MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP. Official replies to inquiries relative to action about a municipal gas or electric lighting plant have been received from 182 towns and cities, including all the cities and substantially all the towns in which the population exceeds 1,500 and in which no such action has previously been taken. Except as stated on pages 149, 150, following, none of these have taken action during the year. Pages 143-148 contain a tabular statement intended to show briefly all action within the State in respect to the municipal ownership of gas or electric light plants prior to 1910. The pages following contain carefully prepared abstracts from the reports of town officers showing, in two sections, the history of this subject during the last calendar year. The first section (pages 149, 150) exhibits the action of those towns which are not engaged in the lighting business, but have during the year considered propositions to undertake it. The second section relating to municipal plants in actual operation contains two parts: the first part (pages 151-177) setting forth certain financial data relative to the preceding municipal fiscal year, with the estimates and appropriations of the current fiscal year, taken from information furnished the Board by various town officers, and the second part (pages 178–195) setting forth certain general financial and physical data relative to the plants from the returns made to the Board as of June 30, 1910. In Appendix B will be found, under date of June 30, 1910, the separate balance sheets, profit and loss and manufacturing accounts from the annual returns of the different municipalities. Appendix E contains detailed statistics relative to the municipal plants, compiled from the annual returns of June 30, 1910. Tabular Statement showing Action about Municipal Gas or Electric Plants prior to Jan. 1, 1910. Votes favorable to Acceptance of the Munici pal Ownership Act. Votes against the Acceptance Remarks. Investigating committee report in 1895. Votes favorable to acquiring an electric lighting system were 52 to 4, and 53 to 1. Nov. 1, 1907, the town acquired plant formerly of Greene Electric Light, Power and Manufacturing Company. Electric distributing plant of local company taken by town May 3, 1898. Current bought from Somerville company until Oct. 1, 1902, and thereafter from Cambridge com pany. Adverse committee report in 1897. Aug. 20, 1896 Plant for electric street lighting only, started Oct. 15, 1892. Commercial plant completed October, 1894. December, 1893. Proposition rejected by the voters in 1896. Adverse committee report in 1906. December, 1894. Yes, 1,504; no, 182. Began to operate vote taken in 1909. Electric plant built and put in operation in January, 1900. 1 The votes stated were passed by the city council. Tabular Statement showing Action about Municipal Gas or Electric Plants prior to Jan. 1, 1910 — Continued. Votes favorable to Acceptance of the Munici pal Ownership Act. Votes against the Acceptance Remarks. Under special act. Plant for electric street lighting only, started Jan. 2, 1889. Plant for commercial lighting built in 1896. mittee report in 1899, and a ten-year contract made with the local company. committee report in 1895. New investigating committee mittee in 1905. tion referred by the aldermen to the next city government on Aug. 1, 1904. Adverse committee report in 1906. plants respectively. uting plant purchased from Weymouth company. Cur rent bought from that company. Motion to acquire electric light plant lost for want of requisite two-thirds vote, the vote standing 135 yes and 86, no. 1, 1904 Framingham, April Oct. 5, 1909 July 2, 1909 26, 1906 Dec. 30, 1891 |