 An Act relative to the Registration of Bonds. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Section three of chapter seven hundred and sixty-one 
 of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen is hereby 
 amended by striking out all of the said section except the last sen¬ 
 tence, — so as to read as follows : — Section S. Nothing in this act 
 shall be construed as affecting the provisions of sections sixteen, 
 seventeen and eighteen of Part I of said chapter four hundred and 
 ninety, and acts in amendment thereof, relative to the taxation of 
 mortgages on property within the commonwealth. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [. Ap¬ 
 
 proved April 3, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 138. 
 
 An Act relative to the Preparation of the Annual Budget in Cities. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Section twenty of chapter seven hundred and nine¬ 
 teen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen is hereby 
 amended by striking out the words “ until such time as the tax rate 
 for the year shall be fixed", in the seventh and eighth lines and 
 also in the thirty-ninth and fortieth lines, — by inserting after the 
 word “ purpose ", in the eleventh, twenty-ninth and fifty-first lines, 
 and after the word “ required", in the thirty-eighth line, the 
 words: — but the budget shall not be in such detail as to fix a specific 
 salary of employees under the direction of boards elected by the 
 people, other than the city council, — and by striking out the last 
 sentence of said section and inserting in place thereof the follow¬ 
 ing: — In the period after the expiration of any fiscal year and be¬ 
 fore the regular appropriations have been made by the city council, 
 the city officers who are authorized to make expenditures may incur 
 liabilities in carrying on the work of the several departments en¬ 
 trusted to them, and payments therefor shall be made from the 
 treasury from any available funds therein, and the same shall be 
 charged against the next annual appropriation: provided, that the 
 liabilities incurred during said intervals do not exceed in any month 
 the sums spent for similar purposes during any one month of the 
 preceding year; and provided, further, that said officers may expend 
 
14 
 
 in any one month for any new officer or board created by law an 
 amount not exceeding one twelfth of the estimated cost for the cur¬ 
 rent year, but all interest and debt falling due in said interval shall 
 be paid. Nothing in this section shall prevent the mayor from rec¬ 
 ommending, and the city council from making, appropriations prior 
 to the adoption of the annual budget, — so as to read as follows: — 
 Section 20. Within sixty days after the annual organization of the 
 city government, the mayor of every city, except Boston and those 
 cities having the commission form of government, so-called, shall 
 submit to the city council the annual budget of the current expenses 
 of the city, and the mayor may submit thereafter supplementary 
 budgets. The budget shall consist of an itemized and detailed state¬ 
 ment of the money required, and the city council shall make such 
 appropriations in detail, clearly specifying the amount to be ex¬ 
 pended for each particular purpose, but the budget shall not be in 
 such detail as to fix a specific salary of employees under the direc¬ 
 tion of boards elected by the people, other than the city council. 
 The city council may reduce or reject any item, but, without the 
 approval of the mayor, shall not increase any item in nor the' total 
 of a budget, nor add any item thereto. It shall be the duty of the 
 city officials, when so requested by the mayor, to submit to him forth¬ 
 with in such detail as he may require estimates for the next fiscal 
 year of the expenditures of their departments or offices under their 
 charge, which estimate shall be transmitted to the city council. In 
 case of the failure of the mayor to transmit in writing to the city 
 council a recommendation for an appropriation of money for any 
 purpose deemed by the council to be necessary, and after having 
 been so requested by vote of the city council, said council, after the 
 expiration of seven days after such vote, upon its own initiative, 
 may make an appropriation for such purpose by a vote of at least 
 two thirds of its members, and shall in all cases make such appro¬ 
 priations in detail, clearly specifying the amount to be expended for 
 each particular purpose, but the budget shall not be in such detail 
 as to fix a specific salary of employees under the direction of boards 
 elected by the people, other than the city council; and in cities 
 having the commission form of government, so-called, each com¬ 
 missioner or director shall, within thirty days after the annual or¬ 
 ganization of the city government, submit to the commissioner or 
 director of finance estimates in such detail as he may require of the 
 amounts deemed necessary for the current expenses for their re¬ 
 spective departments, and the commissioner or director of finance 
 
15 
 
 shall within thirty days thereafter submit to the city council a 
 budget consisting of an itemized and detailed statement of the money 
 required, but the budget shall not be in such detail as to fix a specific 
 salary of employees under the direction of boards elected by the 
 people, other than the city council, and may submit thereafter sup¬ 
 plemental budgets, and the budget or budgets shall be passed by a 
 majority vote of the city council. In case of the failure of the 
 finance commissioner or director to transmit in writing to the city 
 council a recommendation for an appropriation of money for any 
 purpose deemed by the council to be necessary, and after having been 
 requested by vote of the city council, said council, after the expira¬ 
 tion of seven days after such vote, upon its own initiative, may make 
 an appropriation for such purpose by a vote of at least two thirds 
 of all its members, and shall in all cases make such appropriations 
 in detail, clearly specifying the amount to be expended for each 
 particular purpose, but the budget shall not be in such detail as to 
 fix a specific salary of employees under the direction of boards 
 elected by the people, other than the city council. In the period 
 after the expiration of any fiscal year and before the regular appro¬ 
 priations have been made by the city council, the city officers who 
 are authorized to make expenditures may incur liabilities in carry¬ 
 ing on the work of the several departments entrusted to them, and 
 payments therefor shall be made from the treasury from any avail¬ 
 able funds therein, and the same shall be charged against the next 
 annual appropriation: provided, that the liabilities incurred during 
 said interval do not exceed in any month the sums spent for similar 
 purposes during any one month of the preceding year; and provided , 
 further, that said officers may expend in any one month for any new 
 officer or board created by law an amount not exceeding one twelfth 
 of the estimated cost for the current year, but all interest and debt 
 falling due in said interval shall he paid. Nothing in this section 
 shall prevent the mayor from recommending, and the city council 
 from making, appropriations prior to the adoption of the annual 
 budget. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Ap¬ 
 proved April 5, 1915. 
 
 / 
 
16 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 176. 
 
 An Act relative to Signs, Awnings and Other Projections in Public Ways. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The municipal officer, board, commission or other 
 municipal authority having charge of the laying out of public ways 
 in cities and towns, is hereby authorized to grant permits and fix the 
 fees therefor, not exceeding one dollar for any one permit, for the 
 placing and maintaining of signs, advertising devices, clocks, mar¬ 
 quees, permanent awnings and other like structures projecting into, 
 or placed on or over the public highways, and to make rules and 
 regulations relating thereto, and to prescribe the penalties for a 
 breach of any such rules and regulations, not exceeding five dollars 
 for each day during which any sign, advertising device, clock, 
 marquee, permanent awning or other structure is placed or main¬ 
 tained contrary to the rules and regulations so made, after five days* 
 notice to remove the same has been given by the said officer, hoard, 
 commission or other authority, or by a police officer of the city or 
 town. 
 
 Section 2. All signs, advertising devices, clocks, marquees, per¬ 
 manent awnings and other like structures for which permits shall 
 be granted after the passage of this act, shall be constructed, and, 
 when attached to a building, shall be connected therewith in accord¬ 
 ance with the requirements of the inspector of buildings, building 
 commissioner or other officer, board or commission having like 
 authority in the city or town. 
 
 Section 3. This act shall not apply to signs or other structures 
 projecting into or over the highway a distance of less than six inches, 
 nor to poles, wires, conduits, and appurtenances of steam railroad, 
 street railway, telegraph and telephone, water, gas, electric light, 
 heat and power companies. 
 
 Section 4. Chapters six hundred and thirty-two and six hun¬ 
 dred and eighty of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thir¬ 
 teen and all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith are 
 hereby repealed, but such repeal shall not affect any permit already 
 granted under the provisions of such acts. 
 
 Section 5. This act shall take effect three months after its 
 passage. [.Approved April 10, 1015. 
 
17 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 191. 
 
 An Act relative to the Supply of Gas or Electricity by Municipal Lighting 
 
 Plants to Adjoining Cities or Towns. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The board of gas and electric light commissioners 
 may, after notice and a public hearing, authorize a city or town 
 which has acquired a municipal lighting plant to extend its mains 
 or lines into an adjoining city or town for the purpose of distribut¬ 
 ing and selling gas or electricity therein, if such city or town or a 
 private corporation therein is not at the time supplying such city 
 or town with gas or electricity, as the case may be. Such author¬ 
 ization shall be upon such terms and with such limitations and 
 restrictions as the board may deem to be in the public interest. A 
 city or town so authorized shall thereafter have in such adjoining- 
 city or town the same rights and privileges, and be subject to the 
 same limitations and obligations, as it has within its own territorial 
 limits. If the adjoining city or town shall vote to establish a gas 
 or electric plant, it shall, under the provisions of sections one hun¬ 
 dred, one hundred and one, and one hundred and two of chapter 
 seven hundred and forty-two of the acts of the year nineteen hun¬ 
 dred and fourteen, purchase the plant and property within its limits 
 owned by the other city or town, which, within thirty days after 
 demand tiled with its clerk, shall file with the clerk of the pur¬ 
 chasing city or town the schedule required by said section one hun¬ 
 dred and one, and shall sell the same: and thereupon its rights to 
 maintain a gas or electric plant or to sell gas or electricity within 
 the limits of the purchasing city or town shall cease as to the plant 
 sold. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [. Ap¬ 
 proved April 27, 1975. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 192. 
 
 An Act relative to Corporations authorized to manufacture, distribute 
 
 and sell Gas and Electricity. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section fifty-two of chapter seven hundred and forty-two of the 
 acts of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen is hereby amended 
 by inserting before the word “ engage ”, in the fifth line, the words: 
 
18 
 
 — be empowered thereby to, — so as to read as follows: — Section 
 52. A corporation which is subject to the provisions of this act 
 may, by a vote of all its stockholders at a meeting duly called for 
 the purpose, alter, add to or change the business for the transaction 
 of which it was incorporated, but it shall not be empowered thereby 
 to engage in any business which is not authorized by the provisions 
 of this act, and if a gas company, it shall not engage in the business 
 of making or selling electricit}^ unless duly authorized to engage 
 therein as provided in section fifty-three, and if an electric company, 
 it shall not engage in the business of making or selling gas. A 
 certificate setting forth such alteration, addition or change, signed 
 and sworn to by the president, treasurer and a majority of the 
 directors, shall be filed in the office of the secretary of the common- 
 wealth. [Approved April 21, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 205. 
 
 An Act relative to the Change of Name of Corporations. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Chapter one hundred and sixty-three of the acts of the year nine¬ 
 teen hundred and eight is hereby amended by adding a. new section 
 thereto to be numbered two, as follows : — Section 2. Any corpora¬ 
 tion organized under general or special laws for any of the purposes 
 specified in section two of chapter one hundred and twenty-five of 
 the Revised Laws, or acts in amendment thereof or in addition 
 thereto, may, if unable to comply with the provisions of section one 
 hereof, petition the commissioner of corporations for a change of 
 name. Such petition shall contain a list of the officers and stock¬ 
 holders or members of the corporation, so far as they are known, 
 together with their addresses; shall state why it is unable to comply 
 with the provisions of section one, together with the name proposed 
 to be adopted by the corporation; and shall be signed and sworn to 
 by the president or one member of the board of directors. The 
 commissioner of corporations may require the petitioners to furnish 
 him with information as to what attempts, if any, have been made 
 to secure the approval of two thirds of the stockholders or members, 
 or of such proportion thereof as the by-laws of the corporation may 
 prescribe, for the proposed change of name. The commissioner may 
 also require any other information which in his judgment may be 
 of assistance in determining the matter before him. He may direct 
 
19 
 
 the petitioner or the officers of the corporation to give any further 
 notice to the members thereof of the proposed change of name, 
 and to report to him the result of such notice. 
 
 If the commissioner shall be satisfied that the proposed name of 
 the corporation is approved by such members or stockholders thereof 
 as have expressed an opinion in relation thereto, or of a reasonable 
 proportion thereof, he shall indorse his approval thereon, and there¬ 
 upon it shall be filed in the office of the secretary of the common¬ 
 wealth, who shall direct publication thereof and grant a certificate 
 of name in the manner provided in section one. [.Approved April 
 26 , 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 238. 
 
 An Act relative to the Taxation of Transfers of Stock. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section - 1 . Section one of chapter seven hundred and seventy of 
 the acts of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen is hereby 
 amended by inserting after the word “ cent ”, in the fourteenth line, 
 the words: — It shall be the duty of the person making or effectu¬ 
 ating the sale or transfer to procure, affix and cancel the stamps 
 and pay the excise imposed by this act, — so as to read as follows: 
 — Section 1. There is hereby imposed and there shall immediately 
 accrue and be collected an excise as herein provided on all sales or 
 agreements to sell or memoranda of sales or deliveries or transfers 
 of shares or certificates of stock in any domestic or foreign corpo¬ 
 ration made after the first day of December, nineteen hundred and 
 fourteen, whether made upon or shown by the books of the corpora¬ 
 tion, or by any assignment in blank, or by any delivery, or by any 
 paper or agreement or memorandum or other evidence of transfer 
 or sale, whether or not entitling the holder in any manner to the 
 benefit of such stock or to secure the future payment of money or 
 the future transfer of any stock, on each one hundred dollars of 
 face value or fraction thereof, two cents. It shall be the duty of 
 the person making or effectuating the sale or transfer to procure, 
 affix and cancel the stamps and pay the excise imposed by this act. 
 It is not intended by this act to impose an excise upon an agree¬ 
 ment evidencing the deposit of stock certificates as collateral security 
 for money loaned thereon, which stock certificates are not actually 
 sold, nor upon such stock certificates so deposited; nor upon the 
 transfer of stock certificates of a deceased person to his executor or 
 
20 
 
 administrator; nor upon the transfer of stoek certificates by a trus¬ 
 tee to his successor or co-trustee under the same trust. The pay¬ 
 ment of the said excise shall be denoted by an adhesive stamp or 
 stamps affixed as follows: in case of sale where the evidence of 
 transfer is shown only by the books of the company, the stamp shall 
 be placed upon the said books; and where the change of ownership 
 is by transfer of a certificate the stamp shall be placed upon the 
 certificate; and in cases of an agreement to sell, or where the trans¬ 
 fer is by delivery of the certificate assigned in blank, there shall be 
 made and delivered by the seller to the buyer a bill or memorandum 
 of sale, to which the stamp provided for by this act shall be affixed; 
 and every such bill or memorandum of sale or agreement to sell 
 shall show the date thereof, the name of the seller, the amount of 
 the sale, and the matter or thing to which it refers, and no further 
 excise is hereby imposed upon the delivery of the certificate of stock, 
 or upon the actual issue of a new certificate when the original certifi¬ 
 cate of stock is accompanied by the duly stamped memorandum of 
 sale as herein provided. 
 
 Section 2. Section four of said chapter seven hundred and 
 seventy is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the words: 
 — If any person fraudulently makes use of an adhesive stamp to 
 denote the payment of the excise imposed by this act without so 
 effectually cancelling the same, he shall, upon conviction, pay a 
 fine of not less than two hundred nor more than five hundred dol¬ 
 lars,— so as to read as follows: — Section J+. In every case where 
 . an adhesive stamp is used to denote the payment of the excise pro¬ 
 vided for by this act, the person using or affixing the same shall 
 write or stamp thereupon the initials of his name and the date 
 upon which the same is attached or used, and shall cut or perforate 
 the stamp in a substantial manner, so that the stamp cannot be used 
 again. If' any person fraudulently makes use of an adhesive stamp 
 to denote the payment of the excise imposed by this act without so 
 effectually cancelling the same, he shall, upon conviction, pay a 
 fine of not less than two hundred nor more than five hundred 
 dollars. 
 
 Section 3. Said chapter seven hundred and seventy is lierebv 
 further amended by striking out section six and inserting in place 
 thereof the following: — Section 6. Any person liable to pay the 
 tax imposed by this act, and any one who acts in the matter as 
 agent or broker for such person, who shall make any sale, transfer 
 or delivery of shares or certificates of stock without paying the tax 
 
21 
 
 imposed by this act, and any person who shall in pursuance of any 
 sale, transfer or agreement deliver any stock or evidence of sale or 
 transfer of, or agreement to sell any stock or bill or memorandum 
 thereof, or who shall transfer or cause the same to be transferred 
 upon the books or records of the association or corporation, and any 
 association or corporation whose stock is so sold or transferred 
 which shall transfer or cause the same to be transferred upon its 
 books without having the stamps provided for in this act affixed 
 thereto, shall, upon conviction thereof, pay a fine of not less than 
 five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars. Any person who 
 shall wilfully remove or alter or knowingly permit to be removed or 
 altered the cancelling or defacing marks of any stamp provided for 
 b}< this act with the intent to use such stamp, or who shall know¬ 
 ingly or wilfully buy, prepare for use, use, have in his possession, 
 or suffer to be used, any washed, restored or counterfeit stamps, and 
 any person who shall intentionally remove or cause to be removed, 
 or knowingly permit to be removed, any stamp affixed pursuant to 
 the requirements of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and 
 on conviction thereof shall be liable to a fine of not less than five 
 hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, or to imprisonment 
 for not more than one year, or to both such fine and imprisonment 
 at the discretion of the court. 
 
 Section 4. Said chapter seven hundred and seventy is hereby 
 further amended by striking out section seven and inserting in 
 place thereof the following: — Section 7. Every person, firm, asso¬ 
 ciation or corporation making a sale, agreement to sell, delivery or 
 transfer of shares or certificates of stock, or conducting or transact¬ 
 ing a brokerage business, shall keep or cause to be kept at some ac¬ 
 cessible place within the commonwealth a true book of accounts 
 wherein shall be recorded, plainly and legibly, the date of making 
 every sale, agreement to sell, delivery or transfer of shares or certifi¬ 
 cates of stock, and every transaction in relation to any stock; and 
 also the number of shares, the face value of the stock, the name of 
 the stock, the name of the seller, the name of the purchaser, and 
 the face value of the stamps affixed to the certificate or bill or 
 memorandum as provided in section one of this act. Every associa¬ 
 tion or corporation shall keep or cause to be kept at some accessible 
 place within the commonwealth a stock certificate book or transfer 
 ledger or register, wherein shall plainly and legibly be recorded, in 
 separate columns, the date of making every transfer of stock, the 
 name of the stock and the number of shares thereof, the name of 
 
 ♦ 
 
22 
 
 the party surrendering the certificate or certificates, the name of 
 the party to whom certificates are issued in exchange therefor, and 
 evidence of the payment of the tax provided for by sections one and 
 ten of this act, which evidence, however, shall he furnished in one 
 of the following manners, to wit: — 
 
 ( a ) By attaching to the stock certificate surrendered for transfer 
 the stamps required for such transfer, or 
 
 (b) If the stamps are not attached to the certificate, but are 
 attached to the bill or memorandum of sale effecting or evidencing 
 the transfer of such certificate, by attaching to the certificate the 
 said bill or memorandum of sale with stamps attached. 
 
 The association or corporation shall retain and keep all sur¬ 
 rendered or cancelled shares or certificates of stock, and all memo¬ 
 randa relating to the sale or transfer of stock, for at least two years 
 after the date of the delivery thereof, and it shall also keep and 
 retain for at least two years after the elate of the last entry thereon 
 the stock certificate book or transfer ledger provided for by this 
 section, and all such books of account and bills or memoranda of 
 sale or transfer; and all such stock certificate books or transfer 
 ledgers and all such surrendered or cancelled shares or certificates 
 of stock shall at all times be subject to the inspection of the tax 
 commissioner or of any of his representatives between the hours of 
 ten o’clock in the forenoon and three o’clock in the afternoon, ex¬ 
 cept on Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. The tax commis¬ 
 sioner may, at any time after a transfer of stock which by the pro¬ 
 visions of this act is subject to an excise, inquire into and ascertain 
 whether the excise imposed by the provisions of this act was paid. 
 For this purpose, the tax commissioner shall have the right, and it 
 shall he his duty, to examine the books and papers of any person, 
 firm, association or corporation: provided, that no bill or memoran¬ 
 dum of sale, as provided for in section one of this act, and no book 
 of account or stock certificate book or surrendered certificates of 
 stocks, as provided for in section seven of this act, need he pre¬ 
 served for the inspection of the tax commissioner for a longer period 
 than two years after the date thereof. The tax commissioner may 
 enforce his right to examine the books and papers of any person, 
 firm, association or corporation by mandamus. Every person, firm, 
 association or corporation refusing to permit the tax commissioner, 
 or any of his representatives, to inspect such hooks or papers or 
 any memoranda or record relating to any such sale, agreement to 
 sell, delivery or transfer, or transaction, as above provided, or fail- 
 
 A 
 
23 
 
 ing to keep the said book of account, or stock certificate book or 
 transfer ledger, or failing to preserve for two years after the date 
 thereof all bills and memoranda of sale, or failing to preserve for 
 two years after the delivery thereof all surrendered or cancelled 
 shares or certificates of stock as herein required, and whoever alters, 
 cancels or obliterates any part of said records, or makes any false 
 entry therein, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, 
 for each offence, be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred 
 nor more than five thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for not 
 less than three months or more than two years, or by both such 
 fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court. 
 
 Section 5. Section ten of said chapter seven hundred and 
 seventy is hereby amended by inserting after the word “ shares ”, 
 in the eighth line, the words: — and all provisions made in this 
 act for the regulation and collection of the excise, and all the penal¬ 
 ties and forfeitures in connection therewith, shall apply to the 
 excise to be collected under this section, — so as to read as follows: 
 — Section 10. The excise provided for by this act shall be imposed 
 and shall accrue and be collected on all sales or agreements to sell 
 or memoranda of sales or deliveries or transfers of the certificates 
 of participation or shares of all voluntary associations existing under 
 a written instrument or declaration of trust the beneficial interest 
 under which is divided into transferable certificates of participation 
 or shares; and all provisions made in this act for the regulation 
 and collection of the excise, and all the penalties and forfeitures in 
 connection therewith, shall apply to the excise to be collected under 
 this section; but such excise shall not be imposed upon an agreement 
 evidencing the deposit of certificates of participation or shares of 
 the nature above stated as collateral security for money loaned 
 thereon which certificates or shares are not actually sold, nor upon 
 such certificates or shares so deposited, nor upon the transfer of 
 such certificates or shares of a deceased person to his executor or 
 administrator; nor upon the transfer of such certificates or shares by 
 a trustee to his successor or co-trustee under the same trust. 
 
 Section 6. Section twelve of said chapter seven hundred and 
 seventy is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the fol¬ 
 lowing : — The tax commissioner may make such rules and regula¬ 
 tions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this act, as he may 
 deem necessary, and may prescribe such further forms, books, 
 records and papers as in his judgment are essential for carrying- 
 out the provisions of this act, — so as to read as follows: — Sec- 
 
tion 12. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this 
 act the tax commissioner may, with the advice and consent of the 
 governor and council, appoint and, with their consent, remove a 
 fourth assistant and examiners not exceeding four in number, and 
 may employ such clerical and other assistance as he may deem neces¬ 
 sary. The fourth assistant and the examiners provided for by this 
 act shall be paid such salaries as the tax commissioner may de¬ 
 termine, with the approval of the governor and council, and they 
 shall be allowed their necessary travelling and other expenses. The 
 tax commissioner may make such rules and regulations, not in¬ 
 consistent with the provisions of this act, as he may deem necessary, 
 and may prescribe such further forms, books, records and papers 
 as in his judgment are essential for carrying out the provisions of 
 this act. 
 
 Section 7. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved May 10, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 263. 
 
 An Act relative to the Taking of Land by Cities and Towns for Municipal 
 
 Purposes. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1. Any city, except the city of Boston, by vote of the 
 city council or board of aldermen, or board or commission having 
 similar powers, together with the approval of the mayor, and anv 
 town bv vote of the town, may take, for any municipal purpose, any 
 land within the limits of the city or town not already appropriated 
 to public use. Whenever the price proposed to be paid for a lot of 
 land for any municipal purpose is more than twenty-five per cent 
 higher than its average assessed valuation during the previous three 
 years, the land shall not be taken by purchase but shall be taken by 
 right of eminent domain, and shall be paid for in the manner pro¬ 
 vided in the case of land taken for highways. No land shall be 
 taken under the powers given by this act until an appropriation, by 
 loans or otherwise, has been made for the purpose by a two thirds 
 vote of the city government in cities, and by a vote of two thirds 
 of the voters present and voting thereon at any regular meeting 
 called for the purpose in towns. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved May 19, 1915. 
 
25 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 264 . 
 
 An Act relative to the Fees to be paid by Gas and Electric Companies for 
 filing and recording Certain Certificates in the Office of the Secretary 
 of the Commonwealth. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Section nifiety-one of chapter seven hundred and 
 forty-two of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen, as 
 amended by chapter ninety-two of the general acts of the year nine¬ 
 teen hundred and fifteen, is hereby further amended by striking out 
 the word “ sixty-eight ”, after the word “ fifty-three ”, in the fourth 
 paragraph, so as to read as follows: — Section 91. The fees for 
 filing and recording the certificates which are required by this act 
 to he filed with the secretary of the commonwealth shall be as 
 follows: — 
 
 For filing and recording the certificates required by section ten, 
 including the issuing of the certificate of incorporation by the sec¬ 
 retary, one twentieth of one per cent of the amount of the capital 
 stock as fixed by the agreement of association; but not less in any 
 case than five dollars. 
 
 For filing-and recording the certificate required by section sixty- 
 eight, one twentieth of one per cent of the amount by which the 
 capital is increased. 
 
 For filing and recording the certificates or copies of the vote re¬ 
 quired by sections twenty-nine, forty-eight, fifty-two, fifty-three, 
 sixty-nine, seventy-one and seventy-two, one dollar for each certifi¬ 
 cate or copy of the vote. 
 
 For filing and recording the certificate required by section sixty- 
 five, five dollars. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. \_Ap- 
 proved May 19, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 269 . 
 
 An Act relative to Reports made to the General Court by Special Commis¬ 
 sions. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section six of chapter eighteen of the Revised Laws, as amended 
 by section one of chapter four hundred and fifty-two of the acts of 
 the year nineteen hundred and ten and by section one of chapter two 
 
2(5 
 
 i 
 
 hundred and twenty-two, of the General Acts of the year nineteen 
 hundred and fifteen is hereby further amended by adding at the end 
 thereof the words : — All reports of special commissions recommend¬ 
 ing legislation shall be accompanied by drafts of bills embodying 
 the legislation recommended, — so as to read as follows: — Sec¬ 
 tion 6 . State boards and commissions shall annually, on or before 
 the first Wednesday in January, deposit with the secretary of the 
 commonwealth such parts of their annual reports which are required 
 to be made to the governor and council or to the general court as 
 contain recommendations or suggestions for legislative action, such 
 recommendations or suggestions to be accompanied by drafts of 
 bills embodying thei legislation recommended; and the secretary 
 shall forthwith transmit them to the governor and council or to the 
 general court: provided, however, that the provisions of this section 
 shall not apply to the annual report submitted by the commission 
 on economy and efficiency. All reports of special commissions rec 
 ommending legislation shall be accompanied by drafts of bills em¬ 
 bodying the legislation recommended. \ Approved May 22, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 273 . 
 
 An Act relative to Investments of Savings Banks and Institutions for 
 
 Savings. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Clause Fifth of section sixty-eight of chapter five 
 hundred and ninety of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and 
 eight is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the follow¬ 
 ing : — Bonds which have been or shall become legal investments 
 under the provisions of this clause shall not, except as hereinafter 
 provided, be deemed to be an illegal investment by reason of the 
 fact that the corporation issuing such bonds shall hereafter fail or 
 shall have heretofore failed for a period not exceeding two suc¬ 
 cessive fiscal years to earn and pay dividends in accordance with the 
 requirements of this clause, but no further investment in the bonds 
 issued by the corporation shall be made during said period. If 
 after the expiration of said period the corporation earns and pays 
 or has earned and paid dividends during the following fiscal year 
 in accordance with the requirements of this clause, it shall be re¬ 
 garded as having complied therewith during said period: provided, 
 that it shall not have so failed to comply during any other period 
 
27 
 
 within the next preceding five years; and provided, that during said 
 period of non-compliance its annual earnings shall have been at 
 least sufficient to provide for the payment of the interest upon its 
 outstanding indebtedness and all other fixed charges in addition to 
 its operating expenses. Nothing in this act shall be interpreted as 
 invalidating any investments in bonds now held as legal investments 
 by savings banks and trust companies of this commonwealth under 
 the provisions of existing law. 
 
 The public service commission shall, after the passage of this act, 
 certify and transmit to the bank commissioner a list of any street 
 railway companies whose bonds may he or become legal investments 
 by virtue of the provisions hereof. 
 
 Section 2. Section sixty-eight of said chapter five hundred and 
 ninety, as amended by chapter two hundred and ninety-one of the 
 acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, is hereby further 
 amended by striking out in clause Fourteenth the words “ clause 
 Fifth ”, in the third and fourth lines thereof. 
 
 Section - 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved May 25, 1015. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 285. 
 
 An Act relative to the Denomination of Notes submitted for Certification 
 to the Director of the Bureau of Statistics. 
 
 « Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The director of the bureau of statistics is authorized 
 to place upon notes submitted to him for certification such denom¬ 
 inations as will show the purpose for which the same are issued and 
 » as may be required by law to appear thereon. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved May 27, 1915. 
 
 General Acts, Chapter 296. 
 
 An Act relative to the Registration of Persons, Firms and Corporations 
 designing to install Wires or Apparatus for Electric Light, Heat or 
 Power Purposes. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Except as hereinafter provided, no person, firm or 
 corporation shall, after the first day of September, nineteen hundred 
 and fifteen, enter into, engage in, or work at the business of in- 
 
28 
 
 stalling wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures or other appliances for 
 carrying or using electricity for light, heat or power purposes in this 
 commonwealth, either as a master or employing electrician or as a 
 journeyman electrician, unless such person, firm, or corporation 
 shall have received a license or certificate therefor, issued by the 
 board provided for in section two of this act and in accordance with 
 the provisions hereinafter set forth. 
 
 The words “ master or employing electrician ” as used in this act 
 shall mean a corporation, firm or person, having a regular place of 
 business, who, bv the employment of journeymen, performs the work 
 of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures and other appliances 
 for carrying or using electricity for light, heat or power purposes. 
 
 The word “ journeyman ” as used in this act shall mean a person 
 who does any work of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures 
 and other appliances for hire. 
 
 Section 2. On and after the first day of July, in the year nine¬ 
 teen hundred and fifteen, the chairman of the civil service commis¬ 
 sion, the fire prevention commissioner for the metropolitan district 
 and the commissioner of education shall constitute the state exam¬ 
 iners of electricians. They shall employ as clerk a practical electri¬ 
 cian, who is a wage earner, and a citizen of the commonwealth, who 
 has had at least ten years’ experience in the installation of wires and 
 appliances for carrying electricity for light, heat or power purposes. 
 He shall receive such salary as shall be determined by the state ex¬ 
 aminers, subject to the approval of the governor and council, and 
 shall hold his office for a term of three years. The three examiners 
 shall receive no compensation for their services under the terms of 
 this act. The compensation of the clerk and the travelling and 
 other necessary expenses of the state examiners, not however to ex¬ 
 ceed five hundred dollars in the aggregate for each of the members 
 thereof, shall, when approved by the governor and council, he paid 
 from the treasury of the commonwealth. 
 
 The state examiners of electricians may make necessary rules for 
 the proper performance of their duties. 
 
 They shall hold frequent examinations in the city of Boston, and, 
 twice in each year, shall hold examinations in at least five other con¬ 
 venient places within the commonwealth, and they may hold annual 
 or occasional examinations in other places. Public notice shall be 
 given of all examinations. 
 
 The state examiners of electricians shall annually, on or before 
 the first Wednesday in January, transmit to the secretary of the 
 commonwealth a report to the general court of its doings. 
 
29 
 
 In the conduct of the examinations they shall make uniform 
 requirements for all cities and towns, which may be revised from 
 time to time, as circumstances may require. Said examinations 
 shall be sufficiently frequent to give ample opportunity for all ap¬ 
 plicants to be thoroughly and carefully examined, and may be super¬ 
 vised by one or more of the members of the board, but no licenses 
 shall be granted without the sanction of the board. Examinations 
 may be given in writing or practical work, as deemed most advisable 
 by the board. 
 
 The records of the meeting of said board shall be open for in¬ 
 spection at all times, and the board shall have printed annually a 
 manual of its regulations, including the names of all licensees. 
 
 Section 3. (1) Two forms of licenses shall be issued: — The 
 
 first, hereinafter referred to as “ certificate A shall be known as 
 “ master electrician’s certificate ”, the second, hereinafter referred 
 to as “ certificate B ”, shall be known as a u journeyman electrician’s 
 certificate.” 
 
 A “ master’s certificate ” shall be issued to any person, firm or 
 corporation engaged in or about to engage in the business of in¬ 
 stalling electrical wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures and other 
 electrical appliances, that shall have qualified under the provisions 
 of this act. A certificate of registration shall be issued specifying 
 the name of the person, firm or corporation so applying, and the 
 name of the person passing said examination, by which he or it 
 shall be authorized to enter upon or engage in business as set forth 
 therein: provided, however, that any person, firm or corporation 
 that has been engaged in said business for at least five years next 
 prior to the date of the application shall not be required to pass 
 said examination, but shall present proof of fitness. 
 
 The holding of “ certificate A ” shall not entitle the holder in¬ 
 dividually to engage in or perform the actual work of installing 
 electric wires, conduits and appliances as previously described in 
 this act, but shall entitle him to conduct business as an employing 
 or master electrician. 
 
 (2) “ Certificate B,” or a journeyman electrician’s license, shall 
 be granted to any person who has passed an examination before the 
 examining board provided for in this act, or who shall present 
 proof of fitness and that he has gained his livelihood by the occu¬ 
 pation of electrician for five consecutive years next prior to the date 
 of application. A certificate shall be issued specifying the name of 
 the person so engaged, by which certificate such person shall be 
 
30 
 
 authorized to enter upon or engage in the occupation of journeyman 
 electrician. Every person desiring an examination shall make ap¬ 
 plication therefor in writing accompanied by the proper fee. The 
 fee for an examination for certificate “ A shall be twenty-five 
 dollars and that for certificate “ B ” shall be one dollar. An appli¬ 
 cant who fails in his examination shall not have his fee returned 
 to him but shall be entitled to one re-examination free of charge. 
 For each subsequent re-examination, he shall pay fifteen dollars in 
 the case of'certificate “A” and fifty cents in the case of certifi¬ 
 cate “ B ” 
 
 (3) All certificates “ A ” described in paragraph (1) of this 
 section shall expire on the thirty-first day of July in each year, but 
 may be renewed by the same person, firm or corporation, as repre¬ 
 sented by one or more of its members or officers, without further 
 examination, upon the payment of a fee of fifteen dollars, applica¬ 
 tion therefor being made during the month next prior to said ex¬ 
 piration of said certificate. 
 
 (4) All certificates “ B ” described in paragraph (2) of this sec¬ 
 tion shall expire on the thirty-first day of July in each year, but 
 may be renewed upon the payment of a fee of fifty cents, and upon 
 the same conditions set forth in paragraph (3) of this section. 
 
 (5) All holders of certificates “ A ” shall keep their certificate of 
 registration displayed in a conspicuous place in their principal 
 offices or places of business, and all holders of certificates “ B ” 
 shall be furnished by said board with evidence of their having been 
 so licensed, in card form or otherwise, which shall be carried on 
 the person of the licensee and exhibited on request. 
 
 Section 4. No certificates issued under the provisions of this 
 act, to either master or journeyman, shall be assignable or transfer¬ 
 able. Said certificates may be suspended or revoked by the board 
 of examiners upon failure or refusal of the licensee to comply with 
 the rules and requirements of said business as set forth by the board 
 of gas and electric light commissioners, and for other and sufficient 
 causes after a hearing has been held. Such suspension or revoca¬ 
 tion by said board shall be subject to review by the board of gas 
 and electric light commissioners. 
 
 Section 5. Any person, firm or corporation, or employee thereof, 
 and any representative, or any member or officer of such firm or 
 corporation individually entering upon or engaging in the business 
 and work hereinbefore defined, without having complied with the 
 provisions of this act, shall he punished by a fine of not less than 
 
31 
 
 ten dollars nor more than one hundred dollars for the first offence, 
 and for a second offence by a fine of not less than fifty nor more 
 than five hundred dollars, or by six months’ imprisonment in the 
 house of correction, or by both such fine and imprisonment. 
 
 Section 6. No person, firm or corporation holding a master’s 
 certificate shall be held liable for work done by any of his or its 
 employees without authorization, unless it shall appear that such 
 work was done with his or its knowledge or consent or by his or 
 its authorization. 
 
 All fees and fines collected under the provisions of this act shall 
 be paid into the treasury of the commonwealth as hereinbefore 
 provided. 
 
 Section 7. This act shall not apply to the installation, repair¬ 
 ing and wiring of elevators or to work in connection with the erec¬ 
 tion, construction, maintenance or repair of lines for the transmis¬ 
 sion of electricity from the source of supply to the service switch 
 on the premises where it is used by municipal electric plants, by 
 electric companies as defined in section one of chapter seven hun¬ 
 dred and forty-two of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and 
 fourteen, or by gas companies authorized to engage in the business 
 of making or selling electricity by electric street railway companies 
 or by electric railroad companies or by railroad companies; nor to 
 the work of such plants or companies on premises owned or con¬ 
 trolled by them; nor to the work of said municipal electric plants 
 or of said electric or gas companies in installing, maintaining and 
 repairing, on the premises of customers, service connections and 
 meters and other apparatus and appliances which remain the prop¬ 
 erty of such plants or companies after installation; nor to work in 
 connection with the lighting of streets, alleys, private ways or 
 private or public parks, areas or squares; nor to the work of com¬ 
 panies, incorporated for the transmission of intelligence by elec¬ 
 tricity in installing, maintaining or repairing wires, apparatus, 
 fixtures or other appliances used in the business of such companies 
 • and necessary for or incident to such business, and whether such 
 wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures or other appliances are on its 
 own premises or otherwise. 
 
 Section 8. Nothing in this act shall be construed as forbidding 
 the employment of learners or apprentices working with and under 
 the direct personal supervision of journeymen electricians duly certi¬ 
 fied as provided in this act. 
 
 Electricians employed by theatrical companies may install such 
 temporary wiring and appliances as may be required for the purpose 
 
of the engagement of any such company, subject to the supervision 
 of some person licensed under the provisions of this act. 
 
 Electricians regularly employed by firms or corporations other 
 than holders of class “ A ” certificates may install such electrical 
 wiring, conduits and appliances or make such repairs as may be re¬ 
 quired only on the premises and property of said firms or corpora¬ 
 tions : provided, that said electricians hold a journeyman’s license 
 and have complied with all provisions set forth in this act. 
 
 Section 9. Any person applying for a journeyman’s license who 
 makes any misstatement as to his experience, or other qualifica¬ 
 tions, or any person, firm or corporation subscribing to or vouching 
 for any such misstatement, shall be liable to the penalties set forth 
 in section four of this act. 
 
 Section 10. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are 
 hereby repealed. 
 
 Section 11. This act shall take effect upon its passage, except 
 that its provisions imposing penalties shall not become operative 
 until the board shall have been organized and at least sixty days 
 shall have been allowed to enable applicants to secure licenses or 
 certificates. \Approved May 28, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 30. 
 
 An Act to authorize the New Bedford Gas and Edison Light Company to 
 maintain Gas Pipes and Cables under the Acushnet River between 
 the City of New Bedford and the Town of Fairhaven. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The New Bedford Gas and Edison Light Company 
 is hereby authorized to maintain such gas pipes and cables for the 
 transmission of electricitv under the tide waters of the Acushnet 
 river between the citv of New Bedford and the town of Fairlmven as 
 
 kJ 
 
 have heretofore been laid by said company under licenses heretofore 
 granted by the board of harbor and land commissioners, subject, as 
 to future maintenance, to the provisions of chapter ninety-six of 
 the Revised Laws and acts in amendment thereof and in addition 
 thereto. 
 
 Section 2. The New Bedford Gas and Edison Light Company 
 is hereby authorized to lay and maintain gas pipes and cables for 
 the transmission of electricity, in addition to those heretofore laid, 
 under the tide waters of the Acushnet river between the city of New 
 Bedford and the town of Fairhaven subject to the provisions of 
 
33 
 
 chapter ninety-six of the Revised Laws and acts in amendment 
 thereof and in addition thereto. 
 
 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved February 8, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 140. 
 
 An Act to authorize the Town of Ipswich to erect and maintain Poles and 
 
 Wires in the Town of Hamilton. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The town of Ipswich may erect and maintain in the 
 town of Hamilton poles and wires for the distribution and sale of 
 electricity to the inhabitants of Ipswich; but the town of Ipswich 
 shall not erect and maintain poles and wires for the distribution 
 and sale of electricity upon, along, under or across public ways in 
 the town of Hamilton without first obtaining from the selectmen 
 of the town of Hamilton locations therefor in the manner required 
 by law of companies incorporated for the transmission of electricity 
 for lighting, heating or power. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved March 9, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 165. 
 
 An Act to confirm the Locations granted by the Town of North Attlebor¬ 
 ough for Lines or Wires for the Transmission of Electricity. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . All lines or wires for the transmission of electricity 
 for lighting, heat or power heretofore acquired or constructed by 
 the town of North Attleborough upon, along, over and under the 
 public ways and places of said town, and the poles, piers, abutments, 
 conduits and other fixtures necessary to sustain or protect the wires 
 of said lines and now in actual use, are herebv made lawful not- 
 withstanding the lack of any valid locations therefor or any in¬ 
 formality in the proceedings relative to their location and erection. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved March 11, 1915. 
 
34 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 185. 
 
 An Act to authorize the Town of Reading to borrow Money to extend its 
 Lighting Plant in Certain Territory without the Limits of the Town. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The town of Reading may incur debt within the 
 limit of indebtedness prescribed in chapter seven hundred and 
 nineteen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen, for 
 the purposes of extending or enlarging its electric lighting plant 
 within the limits of the territory within which the town of Reading 
 was authorized to distribute electricity for light, heat and power 
 by the provisions of chapter three hundred and sixty-nine of the 
 acts of the year nineteen hundred and eight; said territory com¬ 
 prising the towns of North Reading, Wilmington and that part of 
 the town of Lynnfield known as Lynnheld Centre. The indebted¬ 
 ness incurred hereunder shall be payable within twenty years after 
 the same is incurred. 
 
 Section 2. The authority granted by this act shall be exercised 
 strictly in accordance with the provisions of chapter seven hundred 
 and nineteen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and thirteen 
 and of the amendments thereof and additions thereto, except as 
 such provisions may be inconsistent with the provisions of section 
 one of this act. 
 
 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Ap¬ 
 proved March 20, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 216. 
 
 An Act to place the Manager of the Gas and Electric Department of the 
 City of Holyoke under the Civil Service Laws. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The manager of the gas and electric department in 
 the city of Holyoke shall hereafter be placed under the civil service 
 laws and regulations, and his term of office shall be permanent, ex¬ 
 cept that he may be removed in accordance with the civil service 
 laws and the regulations made thereunder; but the person now hold¬ 
 ing said office may continue therein without passing the civil service 
 examination. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall be submitted to the voters of the city 
 of Holyoke at the annual state election in the current year, and 
 shall take effect upon its acceptance by a majority of the voters 
 voting thereon; otherwise it shall not take effect. [Approved March 
 25, 1915. 
 
 •> 
 
35 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 229. 
 
 An Act to confirm the Action of the Selectmen of South Hadley in an¬ 
 nulling Certain Permits and Franchises granted to the Chicopee Gas 
 Light Company and granting Others to the Springfield Gas Light 
 Company. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The action of the selectmen of the town of South 
 Hadley in passing an order under date of July fourteenth, in the 
 year nineteen hundred and fourteen, which annulled and super¬ 
 seded an order of the selectmen of said town passed under date of 
 January second, in the year nineteen hundred and six, granting to 
 the Chicopee Gas Light Company, its successors and assigns, the 
 right and privilege to dig up and open the ground and lay and 
 maintain pipes and suitable appliances for the distribution of gas 
 in certain streets in that part of the town of South Hadley called 
 South Hadley Falls, and also annulled and superseded the agree¬ 
 ment and bond mentioned in said order of January second, which 
 agreement and bond are dated March fifteenth, nineteen hundred 
 and six, and in addition the consent of said selectmen was granted 
 to the Springfield Gas Light Company, the successor of the said 
 Chicopee Gas Light Company, and its successors and assigns, to dig 
 up and open the ground and lay and maintain pipes and suitable 
 appliances for the distribution of gas in the several streets, lanes 
 and highways in the town of South Hadley therein named, is hereby 
 ratified, approved and confirmed. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Ap¬ 
 proved March 27, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 236. 
 
 An Act making Appropriations for the Salaries and Expenses of the Board 
 of Gas and Electric Light Commissioners. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The sums hereinafter mentioned are appropriated, 
 to be paid out of the Gas and Electric Light Commissioners’ Fund, 
 except as otherwise provided herein, for the salaries and expenses 
 of the gas and electric light commissioners, for the fiscal year end¬ 
 ing on the thirtieth day of November, nineteen hundred and fifteen, 
 to wit: — 
 
 For the salaries of the commissioners, fourteen thousand dollars 
 
36 
 
 For clerical assistance, a sum not exceeding seventy-five hundred 
 dollars. 
 
 For the salary of the present gas inspector, twenty-eight hundred 
 dollars. 
 
 For the salary of the present first assistant inspector, eighteen 
 hundred dollars. 
 
 « 
 
 For the salary of a second assistant inspector, eighteen hundred 
 dollars. 
 
 For statistics, books, stationery, and for other necessary expenses, 
 a sum not exceeding forty-two hundred dollars. 
 
 For compensation of deputies, travelling expenses, apparatus, 
 office rent and other incidental expenses, a sum not exceeding ninety- 
 five hundred dollars. 
 
 For rent of offices, a sum not exceeding forty-six hundred and 
 seventy-seven dollars. 
 
 For printing and binding the annual report, a sum not exceeding 
 twentv-nine hundred dollars. 
 
 For the inspection of electric meters, a sum not exceeding one 
 thousand dollars. 
 
 For salaries and expenses of expert assistants, as authorized by 
 chapter six hundred and thirty-one of the acts of the year nineteen 
 hundred and fourteen, a sum not exceeding sixty-five hundred dol¬ 
 lars. 
 
 For expenses in connection with the abatement of the smoke 
 nuisance, a sum not exceeding eight thousand dollars, the same to 
 be assessed upon the cities and towns of the district named in sec¬ 
 tion one of chapter six hundred and fifty-one of the acts of the 
 year nineteen hundred and ten. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. \Ap¬ 
 proved March 29, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 243. 
 
 An Act to incorporate the Salisbury Water Supply Company. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Charles FT. Taylor, Henry C. Mulligan and Ernest 
 IF Seagrave, their associates and successors, are hereby made a cor¬ 
 poration by the name of The Salisbury Water Supply Company, for 
 the purpose of supplying the inhabitants of the town of Salisbury 
 or any part thereof with water for the extinguishment of fires and 
 for domestic, manufacturing and other purposes, and for the pur- 
 
37 
 
 pose of laying out, constructing, maintaining and operating a system 
 or systems of main drains and common sewers, in that portion of 
 said town of Salisbury lying east of the canal, with such connections 
 and other works, as may be required for a system of sewage disposal. 
 Said corporation shall have all the powers and privileges and shall 
 be subject to all the duties, restrictions and liabilities set forth in 
 all general laws now or hereafter in force applicable to such cor¬ 
 porations. 
 
 Section 2. Said corporation, for the purposes aforesaid, may 
 lease, take or acquire by purchase or otherwise, and hold the waters 
 of any ponds, brooks or springs within the limits of said town, and 
 may obtain and take water by means of driven, bored, artesian or 
 other wells on any land within the limits of said town, and- convey 
 the same through the town; and may also take or acquire by lease, 
 purchase or otherwise, all lands, rights of way and easements neces¬ 
 sary for holding and preserving such water and conveying the same 
 to any part of said town, and for constructing main drains and 
 sewers, necessary for the disposal of sewage; and may erect on the 
 land so acquired proper dams, fixtures or other structures: provided, 
 that no source of water supply shall he taken under this act for 
 domestic purposes, and no system of sewage disposal shall be con¬ 
 structed, without the advice and approval of the state department 
 of health. The sewers of said company shall be deemed to be public 
 sewers. Said company may make excavations, procure and operate 
 machinery, and provide such other means and appliances as may be 
 necessary for the establishment and maintenance of complete and 
 effective water works and a system of sewage disposal; may con¬ 
 struct, lay and maintain aqueducts, conduits, pipes, main drains, 
 sub-drains, sewers and other works, under or over any land, water 
 courses, canals, dams, railroads, railways and public or other ways, 
 and along any highway or other way in the town of Salisbury in 
 such manner as not unnecessarily to obstruct the same; and for the 
 purpose of constructing, laying, maintaining and repairing such 
 aqueducts,' conduits, pipes, main drains, sub-drains, sewers and 
 other works, and for all other purposes of this act, said corporation 
 may dig up, raise and embank any such lands, highways or other 
 ways in such manner as to cause the least hindrance to public travel. 
 Said corporation shall not enter upon, construct or lay any conduits, 
 pipes, sewers, drains or other works within the location of any rail¬ 
 road corporation, except at such time and in such manner as it may 
 agree upon with such corporation, or, in case of failure so to agree, 
 as may be approved by the public service commission. 
 
38 
 
 Section 3. Said corporation shall, within sixty days after vot¬ 
 ing to take any lands, rights of way, water rights, water sources or 
 easements as aforesaid, file and cause to be recorded in the registry 
 of deeds for the county of Essex a description thereof sufficiently 
 accurate for identification, with a statement of the purpose for which 
 the same were taken, signed by the president of the corporation. 
 The recording shall operate as a taking of the real estate and rights 
 and easements therein described. 
 
 Section 4. Said corporation shall pay all damages to property 
 sustained by any person, firm or corporation by the taking of any 
 land, right of way, water, water source, water right or easement, or 
 by any other thing done by said corporation under the authority of 
 this act. Any person, firm or corporation sustaining damages as 
 aforesaid, and failing to agree with said corporation as to the 
 amount thereof, may have the same assessed and determined in the 
 manner provided by law in the case of land taken for the laying out 
 of highways, on application at any time within two years after the 
 taking of such land or other property, or the doing of any other 
 injury under authority of this act; but no such application shall be 
 made for the taking of any water, water right or water source, or 
 for any injury thereto, and said period of two years shall not begin 
 to run, until the water is actually withdrawn or diverted under au¬ 
 thority of this act. Said corporation may by vote from time to time 
 determine what amount or quantity of water it proposes to take 
 under this act; and in such case damages caused by the taking shall 
 be based upon the said amount or quantity until the same shall be 
 increased by vote or otherwise, and in that event the corporation 
 shall be liable further only for the additional damages caused by 
 such additional taking. 
 
 Section 5. Said corporation may distribute water through the 
 town of Salisbury or any part thereof, may regulate the use of said 
 water and may fix rates to be paid for the use of same, subject, how¬ 
 ever, to the power now vested in the board of gas and electric light 
 commissioners to regulate said rates, and may make such contracts 
 with the said town or with any fire district now or hereafter estab¬ 
 lished therein, or with any individual or corporation, to supply 
 water for the extinguishment of fires or for other purposes as may 
 he agreed upon, and may maintain and operate a system of sew r age 
 disposal, and may contract with said town, or with any individual 
 or corporation, relative to the same. 
 
 Section 6 . Said corporation may, for the purposes set forth in 
 
39 
 
 this act, hold real estate not exceeding in value twenty-live thousand 
 dollars, and its capital stock shall not exceed one hundred and fifty 
 thousand dollars, to be divided into shares of one hundred dollars 
 each. 
 
 Section 7. Said corporation may, by vote of a majority in in¬ 
 terest of its stockholders at a meeting called for the purpose, and 
 subject to the limitations and restrictions of the following section, 
 issue bonds, at not less than par, to an amount not exceeding its 
 capital stock actually paid in at the time of such issue and applied 
 to the purposes of the corporation, and bearing interest at a rate not 
 exceeding six per cent per annum; and may secure the payment of 
 the principal and interest of said bonds by a mortgage of its fran¬ 
 chise and property. All persons who acquire any mains, conduits, 
 poles, wires, fixtures or other apparatus in, over, under or across 
 public ways by virtue of such mortgage shall have the same rights 
 and be subject to the same obligations relative to their erection, 
 care, maintenance and operating as the corporation would have had, 
 or would have been subject to, if the mortgage had not been made. 
 
 Section 8. Said corporation shall issue only such amount of 
 stock and bonds as the board of gas and electric light commissioners 
 may from time to time vote is reasonably necessary for the purpose 
 for which such issue of stock or bonds has been authorized. The 
 board may take into consideration any resources of the said corpo¬ 
 ration available or which might have been available for said purpose. 
 Said board shall render a decision upon an application for such 
 issue within thirty days after the final hearing thereon. The de¬ 
 cision shall be in writing, shall assign the reasons therefor, shall, if 
 authorizing such issue, specify the respective amounts of stock or 
 bonds which are authorized to be issued for the several purposes to 
 which the proceeds thereof are to be applied, shall, within seven 
 days after it has been rendered, be filed in the office of the board, 
 and a certificate of the vote of the board shall, within three days 
 after such decision has been rendered and before the stock or bonds 
 are issued, be filed in the office of the secretary of the common¬ 
 wealth, and a duplicate thereof shall be delivered to the said corpo¬ 
 ration, which shall enter the same upon its records. Said corpora¬ 
 tion shall not apply the proceeds of such stock or bonds to any 
 purpose not specified in such certificate. Xo application for the 
 approval of an issue of stock shall be made unless authorized by vote 
 of the incorporators, in case of an original issue, or of the stock¬ 
 holders in case of an increase of stock, passed not more than four 
 
40 
 
 months prior to such application; but a vote of the stockholders to 
 increase the capital stock may be passed before or after the decision 
 of the board aforesaid. 
 
 Section 9. Said corporation shall have the authority to acquire 
 by purchase the franchises, corporate property, and all the rights 
 and privileges of the Artesian Water Company, a corporation duly 
 established by law, which now owns and operates a system of water 
 works and a system of sewage disposal in said town of Salisbury, 
 and upon such purchase shall assume all contract obligations of 
 said Artesian Water Company, particularly the contract between 
 said town of Salisbury and said Artesian Water Company for sup¬ 
 plying the inhabitants of said town with water. 
 
 Section 10. The town of Salisbury shall have the right at any 
 time, by a two thirds vote at an annual meeting, to purchase the 
 franchise, corporate property, and all the rights and privileges of 
 said corporation; or the town may in said manner vote to purchase 
 only such corporate property, rights and privileges as are necessary 
 and suitable for, and are used in connection with, the supply of 
 water for the extinguishment of fires and for domestic, manufac¬ 
 turing and other purposes; and said town may at any time in said 
 manner vote to purchase only such corporate property, rights and 
 privileges as are necessary and suitable for and are used in con¬ 
 nection with the system of sewage disposal; and the town shall give 
 said corporation sixty days’ notice of the vote, and said corpora¬ 
 tion shall then within sixty days after receiving such notice execute 
 and deliver to said town all said property, franchise, ’ rights and 
 privileges; whereupon the property thus conveyed shall become the 
 property of said town, and said town shall be liable to pay to said 
 corporation the fair market value thereof for the purpose of its use, 
 excluding any mortgage or other incumbrance or lien to which such 
 plant or any part thereof may be subject at the time of such pur¬ 
 chase, which shall not be assumed by the town unless the commis¬ 
 sioners appointed as below otherwise determine, but if transferred 
 subject to said mortgage or lien the amount of the same is to be 
 deducted from the price to be paid. Such value shall be estimated 
 without enhancement on account of future earning capacity or 
 good-will or of exclusive privileges derived from rights in the public 
 streets, and without enhancement because of any contract which 
 may then exist between said corporation and said town. In case 
 the town and the corporation shall be unable to agree upon the 
 value of said property the supreme judicial court shall, upon appli- 
 
41 
 
 cation of either party and notice to the other, appoint three com¬ 
 missioners, one of whom shall be a skilled engineer, one learned in 
 the law, and one engaged in carrying on a business, who shall de¬ 
 termine the fair value of said property as above provided and whose 
 award, when accepted by the court, shall be final. Any tire district 
 which may be hereafter formed in said town of Salisbury shall have 
 the right to purchase such corporate property, rights and privileges 
 as are necessary and suitable for, and are used in connection with, 
 the supply of water for the extinguishment of fires and for domes¬ 
 tic, manufacturing and other purposes, in the same manner and 
 under the same terms and subject to all the provisions above pro¬ 
 vided for the purchase by said town. 
 
 Section 11. Whoever wilfully or wantonly corrupts, pollutes 
 or diverts any water taken or held under this act, or injures any 
 structure, work or other property owned, held or used by said cor¬ 
 poration under authority of this act, shall forfeit and pay to said 
 corporation three times the amount of damages assessed therefor, 
 to be recovered in an action of tort; and upon conviction of any of 
 the above wilful or wanton acts shall be punished by a fine not ex¬ 
 ceeding three hundred dollars or by imprisonment for a term not 
 exceeding one year. 
 
 Section 12. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Ap¬ 
 proved March 31, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 253. 
 
 An Act relative to Wires and Electrical Appliances in the City of Everett. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1. The city council of the city of Everett may, by 
 ordinance, designate some officer or officers of the city who shall 
 have exclusive authority to cause to be removed from the streets or 
 parts of streets of the city hereinafter named, all telegraph, tele¬ 
 phone and electric light, motor and power wires, cables and con¬ 
 ductors, in or above said streets or parts of streets, and all poles and 
 other structures in said streets used for the support of the same, 
 except such structures, poles, wires, cables and conductors as are 
 hereinafter excepted. Such officer or officers shall grant all neces- 
 sarv permits for placing, maintaining and operating such wires, 
 cables and conductors, and any other necessary appurtenances in 
 underground conduit^ and manholes, subject to the ordinances of the 
 city; and the superintendent of streets or other officer having charge 
 
42 
 
 of the highways of said city shall issue all permits for opening and 
 occupying the streets which may be necessary to carry out the in¬ 
 tent of this provision, upon the application of the officer or officers 
 first above mentioned or of any person or corporation interested. 
 
 Section 2. The provisions of this act shall apply to the follow¬ 
 ing streets or parts of streets: — Broadway from Main street to 
 Gledhill avenue; Ferry street from Elm street to the Malden line. 
 All the overhead wires, cables, conductors, poles and structures in 
 that part of Broadway above specified, except such as are hereinafter 
 excepted, shall be removed or placed underground prior to the first 
 day of January, nineteen hundred and twenty-one; and all the over¬ 
 head wires, cables, conductors, poles and structures in that part of 
 Ferry street above specified, except such as are hereinafter excepted, 
 shall be removed or placed underground prior to the first day of 
 January, nineteen hundred and twenty-three: provided, that such 
 permits as are necessary are granted in due season, so that the 
 work may be completed within the time aforesaid; it being the pur¬ 
 pose of this act to cause the removal from the parts of streets 
 above named of all wires, cables, conductors, poles and structures, 
 except those hereinafter excepted, within the periods above specified. 
 And it shall be the duty of said officer or officers to see that the same 
 are so removed. But any street railway, telegraph or telephone 
 company subject to the provisions of this act may petition the pub¬ 
 lic service commission, and any other company or person subject 
 to the provisions of this act may petition the board of gas and 
 electric light commissioners, for the exemption from the provisions 
 of this act of any wires, cables, conductors, poles and structures, or 
 for any extension or extensions of time for compliance with said 
 provisions. And said commission or said board, as the case may 
 be, may grant any such exemption or extension which they deem 
 reasonable; and any exemptions or extensions granted by said com¬ 
 mission or said board, by an order passed after notice to the mayor 
 and aldermen of said city, who shall be entitled to be heard, and a 
 public hearing, shall have the same force and effect as if specially 
 provided for herein. 
 
 Section 3. Every owner or user of overhead wires, cables or con¬ 
 ductors, and of poles and other structures for the support thereof, 
 in that part of Broadway specified in section two, shall, prior to 
 the first day of January, nineteen hundred and twenty-one, con¬ 
 struct the underground conduits, ducts and manholes which it shall 
 desire to use in that part of said Broadway, and remove therefrom 
 
43 
 
 its overhead wires, cables and conductors and any poles or other 
 structures used for the support thereof, except such as may be ex¬ 
 empted under the provisions of this act; and every owner or user 
 of overhead wires, cables or conductors and of poles and other struc¬ 
 tures for the support thereof, in that part of Ferry street specified 
 in section two, shall, prior to the first day of January, nineteen 
 hundred and twenty-three, construct the underground conduits, 
 ducts and manholes which it shall desire to use in that part of said 
 Ferry street, and remove therefrom its overhead wires, cables and 
 conductors, and any poles or other structures used for the support 
 thereof, except such as may he exempted under the provisions of 
 this act; and upon the removal from overhead of such wires, cables 
 or conductors, the owners or users thereof may place the same and 
 any other necessary wires, cables or conductors or any extensions 
 thereof, in such underground conduits. It shall be the duty of the 
 officer or officers provided for in section one to see that the require¬ 
 ments of this section are complied with. 
 
 Section 4. No person, firm or corporation shall place any poles 
 or other structures for the support of any wires, cables or conduc¬ 
 tors, except those herein excepted, in those parts of the streets pre¬ 
 scribed in section two from which the overhead wires, cables and 
 conductors shall have been removed pursuant to this act, except 
 temporarily and in emergencies, with the permission of the officer 
 or officers designated pursuant to section one. If, after the expira¬ 
 tion of the time herein prescribed for the removal of all the wires, 
 cables, conductors, poles and structures in the streets or parts of 
 streets above specified there shall remain in any of said streets or 
 parts of streets any wires, cables, conductors, poles or structures 
 which are by this act required to be removed or placed underground 
 the officer or officers designated pursuant to section one shall cause 
 the same to be removed, and the city may collect from the owners 
 or users thereof, by an action at law, any expense involved in such 
 removal. 
 
 Section 5. The officer or officers designated pursuant to section 
 one may at any time, upon application of any person, firm or corpo¬ 
 ration duly authorized by law to lay or to erect and maintain, and 
 lawfully maintaining, wires in the streets of said city, grant per¬ 
 mission for the removal of any wires, cables, conductors, poles or 
 structures in any of the streets of said city, whether within or with¬ 
 out the streets specified in section two, and for the placing of the 
 same and any other necessary wires, cables and conductors, and any 
 
44 
 
 extensions thereof, underground as herein provided; and it shall 
 he the duty of the commissioner of streets, or other officer having 
 charge of the highways in said city, and he shall have authority, 
 after the granting of such permission, to issue all permits for open¬ 
 ing and occupying the streets of said city which may be necessary 
 to carry out the intent of this act, upon the application of said 
 officer or officers or of any person or corporation interested. Said 
 officer or officers shall, after public notice and hearing as required 
 by law, grant locations for such additional poles for local distribu¬ 
 tion from underground wires, cables or conductors and for the 
 support of lamps as may become reasonably necessary by reason of 
 work done under the provisions of this act, specifying where such 
 poles may be located and the kind of poles to be used. 
 
 Section 6 . The Malden Electric Company, the Boston Elevated 
 Railway Company and the Bay State Street Railway Company, or 
 any two of said companies, may contract with each other for the 
 use of such of the underground conduits, ducts, manholes, cables 
 and conductors of each other in the city of Everett as any of said 
 companies, or its successors or assigns, may desire to use, upon such 
 terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by said companies, re¬ 
 spectively; and in case of the purchase by any municipality of the 
 plant and property of said Malden Electric Company in the city 
 of Everett, any such conduits, ducts, manholes, cables and conduc¬ 
 tors as shall have been provided by it for the use of either or both 
 of the other companies above named pursuant to the provisions of 
 this section shall be a part of the plant and property so purchased. 
 
 Section 7. Except as herein otherwise provided, this act shall 
 not apply to long distance telegraph or telephone wires, posts for 
 the support of lamps exclusively, or to poles used exclusively for 
 local distribution from underground wires, cables or conductors, or 
 to street railway trolley, guard and span wires or to poles for the 
 support of the same ; nor shall it revoke or affect any rights already 
 granted to any person, firm or corporation to place or maintain any 
 conduits, pipes, wires, cables or conductors underground; but any 
 such conduits, pipes, wires, cables or conductors laid hereafter in 
 pursuance of any such grant shall be laid subject to the provisions 
 of this act so far as they are not inconsistent with the terms of 
 such grant. For the purposes of this act no wire shall be deemed 
 to be a long distance telegraph or telephone wire which does not 
 extend at least twenty-five miles from some central office. 
 
 Section 8. When any person or corporation operating or in- 
 
45 
 
 tending to operate wires, cables, conductors or conduits in any 
 streets or parts of streets of said city shall desire or be required to 
 place the same underground, and shall have been duly authorized so 
 to do, such person or corporation shall file with the city engineer 
 of the city a map or maps made to scale, showing the streets or parts 
 thereof which are desired or required to be used for said purpose, 
 and giving the locations, dimensions and courses of the under¬ 
 ground conduits desired or required to be constructed, which map 
 or maps shall be satisfactory to, and approved in writing by, the 
 city engineer before any permit shall be granted to make any open¬ 
 ing in any such street under the said authority. 
 
 Section 9. The mayor and city council of the city shall consti¬ 
 tute a board of appeal, to which petitions in writing may be pre¬ 
 sented by any person or corporation aggrieved by any act or decision 
 of the officer or officers designated under section one, or of the city 
 engineer, done or made in pursuance of this act. Such petition 
 shall set forth the specific grievance or grievances relied upon, and 
 shall be filed with the mayor of the city within ten days after the 
 act or decision complained of was done or made; and said board 
 after due notice shall give a hearing thereon, and may either ap¬ 
 prove, annul, modify or overrule such act or decision. 
 
 Section 10. The city council of said city may make such new 
 ordinances, not inconsistent with or additional to the provisions of 
 this act, as may be necessary or expedient to carry into effect the 
 purposes of this act. No existing ordinances of said city shall 
 apply to or govern the grants or permits to be made, the work to 
 be done, or the conduits, manholes, cables or conductors to be laid 
 or constructed, pursuant to the provisions of this act. 
 
 Section 11. The supreme judicial court or the superior court, 
 or any justice thereof, shall, on petition of the officer or officers 
 designated under section one, or of any person, firm or corporation 
 affected by the provisions of this act, have jurisdiction in equity to 
 enforce the provisions of this act or any order of said officer or 
 officers issued pursuant thereto, and to compel compliance there¬ 
 with. 
 
 Section 12. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved April 3, 1915. 
 
46 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 262. 
 
 An Act relative to the Wire Department of the City of Boston. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Chapter two hundred and sixty-eight of the acts of 
 the year eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, as amended by chapter 
 three hundred and thirty-nine of the acts of the year nineteen hun¬ 
 dred and eight, is hereby further amended by inserting after section 
 three a new section, to be numbered four, as follows: — Section 4 . 
 The commissioner of wires, subject to the approval of the mayor, is 
 hereby authorized to establish and collect reasonable fees or charges 
 for all permits or licenses issued by him in accordance with the pro¬ 
 visions of this act, and for the inspection of all work done under 
 such permits or licenses. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. \Ap¬ 
 
 proved April 8, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 268. 
 
 An Act relative to the Location of Underground Electrical Wires, Cables, 
 Conductors and Conduits in the City of Boston. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The commissioner of wires of the city of Boston shall 
 have exclusive authority to grant to persons, firms or corporations 
 duly authorized by law to lay or erect and maintain, and lawfully 
 maintaining, wires in the streets of said city, locations for under¬ 
 ground wires, cables, conductors and conduits, in the manner pro¬ 
 vided by chapter four hundred and fifty-four of the acts of the year 
 eighteen hundred and ninety-four and by acts in amendment thereof 
 or in addition thereto, in any of the streets, avenues and highways 
 of said city, whether such locations are for the accommodation of 
 new wires, cables and conductors, or of wires, cables and conductors 
 removed from overhead. The commissioner of wires shall also have 
 authority, after giving such person, firm or corporation an oppor¬ 
 tunity to be heard, to direct an alteration in any location for under¬ 
 ground wires, cables, conductors and conduits in any of the streets, 
 avenues and highways of the city of Boston. 
 
 Section 2. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are 
 hereby repealed. 
 
 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Ap¬ 
 proved April 12, 1915. 
 
47 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 271. 
 
 An Act to incorporate the Yarmouth Water Company. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Charles W. Young, Henry A. Symonels and Charles 
 B. Currier, their associates and successors, are hereby made a cor¬ 
 poration by the name of the Yarmouth Water Company, for the pur¬ 
 pose of supplying the inhabitants of the town of Yarmouth, or any 
 part thereof, with water for domestic, manufacturing and other pur¬ 
 poses, including the extinguishment of fires; with all the powers and 
 privileges, and subject to all the duties, restrictions and liabilities 
 set forth in all general laws now or hereafter in force applicable to 
 such corporations. 
 
 Section 2. The corporation may purchase water for any or all 
 of its corporate purposes from the Barnstable Water Company or 
 from any other corporation at the time engaged in supplying water 
 to the inhabitants of any town adjoining the town of Yarmouth: 
 provided, that the source of the water supply of such other corpora¬ 
 tion was acquired with the consent of, or shall have been approved 
 by, the state department of health. The Barnstable Water Com¬ 
 pany and all other corporations now or hereafter engaged as afore¬ 
 said in supplying water to the inhabitants of towns adjoining the 
 town of Yarmouth may sell and contract to sell water to the cor¬ 
 poration created by this act for any or all of its corporate purposes. 
 If any town or fire district acquires by exercise of eminent domain 
 the property of a corporation which at the time is under contract to 
 sell water to the corporation created by this act, such town or fire 
 district shall assume the obligations of the former corporation in 
 relation to supplying water for the unexpired term of the contract, 
 and the latter corporation may thereafter purchase water from such 
 town or fire district: provided, that if such town or fire district is 
 not satisfied with the price fixed by the contract for water to be fur¬ 
 nished thereunder, it may apply to the board of gas and electric 
 light commissioners to fix and determine the price of water there¬ 
 after to be furnished under the contract; and said board shall, after 
 notice to all interested parties and a public hearing, enter such 
 orders relative to the price of water thereafter to be furnished under 
 said contract as it determines are just and reasonable. Such orders 
 shall be binding upon such town or fire district until further order 
 of said board. The corporation created by this act shall not take or 
 otherwise acquire any water other than by purchase under the pro¬ 
 visions of this section. 
 
48 
 
 Section 3. Except as is otherwise provided herein, the corpora¬ 
 tion may lease, take, or otherwise acquire, and hold all lands, rights 
 of way and easements necessary or convenient for the accomplish¬ 
 ment of its corporate purposes, may erect thereon buildings, stand¬ 
 pipes and other structures, with fixtures, machinery and other ap¬ 
 pliances appurtenant thereto, and may do all other things necessary 
 or convenient for the establishment and maintenance of a complete 
 and effective system of water works; but it shall have no authority 
 to take and shall not take in fee land for any purpose other than the 
 storage of water, and the lands so taken shall not in the aggregate 
 exceed two acres. 
 
 Section 4. The corporation shall, within ninety days after vot¬ 
 ing to take such lands, rights of way, or other easements as afore¬ 
 said, cause to be recorded in the registry of deeds for the county of 
 Barnstable a description thereof sufficiently accurate for identifica¬ 
 tion, with a statement of the purpose for which the same were taken, 
 signed by the president of the corporation. The recording shall 
 operate as a taking of the real estate, rights of way and easements 
 therein described. 
 
 Section 5. The corporation shall pay all damages sustained by 
 any person by the taking of any land, right of way, or easement 
 under the provisions of this act. Any person sustaining such dam¬ 
 ages and failing to agree with the corporation as to the amount 
 thereof may have the same assessed and determined in the manner 
 provided by law in the case of land taken for the laying out of high¬ 
 ways, on application at any time within three years after the taking 
 of such land or other property; hut no such application shall be 
 made after the expiration of said three years. 
 
 Section 6 . The corporation may construct, lay and maintain 
 conduits, pipes and other works, under or over any lands, water 
 courses, canals, dams, railroads, railways and public or other ways, 
 and along any highway or other way, in the town of Yarmouth, in 
 such manner as not unnecessarily to obstruct the same; and for the 
 purpose of constructing, laying and maintaining such conduits, 
 pipes and other works, and for all other corporate purposes the cor¬ 
 poration may dig up, raise and embank any such lands, highways, 
 or other ways in such manner as not unnecessarily to hinder public 
 travel; hut all things done upon any public ways shall he subject to 
 the direction and approval of the selectmen of said town. 
 
 Section 7. The corporation may distribute water through the 
 town of Yarmouth, or any part thereof, and may regulate the use 
 
 i 
 
49 
 
 of the same. It may from time to time establish and fix rates for 
 such water and may collect the same when due. It may make such 
 contracts with the town of Yarmouth, or with any fire district now 
 or hereafter established therein, or with any persons, to supply water 
 for the extinguishment of fires or for such other purposes as may 
 be agreed upon. 
 
 Section 8 . The capital stock of the corporation shall not exceed 
 fifty thousand dollars to be divided into shares of one hundred dol¬ 
 lars each; and the corporation may issue bonds and secure the same 
 by mortgage of its franchise and other property at the town owned 
 or thereafter acquired to an amount not exceeding its capital stock 
 actually paid in. It may, from time to time, if necessary in order 
 to accomplish the purposes of its incorporation, increase its capital 
 stock agreeably to the provisions of section thirty-five of chapter 
 seven hundred and forty-two of the acts of the year nineteen hun¬ 
 dred and fourteen. It shall issue only such amounts of stock and 
 bonds as the board of gas and electric light commissioners may from 
 time to time determine to be reasonably necessary for the purposes 
 for which such issue of stock or bonds is authorized. All such issues 
 shall be subject to the provisions of section thirty-nine of said chap¬ 
 ter seven hundred and forty-two. 
 
 Section 9. Whoever wilfully or wantonly corrupts, pollutes or 
 diverts any water purchased or held under this act, or injures any 
 structure, work or other property owned, held or used by the cor¬ 
 poration under authority of this act, shall forfeit and pay to the 
 corporation three times the amount of damages assessed therefor, 
 to be recovered in an action of tort, and upon being convicted of any 
 of the above wilful or wanton acts shall be punished by a fine not 
 exceeding three hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in jail for a 
 * term not exceeding one year. 
 
 Section 10. The town of Yarmouth shall have the right, at any 
 time during the continuance of the charter hereby granted, to 
 acquire by purchase or by exercise of the right of eminent domain 
 the franchise, property and all the rights and privileges of the cor¬ 
 poration, On payment to the corporation of the actual cost of its 
 franchise, works and property of every kind held under the pro¬ 
 visions of this act; and unless the dividends earned and declared by 
 said company on its stock shall have been equal to or in excess of 
 five per cent per annum, there shall be added to the cost of the work 
 such a sum as would make the net return to the stockholders five 
 per cent per annum on the investment. The town, on taking, as 
 
50 
 
 herein provided, the property of said corporation, shall assume all 
 of its outstanding obligations incurred in the construction or im¬ 
 provement of the property, including bonds secured by mortgage 
 issued under authority of this act, and the amount thus assumed 
 
 %j * 
 
 shall be deducted from the total amount to be paid by the town to 
 said corporation. Said corporation shall furnish to the town of 
 Yarmouth, under oath, an itemized statement of the actual cost of 
 the water supply system authorized by this act, together with a copy 
 of all contracts made in providing and constructing said water sup¬ 
 ply system and any extension thereof, and shall furnish to said town 
 annually in the month of January an itemized statement, under 
 oath, of its receipts and expenditures, which statement shall be sub¬ 
 mitted bv the selectmen to the citizens of the town at the annual 
 town meeting. This authority to take the said franchise and prop¬ 
 erty is granted on condition that the same is assented to by the said 
 town by a two thirds vote of the voters present and voting thereon 
 at a meeting legally called for that purpose; and the taking by right 
 of eminent domain shall be by filing in the registry of deeds for , 
 the county of Barnstable the declaration of such taking, which shall 
 include a certified copy of the. article in the warrant under which the 
 town acted and of the vote of the town thereon, showing that it was 
 passed by a two thirds vote as herein required. In case the town 
 and the corporation shall he unable to agree upon the actual cost of 
 said property, the supreme judicial court shall, upon application of 
 either party and notice to the other, appoint three commissioners, 
 who shall determine the actual cost of said property, and whose 
 award, when accepted by the court, shall he final. Interest at the 
 rate of six per cent shall he included in said award from the date of 
 the taking or purchase. 
 
 Section 11 . Said town may, for the purpose of paying the cost 
 of said franchise and corporate property, and the necessary expenses 
 and liabilities incurred or to be incurred under the provisions of this 
 act, issue from time to time bonds, notes or certificates of indebted¬ 
 ness, to an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars. 
 All such bonds, notes and certificates of indebtedness shall, how¬ 
 ever, be issued subject to the limitations and provisions of chapter 
 seven hundred and forty-two of the acts of the year nineteen hun¬ 
 dred and fourteen. 
 
 Section 12. Said town shall, after purchasing or taking the said 
 franchise and corporate property, as provided in this act, at a legal 
 meeting called for the purpose, elect by ballot three persons to hold 
 
office, one until the expiration of three years, one until the expira¬ 
 tion of two years, and one until the expiration of one year from the 
 next succeeding town meeting, to constitute a hoard of water com¬ 
 missioners; and at each annual town meeting thereafter one such 
 commissioner shall be elected by ballot for the term of three years. 
 All the authority granted to the said town lew this act and not other¬ 
 wise specifically provided for shall be vested in said water commis¬ 
 sioners, who shall be subject, however, to such instructions, rules 
 and regulations as the town may impose by its vote. A majority 
 of said commissioners shall constitute a quorum for the transaction 
 of business. Any vacancy occurring in said board for any cause 
 may be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term lyy the town 
 at any legal town meeting called for the, purpose. Any such va¬ 
 cancy may be filled temporarily by a majority vote of the selectmen, 
 and the person so appointed shall hold office until the town fills the 
 vacancy in the manner provided herein. 
 
 Section 13. Said commissioners shall fix just and equitable 
 rates for the use of water and shall prescribe a time and manner 
 of payment. The income of the water works shall be applied to de¬ 
 fraying all operating expenses, interest charges and payments on 
 the principal as they accrue upon any bonds, notes or certificates 
 of indebtedness issued under authority of this act. If there should 
 he a net surplus remaining after providing for the aforesaid charges, 
 it shall be used for such new construction as the water commis¬ 
 sioners may determine upon, and in case a surplus should remain 
 after payment for such new construction, the water rates shall be 
 reduced accordingly. No money shall he expended in new con¬ 
 struction by the water commissioners except from the net surplus 
 aforesaid, unless the town appropriates or provides money therefor. 
 Said commissioners shall annually, and as often as the town may 
 require, render a report of the condition of the works under their 
 charge, and an account of their doings, including an account of 
 receipts and expenditures. 
 
 Section 14. Any fire district now existing or hereafter estab¬ 
 lished within the town of Yarmouth for the purpose of supplying 
 the inhabitants thereof with water for the extinguishment of fires, 
 for domestic, manufacturing and other purposes shall have all the 
 rights and privileges herein granted to, and be subject to all the 
 obligations, duties and liabilities herein imposed upon, said town. 
 
 Section 15. This act shall take effect upon its acceptance bv 
 the town of Yarmouth at any meeting legally called for that pur- 
 
52 
 
 pose, but it shall become void unless said water company shall have 
 begun to distribute water through its pipes to consumers in said 
 town within three years after the town shall have accepted this act. 
 [Approved April 12, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 282. 
 
 An Act to dissolve Certain Corporations. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . Such of the following named corporations, as are 
 not already legally dissolved, are hereby dissolved, subject to the 
 provisions of sections fifty-two and fifty-three of chapter four hun¬ 
 dred and thirty-seven of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and 
 three: 1 
 
 Barnstable Electric Company. 
 
 Belchertown Light, Heat and Power Company. 
 
 Cape Light, Heat and Power Company. 
 
 Haverhill Gas Company. 
 
 Marshfield Electric Light and Power Company. 
 
 Nashua Biver Paper Corporation. 
 
 North Egremont Water Company. 
 
 South Hadley Falls Electric Light Company, The. 
 
 Waltham Electric Company. 
 
 Section 2. Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect any 
 suit now pending by or against any corporation mentioned in the 
 first section hereof, nor any suit now pending or hereafter brought 
 for any liability now existing against the stockholders or officers of 
 any such corporation, nor to revive any charter previously annulled 
 or corporation previously dissolved, nor to make valid any defective 
 organization of any of the supposed corporations mentioned in said 
 first section. 
 
 Section 3. Suits upon choses in actions arising out of contracts 
 sold or assigned by any corporation dissolved by this act may be 
 brought or prosecuted in the name of the purchaser or assignee. 
 The fact of sale or assignment and of purchase by the plaintiff 
 shall be set forth in the writ or other process; and the defendant 
 may avail himself of any matter of defence of which he might have 
 
 1 This act names 993 corporations, but only gas, electric or water companies are mentioned 
 here. 
 
53 
 
 availed himself in a suit upon the claim by such corporation, had 
 it not been dissolved by this act. 
 
 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [ Ap¬ 
 
 proved April 16, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 347. 
 
 An Act in Addition to an Act making Appropriations for Sundry Miscella¬ 
 neous Expenses authorized during the Present Year and for Certain 
 Other Expenses authorized by Law. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The sums hereinafter mentioned are appropriated, 
 to be paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth from the ordi¬ 
 nary revenue unless it is otherwise specified, to wit: — 
 
 The appropriation made by chapter two hundred and thirty-six 
 of the Special Acts of the present year for the salary of the present 
 first assistant inspector of the gas and electric light commissioners 
 is hereby made available to be used for the salary of any succeeding 
 inspector. 
 
 • •••••••*•••• 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. \ Ap¬ 
 
 proved May 19, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 375. 
 
 An Act to incorporate the Cape Cod Water Company. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as folloivs: 
 
 Section 1 . Charles 14. Taylor, William H. Burgess, Reginald L. 
 Robbins, Howard W. Lang and Charles L. Walker, their associates 
 and successors, are hereby made a corporation by the name of the 
 
 Cape Cod Water Company for the purpose of supplying water for 
 
 • _ 
 
 use within the towns of Chatham, Harwich and Dennis for the ex¬ 
 tinguishment of fires and for domestic, manufacturing and other 
 purposes. Said corporation shall have all the powers and privileges 
 and shall be subject to all the duties, restrictions and liabilities set 
 forth in all general laws now or hereafter in force applicable to 
 water companies. 
 
 Section 2. Said corporation may take or acquire bv purchase 
 or otherwise, and hold, the waters of such ground water source 
 
54 
 
 within the limits of said towns of Chatham, Harwich and Dennis, 
 as may he approved by the state department of health, and may 
 obtain the water by means of driven, bored, artesian or other wells 
 on any land within said limits, and may also take or acquire, subject 
 to the approval of said state department of health, by purchase or 
 otherwise all lands, rights of way and easements necessary for hold¬ 
 ing and preserving such water and the purity thereof and for con¬ 
 veying the water to any part of said towns. Said corporation may 
 erect on the land so taken or acquired such dams, buildings, reser¬ 
 voirs and other structures or equipment as may be necessary for the 
 establishment and maintenance of complete and effective water 
 works and may do all other acts reasonably necessary to carry out 
 the purposes for which the company is incorporated. It may make 
 excavations, procure and operate machinery, lay and maintain aque¬ 
 ducts, conduits, pipes and other works under or over any land, water 
 courses, canals, dams, railroads, railways and public or other ways 
 and along any highway or other way in said towns, in such manner 
 as not unnecessarily to obstruct the same; and for the purpose of 
 constructing, laying, maintaining and repairing such aqueducts, con¬ 
 duits, pipes and other works, and for all other purposes of this act,, 
 said corporation may dig up, raise and embank any such lands, high¬ 
 ways or other ways in such manner as to cause the least hindrance 
 to public travel, subject to the approval of the selectmen of the re¬ 
 spective towns as to highways or other ways within their control. 
 Said corporation shall not enter upon, construct or lay any conduits,, 
 pipes or other works within the location of any railroad corporation, 
 except at such time and in such manner as it may agree upon with 
 such corporation, or, in case of failure so to agree, as may be ap¬ 
 proved by the public service commission. 
 
 Section 3. Said company shall, within sixty days after voting 
 to take any lands, rights of way, water rights, water sources or ease¬ 
 ments as aforesaid, file and cause to be recorded in the registry of 
 deeds for the county of Barnstable a description thereof sufficiently 
 accurate for identification, with a statement of the purpose for which 
 the same were taken, signed by the president of the corporation. The 
 recording shall operate as a taking of the real estate and rights and' 
 easements therein described. 
 
 Section 4. Said company shall pay all damages to property sus¬ 
 tained by any person, firm or corporation by the taking of any land, 
 right of way, water, water source, water rights, or easements, or by 
 any other thing done by said corporation under the authority of 
 
55 
 
 » 
 
 ■> 
 
 ; 
 
 T 
 
 tliis act. Any person, firm or corporation sustaining damages as 
 aforesaid, and failing to agree with said corporation as to the amount 
 thereof, may have the same assessed and determined in the manner 
 provided by law in the case of land taken for the laying out of high¬ 
 ways, on application at any time within, but not after, two years 
 from the taking of such land or other property, or the doing of any 
 other injury under authority of this act. Said company may by 
 vote, from time to time, determine what amount or quantity of 
 water it proposes to take under this act; and in such case damages 
 caused by the taking shall be based upon the said amount or quantity 
 until the same shall be increased by vote or otherwise, and in that 
 event the company shall be liable further only for the additional 
 damages caused by such additional taking. 
 
 Section 5. Said company may distribute water through said 
 towns of Chatham, Harwich and Dennis, or any part thereof, and 
 may regulate the use of said water and may fix the rates to be paid 
 for the use of the same, subject, however, to the power now vested in 
 the board of gas and electric light commissioners to regulate said 
 rates; and may collect such rates, and may make contracts with any 
 of said towns, acting by their respective selectmen, and with any fire 
 or water district now or hereafter established therein, and with anv 
 individual, corporation, departments of the commonwealth and of 
 the United States therein, to supply water for the extinguishment of 
 fires, and for domestic, manufacturing or other purposes. But the 
 selectmen of any of said towns shall not have authority to make con¬ 
 tracts for hydrant service until authorized by a majority vote of the 
 voters of the town present and voting upon the question: — “ Shall 
 the selectmen of the town of have authority to make a con¬ 
 
 tract with the Cape Cod Water Company for hydrant service?” 
 And this vote shall be taken at the same special town meeting which 
 votes upon the acceptance of this act. 
 
 Section 6 . The amount of capital stock of the company shall be 
 fixed at the first meeting of the stockholders: provided, however, that 
 it shall not exceed two hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and a 
 certificate thereof shall be filed with the secretary of the common¬ 
 wealth within thirty days after the amount of the capital stock has 
 been fixed. The capital stock may be increased or diminished there¬ 
 after as provided in section thirty-five of chapter seven hundred and 
 forty-two of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen. 
 Shares shall be of the par value of one hundred dollars each. Said 
 company may, for the purposes of this act, issue stocks and bonds 
 
56 
 
 only in accordance with the powers, limitations and restrictions con¬ 
 tained in chapter seven hundred and eighty-seven of the acts of the 
 year nineteen hundred and fourteen, and acts in amendment thereof 
 and in addition thereto. 
 
 Section 7. The towns of Chatham, Harwich and Dennis, or any 
 •one or two of said towns, upon obtaining appropriate legislation to 
 enable them to act as a water district or otherwise, may purchase the 
 franchise and all the rights, privileges and property of said water 
 company owned by it and used in supplying water, upon payment 
 of the fair market value thereof. Such value shall be estimated 
 without enhancement on account of future earning capacity or good 
 will of said company, or on account of the exclusive privileges de¬ 
 rived from rights in the public streets, or on account of any con¬ 
 tracts which may then exist between the water company and said 
 towns or any of them. The water district or any one or more of 
 said towns, as the case may be, purchasing said water system may 
 require that said franchise, rights, privileges and property purchased, 
 shall be assigned, transferred and conveyed by the water company 
 free and clear of any mortgage or lien to which such water system 
 or any part thereof may be subject at the time of such purchase, 
 unless the board of gas and electric light commissioners shall deter¬ 
 mine otherwise. If the water district or any one or more of said 
 towns, as the case may be, and the water company shall be unable to 
 agree upon the value of said franchise rights, privileges and prop¬ 
 erty, either party, with notice to the other, may apply to the supreme 
 judicial court for the county of Barnstable for the determination of 
 said value. Said court shall refer the application to the board of 
 gas and electric light commissioners, who shall hear the parties and 
 determine the value of said franchise, rights, privileges and property 
 in accordance with the provisions herein prescribed, and the award 
 of said board when accepted by the court shall be final. The award 
 shall not be set aside or recommitted for error in law, unless the 
 court is satisfied that such error has substantially affected the inter¬ 
 ests of the party complaining thereof, and in that event the court 
 may recommit the award to the board with such directions as justice 
 may require. 
 
 Section 8. Whoever wilfully or wantonly corrupts, pollutes or 
 diverts any water taken or held under authority of this act, or in¬ 
 jures any structure, work or other property owned, held or used by 
 said company under authority of this act, shall forfeit and pay to 
 said company three times the amount of damages assessed therefor, 
 
57 
 
 to be recovered in an action of tort; and upon conviction of any of 
 the above wilful or wanton acts shall be punished by a fine not ex¬ 
 ceeding three hundred dollars or by imprisonment for a term not 
 exceeding one year. 
 
 Section 9. This act, except as is provided in section ten, shall 
 take effect as to any of said towns of Chatham, Harwich and Dennis 
 upon its acceptance by a majority vote of the voters of any such 
 town present and voting thereon at a special town meeting, to be 
 called for the purpose within sixty days after the passage of this act. 
 
 Section 10. So much of this act as authorizes its submission to 
 the voters of the said towns shall take effect upon its passage, but it 
 shall not take further effect until accepted as hereinbefore provided 
 by the legal voters of said towns, and shall become void unless work 
 under this act is begun within one year from the acceptance thereof 
 by said towns. [Approved May 28, 1915. 
 
 Special Acts, Chapter 384. 
 
 An Act in Still Further Addition to the Acts making Appropriations for 
 Sundry Miscellaneous Expenses authorized during the Present Year 
 and for Certain Other Expenses authorized by Law. 
 
 Be it enacted, etc., as follows: 
 
 Section 1 . The sums hereinafter mentioned are appropriated, to 
 be paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth, from the ordinary 
 revenue, unless otherwise specified, to wit: — 
 «•••••••••••• 
 
 To be expended under the direction of the board of harbor and 
 land commissioners, for providing for an investigation of the matter 
 of conserving and equalizing the flow of waters in the rivers and 
 streams in the commonwealth, as authorized by chapter one hundred 
 and thirteen of the resolves of the present year, a sum not exceeding 
 ten thousand dollars. 
 
 • •••••••••••• 
 
 To be expended under the direction of the board of gas and elec¬ 
 tric light commissioners for investigation of the operation and 
 effect of the London Sliding Scale System of adjusting the price 
 of gas, and dividends, as applied to the Boston Consolidated Gas 
 i Company, subject to the conditions as authorized by chapter one 
 
 hundred and forty-one of the resolves of the present year, a sum not 
 .exceeding five thousand dollars, the same to be assessed by the treas- 
 f urer and receiver general upon the several gas companies in the 
 
58 
 
 same manner that other expenses of the board of gas and electric 
 light commissioners are assessed. 
 
 For expenses of the board of commissioners for the registration 
 of persons, firms and corporations designing to install wires or 
 apparatus for electric light, heat or power purposes, subject to the 
 conditions as authorized by chapter two hundred and ninety-six of 
 the General Acts of the present year, a sum not exceeding two thou¬ 
 sand dollars. 
 
 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. [Ap¬ 
 proved June 5, 1915. 
 
59 
 
 RESOLVES. 
 
 Chapter 27. 
 
 Resolve providing for an Investigation by the Board of Gas and Electric 
 Light Commissioners relative to Certain Appliances for shutting off 
 Gas in Case of Fire. 
 
 Resolved, That the board of gas and electric light commissioners 
 shall investigate and report to the general court, not later than the 
 second Wednesday of January next, whether or not in its opinion 
 there are in the market practicable safety gas cocks, valves or other 
 appliances, by means of which the supply of gas to a building can 
 be shut off automatically’ or manually outside of the building in 
 case of fire or other emergency, the approximate or probable cost 
 of installing and maintaining such appliances, and the conclusions 
 of the board as to the feasibility and desirability of requiring by 
 general law the use of such appliances. [Approved March 25, 1915. 
 
 Chapter 46. 
 
 Resolve providing for an Investigation by the Board of Gas and Electric 
 Light Commissioners relative to the Inspection and Testing of Gas 
 Meters. 
 
 Resolved, That the board of gas and electric light commissioners 
 is hereby directed to investigate the subject matter of the bill 
 printed as House Document No. 11L4 of the present year in regard 
 to the inspection and testing of gas meters, and as to the necessity 
 or desirability of legislation substantially in conformity with said 
 bill, or as to any other legislation in regard to gas meters. The 
 board shall report the result of its investigation, with drafts of any 
 legislation recommended by it, to the next general court, on or 
 before the second Wednesday in January. [Approved April 19, 
 1915. 
 
 Chapter 65. 
 
 Resolve confirming the Election of Augustus A. Cooke as a Member of the 
 Municipal Light Board of the Town of Lunenburg. 
 
 Resolved, That the election of Augustus A. Cooke, as a member 
 of the municipal light board of the town of Lunenburg, at the an¬ 
 nual town meeting held on the first day of March, nineteen hundred 
 and fifteen, as declared by the election officers, is hereby confirmed 
 
60 
 
 and made valid, in the same manner as if the article in the warrant 
 for the annual town meeting of the year nineteen hundred and 
 fifteen called for the election of a member of the municipal light 
 board for the term of three years. [Approved April 26, 1915. 
 
 Chapter 113. 
 
 Resolve providing for an Investigation of the Matter of conserving and 
 equalizing the Flow of Water in the Rivers and Streams of the Com¬ 
 monwealth. 
 
 Resolved, That the board of harbor and land commissioners is 
 hereby authorized and directed to investigate the matter of conserv¬ 
 ing, utilizing and equalizing the flow of water in the rivers and 
 natural streams of the commonwealth, and may expend in carrying 
 out the purposes of this resolve during the years nineteen hundred 
 and fifteen, nineteen hundred and sixteen and nineteen hundred 
 and seventeen, a sum not exceeding twenty thousand dollars, in 
 addition to the unexpended balance of the appropriation made to 
 carry on the investigation authorized by chapter ninety-five of the 
 resolves of the year nineteen hundred and fourteen; but not more 
 than ten thousand dollars shall be expended in any one year except 
 that an unexpended balance in any year may be used in the succeed¬ 
 ing year for the same purpose. Nothing herein contained shall be 
 construed as applying to any river or natural stream under the 
 jurisdiction and control of any state board or commission other 
 than the board of harbor and land commissioners. Said board shall 
 report to the general court, in print, the results of its investigations 
 and its recommendations. [Approved May 20, 1915. 
 
 Chapter 141. 
 
 Resolve providing for an Investigation of the Operation and Effect of the 
 “ London Sliding Scale ” System of adjusting the Price of Gas and 
 the Rate of Dividends as applied to the Boston Consolidated Gas Com¬ 
 pany. 
 
 Resolved, That the board of gas and electric light commissioners 
 is hereby directed to investigate the operation of the system of an 
 automatic and interdependent adjustment of the price of gas to 
 consumers and the rate of dividends to stockholders, known as the 
 “ London Sliding Scale ”, as applied to the Boston Consolidated 
 Gas Company under the provisions of chapter four hundred and 
 twenty-two of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and six, the 
 
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 conditions under which the system has been tried and its effect upon 
 the public interest, and to report to the general, court on or before 
 the first day of February, nineteen hundred and sixteen, the re¬ 
 sults of its investigation, with such recommendations, if any, as to 
 the continuance, terms and extension of the system as the board 
 may deem expedient. The board may incur, for the purposes of 
 this resolve, such reasonable expenses in excess of its regular appro¬ 
 priations as may be authorized by the governor and council. Be¬ 
 fore incurring any expense in excess of its regular appropriations, 
 the board shall estimate its probable amount and submit the esti¬ 
 mate to the governor and council for their approval; and no expense 
 shall be incurred by the board in excess of its regular appropriations 
 beyond the amount so estimated and approved. [Approved May 
 28, 1915. 
 
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