owning municipal lighting plants. Of the municipal plants in question, four supply both gas and electricity, and the others electricity only.

The following table gives the names of the companies organized during the year 1914 with gas or electric powers, with the location, the amount of capital of each and date of incorporation, as stated in their charters:

Of the foregoing companies the first two were organized under the provisions of chapter 110 of the Revised Laws, and the last-named was organized as an electric company under the provisions of chapter 742 of the Acts of 1914. The last-named company duly applied for approval of the issue of its original capital stock, but subsequently withdrew its application.

The Ludlow Electric Light Company was organized for the purpose of "manufacturing, buying, selling, dealing in, supplying and distributing electricity for light, heat and power, and for acquiring by purchase or otherwise and for erecting, maintaining and operating works, poles, wires and other apparatus for the manufacture, supply and distribution of electricity for light, heat and power." On July 24, 1914, the Board approved of the issue of its original capital stock to the amount of $21,000 for the purpose of acquiring the electric distributing system of the Ludlow Manufacturing Company. This property was so acquired on Sept. 24, 1914, and has since been operated by the electric light company.

The Provincetown Light and Power Company was constituted for the purpose of "generating, manufacturing, storing, transmitting, furnishing, purchasing, selling, supplying, distributing and dealing in electricity in Provincetown and in any and all other cities, towns or places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for light, heat, power and any other uses or purposes not prohibited by law; erecting, buying, selling or otherwise acquiring, leasing, operating and maintaining power plants,

works, machinery, poles, wires, lines, conduits, equipment and other apparatus for the manufacture, storage, transmission, supply or distribution of electricity for any or all of the foregoing purposes; acquiring such public franchises and purchasing, or otherwise acquiring, leasing, using and holding such real and personal property as may be necessary, useful or convenient to the corporation for the purposes aforesaid; and generally engaging in the business of furnishing electrical energy and in connection therewith the doing of the things necessary, convenient or incidental to said business in any way or manner not prohibited by law." An application is pending before the Board for the approval of the original capital stock of this company, but has not yet been heard. The company is not as yet an operating company.

By a certificate duly filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth on April 30, 1914, it appears that the Haverhill Gas Light Company, by vote of all its stockholders at a meeting duly called for the purpose, has changed the purpose for which it was incorporated to read as follows: "The purpose for which the corporation is constituted is the making, selling and distributing of gas for light, and for heating, cooking, chemical and mechanical purposes in the city of Haverhill and in the towns of Groveland and Merrimac in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

In accordance with a certificate issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth on Dec. 7, 1914, the name of the Amherst Power Company was changed to Turners Falls Power and Electric Company, and on Dec. 30, 1914, this company filed with the Secretary a certificate showing that by vote of all of its stockholders at a meeting duly called for the purpose it had changed its purpose to read as follows: "For the purpose of making, generating and manufacturing electricity within this Commonwealth by means of water power, steam power or otherwise, and of purchasing, storing, transmitting, distributing or selling electricity within the Commonwealth."

On Feb. 11, 1914, in accordance with a certificate issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the name of the Shirley Light, Heat and Power Company was changed to the Shirley Electric Company.

On April 13, 1914, the Nashua River Paper Company was organized under the business corporation law, with an authorized capital of $250,000 for the purpose, among others, of manufacturing and selling "incidentally electricity for light, heat and power."

Pursuant to the requisite votes of the inhabitants of the town of South Hadley to acquire a plant for the distribution of electricity, the South Hadley Falls Electric Light Company availed itself of its right to sell and convey to the town its property. The parties were unable to agree upon the price to be paid and the property to be included in the conveyance, and commissioners were appointed in accordance with the provisions of section 11 of chapter 34 of the Revised Laws, as amended by section 1 of chapter 410 of the Acts of 1905. Before the case was heard the parties came to an agreement upon the property to be included in the conveyance, its depreciated value, and a certain sum to be added on account of the severance of the property of the company located in Granby. The commissioners found that there was due the company the sum of $30,548.30. Their award has been accepted by both parties. On April 11, 1914, the company surrendered the possession of its plant, and it has since been operated by the town.

HYDRO-ELECTRIC COMPANIES.

An important feature of the act codifying the gas and electric laws (chapter 742 of the Acts of 1914) was the extension of the supervision of the Board to the so-called hydro-electric companies. As the act did not take effect until Aug. 1, 1914, no returns have yet been filed by such companies, and they are not covered in the financial and statistical matter included in this report. So far as known to the Board, they are few in number, and their general characteristics, their generating plants and the extent of their transmission lines, if any, appear in the following statement and are indicated on the accompanying map: