The General Court, which was chosen November 2, 1926, assembled on Wednesday, the fourth day of January, 1928, for its second annual session.

His Excellency ALVAN T. FULLER and His Honor FRANK G. ALLEN continued to serve as Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively, for the political year of 1928.

ACTS.

AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE ABATEMENT OF UNCOLLECTABLE Chap. 1

POLL TAXES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

amended.

taxes, and

Section seventy-one of chapter fifty-nine of the General G. L. 59, § 71, Laws is hereby amended by striking out the last sentence thereof, so as to read as follows: Section 71. If a Abatement of collector is satisfied that a poll tax or tax upon personal uncollectable property, or any portion of said tax, committed to him Or allowance to to any of his predecessors in office for collection, cannot be collector. collected by reason of the death, absence, poverty, insolvency, bankruptcy or other inability of the person assessed to pay, he shall notify the assessors thereof in writing, on oath, stating why such tax cannot be collected. The assessors shall act on such notification within thirty days after its receipt and, after due inquiry, may abate such tax or any part thereof, and shall certify such abatement in writing to the collector; and said certificate shall discharge the collector from further obligation to collect the tax so abated.

Approved January 19, 1928.

AN ACT PLACING THE OFFICE OF CHIEF OF POLICE OF THE
TOWN OF PALMER UNDER THE CIVIL SERVICE LAWS.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Chap. 2

town Palmer

civil service

SECTION 1. The provisions of chapter thirty-one of the office of chief General Laws and the rules and regulations made there- of police of under, relative to the appointment and removal of police placed under officers, shall hereafter apply to the office of chief of police of laws. the town of Palmer. The present incumbent of said office shall continue to hold the same without taking any civil service examination.

SECTION 2. This act shall be submitted to the voters of Submission to

said town at the annual town meeting in the current year in the form of the following question which shall be placed upon the official ballot used for the election of town officers at said meeting: "Shall an act passed by the general court in the year nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, entitled 'An Act placing the office of chief of police of the town of Palmer under the civil service laws', be accepted?" If a majority of the votes in answer to said question are in

voters, etc.

the affirmative, then this act shall thereupon take effect, but not otherwise, except that for the purpose of such submission it shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved January 19, 1928.

Chap. 3 AN ACT INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY THAT MAY

Boston Young
Men's Christian
Association
may hold an
increased
amount of
property.

BE HELD BY THE BOSTON YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCI-
ATION.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

The Boston Young Men's Christian Association is hereby authorized to hold real and personal estate to an amount not exceeding four million five hundred thousand dollars. The amount hereby authorized shall be exclusive of such amount as any affiliated corporation is authorized to hold. Approved January 24, 1928.

Chap. 4 AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE PROPRIETORS OF THE BOSTON

The Proprietors of the Boston Athenæum may hold additional

property.

ATHENÆUM TO HOLD ADDITIONAL PROPERTY.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

The Proprietors of the Boston Athenæum and their successors, in addition to works or objects of literature, science and the arts, and to the property which they are now allowed by law to hold for income, may take, hold and convey, for the purposes of income, real and personal property not exceeding eleven hundred thousand dollars in value, the income thereof to be applied to the purposes specified in their act of incorporation.

Approved January 24, 1928.

Chap. 5 AN ACT REQUIRING THE SENDING OF WRITTEN NOTICE TO

G. L. 48, § 63, amended.

THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS AND TAXATION OF
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRE AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Section sixty-three of chapter forty-eight of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following: - Immediately upon the establishment of such a district, written notice thereof shall be sent by the clerk to the commissioner of corporations and taxation, - so as

Upon organiza- to read as follows: - Section 63. If at such meeting the

tion of fire and improvement district, voters to choose clerk.

Removal.

Vacancy.

Temporary

clerk.

voters determine to organize such district, they shall choose a clerk, who shall be sworn. He may be removed by the district, and in case of a vacancy another may be chosen; or in such case, or in case of his disability, the selectmen may appoint a temporary clerk, who shall be sworn and shall

Written notice perform such duties until the vacancy is filled or the disability removed. Immediately upon the establishment of such a district, written notice thereof shall be sent by the

of establishment of district to be sent by clerk

to commissioner clerk to the commissioner of corporations and taxation.

of corporations and taxation.

Approved January 24, 1928.

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF HULL TO APPROPRIATE Chap. 6

MONEY AND CONTRIBUTE THE SAME TOWARD THE COST OF
MAINTAINING A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE TOWN OF
COHASSET.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

annually

contribute

SECTION 1. The town of Hull may annually appropriate Town of Hull a sum of money not exceeding five hundred dollars and pay appropriate the same to the managers of The Nantasket Library, Inc., money and which maintains a free public library in the town of Cohasset, same toward as a contribution by said town of Hull toward the cost of taining maintaining said library.

cost of maina free

public library in town of

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. Cohasset.
Approved January 27, 1928.

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE KNIGHTS OF ST. STANISLAUS, IN- Chap. 7

CORPORATED, TO HOLD REAL ESTATE AND CONFIRMING TITLE
TO ITS PRESENT HOLDINGS.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

St. Stanislaus,

may hold real

to

SECTION 1. The corporation known as The Knights of The Knights of St. Stanislaus, Incorporated, located in the city of Chicopee Incorporated and incorporated under general law, is hereby authorized estate in city to hold real estate in said city to an amount not exceeding of Chicopee seventy-five thousand dollars. All of said property and the amount. income derived therefrom shall be used for the purposes of To be used for said corporation as set forth in its charter or certificate of poses. incorporation.

corporate pur

firmed.

SECTION 2. The title of said corporation to all real estate Title to present standing in its name on the effective date hereof, in so far as it holdings conis affected by lack of statutory authority for the investment of funds of such corporations in real estate, is hereby confirmed.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved January 27, 1928.

AN ACT PROHIBITING THE USE OF CERTAIN APPARATUS FOR Chap. 8

FISHING IN INLAND WATERS.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Section thirty-five of chapter one hundred and thirty of G. L. 130, $ 35, the General Laws, as amended by section two of chapter one hundred and ninety-five of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-six, is hereby further amended by striking out the word "pond" in the fourth line and inserting in place thereof the words: - inland water, - so as to read as follows: - Section 35. Except as permitted by law, whoever Use of nets, draws, sets, stretches or uses a drag net, set net, purse net, waters regu seine or trawl or sets or uses more than ten hooks for fishing lated. in any inland water, or aids in so doing shall be punished

protected.

by a fine of not less than twenty nor more than fifty dollars. Certain rights This section shall not affect any rights conferred by section thirty-two or the corporate rights of any fishing company. Approved January 27, 1928.

Chap. 9 AN ACT INCLUDING LOCAL GARRISONS OF THE ARMY AND

G. L. 40, § 5, cl. (12), etc., amended.

Cities and

towns may ap

propriate money for decoration of

NAVY UNION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AMONG
THOSE ORGANIZATIONS UNDER THE AUSPICES OF WHICH
CITIES AND TOWNS MAY CONDUCT THE PROPER OBSERVANCE
OF MEMORIAL DAY AND OTHER PATRIOTIC HOLIDAYS.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Clause (12) of section five of chapter forty of the General Laws, as amended by section six of chapter four hundred and eighty-six of the acts of nineteen hundred and twentyone, by chapters two hundred and two and four hundred and one of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-three and by chapter sixteen of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-seven, is hereby further amended by inserting before the semi-colon in the twenty-first line the following: of local garrisons of the Army and Navy Union of the United States of America, so as to read as follows: — (12) For erecting headstones or other monuments at the graves of persons who served in the war of the revolution, the war of

and

soldiers' graves eighteen hundred and twelve, the Seminole war, the Mexican

and for observance of Memorial Day and other patriotic holidays, etc.

war or the war of the rebellion or who served in the military or naval service of the United States in the Spanish American war or in the World war; for acquiring land by purchase or by eminent domain under chapter seventy-nine, purchasing, erecting, equipping or dedicating buildings, or constructing or dedicating other suitable memorials, for the purpose of properly commemorating the services and sacrifices of persons who served as aforesaid; for the decoration of the graves, monuments or other memorials of soldiers, sailors and marines who served in the army, navy or marine corps of the United States in time of war or insurrection and the proper observance of Memorial Day and other patriotic holidays under the auspices of the local posts of the Grand Army of the Republic, United Spanish War Veterans, The American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and under the auspices of the Kearsarge Association of Naval Veterans, Inc. and of local garrisons of the Army and Navy Union of the United States of America; or for keeping in repair graves, monuments or other memorials erected to the memory of such persons or of its firemen who died from injuries received in the performance of their duties in the fire service or for decorating the graves of such firemen or for other memorial observances in their honor. Money appropriated in honor of such firemen may be paid over to, and expended for such purposes by, any veteran firemen's association or similar organization.

Approved January 27, 1928.