Of these companies, the Middleton Electric Light Company, the Hadley Lighting Company and the Norfolk and Bristol Gas and Electric Company have applied to this Board for approval of an issue of stock.

The Haverhill Gas Company is organized for the purpose of 'making, selling and distributing gas for lighting, for heating, cooking, chemical and mechanical purposes in the city of Haverhill in said Commonwealth."

The Middleton Electric Light Company is organized for these purposes, viz.: "to make, generate, purchase, sell, distribute and supply electricity for lighting, heating, power, manufacturing or mechanical purposes, or for either or any of such purposes, and to conduct a general electrical business in either or all of its branches."

The Hadley Lighting Company is chartered for the purpose of: "(1) Purchasing, producing, accumulating gas, electricity and electro motive force, and supplying the same for the production, transmission or use of power for lighting, heating and motive purposes, or otherwise as may be thought advisable, and lighting streets, places and buildings, public and private, by means of gas, electricity or otherwise, or enabling the same to be so lighted. (2) To erect, maintain and operate plants. and buildings of all kinds and other apparatus and appliances necessary and incident to the performance and fulfillment of the above-named purposes. (3) To buy, sell, lease and otherwise deal in gas and electrical fittings and equipment and other articles necessary or incidental to the use of gas or electricity."

The Norfolk and Bristol Gas and Electric Company is organized for the purpose of "making, selling and distributing gas for light or for heating, cooking, chemical and mechanical purposes; for the purpose of generating and furnishing steam or hot water for heating, cooking and mechanical power; for the purpose of generating and furnishing hydro-static or pneumatic pressure for mechanical power; and for the purpose of generating and furnishing electricity for light and power in the town of Foxborough and such other towns in the county of Norfolk and the county of Bristol in said Commonwealth as the directors of this company may from time to time deem it desirable in the interests of this company so to do."

The Southern Vermont Light and Power Company is organized "to build, equip and operate electric light and power stations outside the State of Massachusetts. To buy, lease and sell electric power, and deal in anything pertaining to or in connection with that line of business; and to purchase, receive, hold, own, mortgage, sell, pledge, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of, and to invest, trade in and deal in any goods, wares, merchandise and property, including bonds, mortgages, debentures, notes, shares of capital stock and other securities, obligations, contracts and evidences of indebtedness of any person, firm or corporation. To promote, in connection with this business, corporations or enterprises, and to own and operate or finance the same; to aid in any manner any corporation or enterprise in which the company is interested; to endorse, underwrite or guarantee the securities in such corporations or enterprises. To hold, purchase, convey, mortgage or lease within or without this Commonwealth such real or personal property as the purposes of this corporation may require; and to do any and all things to enhance the value of the business to be carried on by this corporation not inconsistent with the laws of Massachusetts."

The Connecticut River Power Company, which was organized in 1907 for the purpose of " buying, generating, manufacturing, transmitting, selling and in every fashion dealing in electricity. for power, and in general engaging in and conducting the business of an electric power company within the Commonwealth,” has, as appears by a certificate filed in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth on February 14, changed its name to the Amherst Power Company. By a vote of its stockholders, as appears by a certificate filed on April 29, the purpose for which the company was organized was changed to read as follows: "of buying, selling, generating, manufacturing, transmitting, storing and dealing generally in electricity or electrical energy for all purposes for which electricity or electrical power may now or hereafter be used."

On October 11 the Foxborough Electric Company, by a vote of its stockholders, under section 47 of chapter 110 of the Revised Laws, added to its original purpose of manufacturing and selling electricity the "manufacture, purchase and sale of elec

tricity for light, heat and power, and for generating and selling steam or hot water for heating, cooking and mechanical purposes."

Pursuant to the approval under chapter 529 of the Acts of 1908, the consolidation of the Uxbridge and Northbridge Electric Company, Douglas Electric Company and Upton Electric Company with the Grafton Electric Company, and the purchase by the latter of the Millbury Electric Company, were completed on Jan. 1, 1911. In accordance with a certificate issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth on Nov. 26, 1910, the name of "The Grafton Electric Company" was changed to "The Worcester Suburban Electric Company."

The Lexington Gas and Electric Company, having received the necessary authority under chapter 529 of the Acts of 1908 and chapter 316 of the Acts of 1909, sold its electric plant and franchises to the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Boston, and ceased to do an electricity supply business on April 30, 1910. In accordance with a certificate issued by the Secretary of the Commonwealth on June 15, the name of "The Lexington Gas and Electric Company " was changed to the "Lexington Gas Company." This company closed its gas works and began to buy its gas from the Arlington Gas Light Company on December 13.

On Jan. 1, 1910, the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Brockton took over the property and business of the Bridgewater Electric Company, such consolidation having been approved by this Board, and has since that date continued the supply of electricity in the town of Bridgewater.

The Orange Electric Light Company ceased to sell electricity on Dec. 6, 1909, having on that date sold all its property to Wallace G. Webber, and was soon after dissolved by a decree of court. Mr. Webber continued the business until April 1, 1910, when the plant was sold to the Athol Gas and Electric Company, which since that date has been the only company engaged in the supply of electricity in the town of Orange.

The Blackstone Electric Light Company, having, as stated in the last annual report, assumed the necessary charter powers therefor, and having purchased from the Woonsocket (R. I.) Gas Company its mains and other property in the town of Black

stone, began the supply of gas there on Nov. 1, 1909. It has no manufacturing works but purchases all its gas from the Woonsocket Company.

The partnership of Wilcox and Halligan, which, under the name of Shelburne Falls Electric Light and Power Company, was engaged in the supply of electricity in Shelburne and Buckland prior to Sept. 1, 1910, on that date transferred all its property to a corporation of the same name organized under the general law.

On August 10, 1909, all the property and business of the Norwood Gas Light Company was transferred to the Norwood Gas Company, which, having the necessary permit from the local authorities, has since that date been supplying gas in the town of Norwood.

The data in this report from the returns of the Chester Electric Light Company are of a corporation which on July 1, 1909, took over the electric property and business of the partnership which, under the same name, had been engaged in the supply of electricity in that town.

The Vineyard Lighting Company began to supply electricity in Edgartown on September 19.

The Gardner Electric Light Company has purchased all its electricity from the Connecticut River Transmission Company since Dec. 31, 1909.

The consolidation of the Marblehead Gas and Electric Light Company with the Lynn Gas and Electric Company was completed on July 1, 1910.

On Jan. 20, 1910, the business of supplying acetylene gas in the town of Sunderland, which had previously been carried on by a partnership under the name of the Sunderland Gas Company, was transferred to a corporation of the same name.

The Hadley Gas Company, a partnership engaged in the supply of acetylene gas in the town of Hadley, on May 20, 1910, transferred its property and business to the Hadley Lighting Company, a corporation organized under the general law.

The names of Waite and Smith of South Dartmouth and J. D. Gregory of Princeton appear in this report for the first time as supplying acetylene gas in the places named respectively. The supply in South Dartmouth was begun in June, 1906, and in Princeton on June 21, 1909.

ABATEMENT OF SMOKE.

By the provisions of chapter 651 of the Acts of 1910, relative to the abatement of smoke in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett and Somerville, the duty of enforcing its requirements was imposed upon this Board. Several previous laws dealing with the smoke nuisance have been enacted. In 1895 (chapter 389) in Boston the emission into the open air of "dark smoke or thick gray smoke" for more than five minutes continuously or for more than twenty-five per cent. of any continuous period of twelve hours was declared a nuisance and provision was made for the enforcement of the law. In 1905 the Board of Health of Boston was charged with the enforcement of the law, and some other changes were made, including an exemption of locomotives and public-service corporations from its operation. A special law applicable to the city of Springfield was enacted in 1900 (chapter 236), with similar provisions to the original Boston act. A general law was also enacted in 1901, now sections 122 to 127 inclusive of chapter 102 of the Revised Laws, applicable to such cities and towns as might accept the same.

The laws enacted prior to the 1910 act developed certain defects in enforcement, due to the somewhat uncertain terms in which the offence was described, and in the exemption of some of the greatest sources of the nuisance. The 1910 act was the outcome of an effort on the part of the Boston Chamber of Commerce to frame a law so definite in its description of the offence as to be capable of being observed and enforced, but tempered by the belief that the absolute elimination of smoke is a practical impossibility, so long as coal is used as fuel. The act contains several new features which have not appeared in previous smoke legislation in this State, or, for that matter, in this country. Among these are the classification of stacks according to their diameter and as between stationary, locomotive and marine stacks; the grading of smoke in accordance with the Ringelmann smoke chart, which had been approved and used by the United States Geological Survey; a progressive