provisions of chapter 109 of the Public Statutes as far as the same are applicable. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 44.

All provisions of law granting to persons and corporations authority to erect, lay, and maintain, and to cities and towns authority to regulate telegraph and telephone lines, except sections 16 and 18 of chapter 109 of the Public Statutes, shall, so far as applicable, apply to lines for the transmission of electricity for the purpose of lighting. St. 1883, c. 221.

Town-Hall. A town, at a meeting held for the purpose, may take any land not appropriated to public uses within its limits as a place for the erection of a town-hall, or for the enlargement of its town-hall lot; but no lot so taken or enlarged shall exceed in extent one acre. The town shall, within sixty days after such taking, file in the registry of deeds for the county or district in which the land is situated, such a description of the land so taken as is required in a common conveyance, and a statement of the purpose for which such land was taken, which description and statement shall be signed by the selectmen, or by a major part of them ; and the title of such land shall vest in such town from the time of such filing. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 41.

All damages sustained by such taking shall be paid by the town; and if the selectmen fail

to agree upon such damages with the owner, the same may be assessed and determined by a jury in the manner provided by law in the case of the laying out of town-ways, upon application therefor made within three years after such filing. If the damages so awarded exceed the amount tendered to the owner as compensation before the filing of his application for a jury, he shall recover his costs; otherwise the town shall recover costs. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 42.

Land so taken shall revert to the owner or to his heirs or assigns, unless within three years after the filing of such description and statement a town-hall is erected thereon, or the same is enclosed and devoted to the enlargement of a town-hall lot. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 43.

A town may erect a town house of sufficient capacity for all the business which it may have occasion to do in such a building, and may, in its erection, make suitable provision for its prospective wants; and if the building contains rooms not wanted for the time being for municipal business, the town may let them temporarily, or allow them to be used gratuitously. French v. Quincy, 3 Allen, 9.

Trust Funds. See Burial-Ground; Schools, and Library and Reading-room.

of a majority of its selectmen, ratified by a majority of its voters, present and voting thereon at a legal meeting, at which the check-list shall be used, may, for the purpose of supplying water to its inhabitants, purchase of any municipal or other corporation the right to take water from any of its sources of supply or from pipes leading therefrom; or may purchase its whole water rights, estates, franchises, and privileges, and thereby become entitled to all the rights and privileges and subject to all the duties and liabilities of said corporation; or may make a contract therewith for a supply of water. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 27.

A town making such purchase may issue, in payment therefor, bonds, bearing interest at a rate not exceeding seven per cent, payable semiannually, and redeemable at a time not exceeding twenty years from their date; and may, for the purpose of purchasing materials, laying pipes, and doing other work necessary for so supplying water, issue additional similar bonds; and a town

1 There is a seeming disagreement between the 28th section of chapter 27 and the 8th section of chapter 29 of the Public Statutes, as to the time within which bonds issued by a town on account of water supply, are to be made payable. The former section is taken from St. 1870, c. 93, while the latter is from St. 1875, c. 209; and, so far as one is inconsistent with the other, the subsequent statute may be regarded as a repeal of, or as an amendment to the former. Commonwealth v. Davis, 11 Gray, 48, 51.

making such contract as aforesaid may, for the purpose named in this section, issue similar bonds. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 28.

The whole amount of bonds issued by any town under the preceding section shall not exceed ten per cent of its valuation. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 29.

If the water is brought through another city or town, pipes may be laid through any streets and highways therein designated by the mayor and aldermen or selectmen thereof; and the town. laying such pipes shall be liable, in an action of contract or tort, for all damages occasioned thereby. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 30.

All purchase-money received under the provisions of the four preceding sections by a town owing a water debt shall be applied to the payment of such debt. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 31.

A town, in which water is supplied at the public expense, may, by by-laws, prescribe rules and regulations for the inspection, materials, construction, alteration, or use of all pipes and of all fixtures through which such water is used within said town, and may impose penalties not exceeding twenty dollars for each violation thereof; and may prohibit the use of such water by persons neglecting or refusing to comply with the provisions of such by-laws; and any such by-law may be made operative within the whole territory of such town, or within any prescribed

or defined district or districts of said territory. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 16.

The powers conferred by the preceding section, except the power to impose penalties, may be exercised through any board or commission which the town may designate; but the powers so delegated may at any time be revoked by the authority delegating them. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 17.

A town may regulate by by-laws, not repugnant to law, with penalties not exceeding fifty dollars for each violation thereof, the use of reservoirs and land and drive-ways appurtenant thereto, forming a part of its system of watersupply within its limits. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 8.

A town may contract with a water company to supply water to hydrants for fire purposes for an annual compensation for ten years. Smith v. Dedham, 144 Mass. 177.

Any city or town having a water supply may contract with any other city or town situated in the water-shed of such supply to contribute, on such terms as may be deemed proper, to the cost of building a sewer or system of sewers which will aid in protecting any part of the source of such water supply from pollution. St. 1888, c. 160.

Ways. Under our system of establishing ways, some are laid out by the county commissioners, and some by the selectmen or road commissioners. If the proceedings for laying