H. K. Richards, Chairman; George H. Bixby, Vice-Chairman; Myron P. Swallow, Secretary; John H. Bobbins, Chairman Finance Committee; F. F. Waters, Inspector on the work.

The committee then discussed the original specifications and investigated the bids which had been made by the contractors, and decided to award the contract, according to plans and specifications obtained by the original committee, to M. K. Kendall & Co., 32 Oliver Street, Boston, Mass., for the sum of thirteen thousand, two hundred' and eighty-five dollars ($13,285.00, for which they were to erect all poles, wires, cross-arms, insulators, etc., and a sub-station complete for receiving and distributing the current. The contract called for about 450 poles, 25 miles of wiring and 125 lamps. This contract was signed by the committee and contractor on August 20, 1909; the work was to be completed November 18; 85 per cent of the contract price was to be paid as the work progressed, the balance to be held 40 days after the completion of the work. A bond for $5,000.00 was also demanded of the contractor, which was furnished, to secure the Town against any loss from nonfulfillment of the contract, or damage to lives and property during construction.

Later, upon further investigation and consultation with our engineer, Mr. T. Russell Robinson of Boston, we decided to increase the number of our lights and change our current from, a single phase system, adding another wire and making it a three-phase system to source of supply, so that if later power should be demanded by the citizens, the plant would be capable of delivering this power. We also added such other things, as stepping all poles in the centre of the town, wiring between transformers, and extra wires for commercial lighting. These additions caused an additional expense of fifteen hundred and eighty-two dollars and ninety-nine cents ($1,582.99) net, and for this a unit price was arranged in the original contract, so that in settlement there could be no dispute.

As the town voted adversely on Article Four at the July Town Meeting, in relation to having the sub-station built on the rear of the Town Hall lot, your committee were obliged to go to the additional expense of buying a lot of land. This is situated on Station Avenue. It was bought of Mrs. Haley, and the deed was executed September 17, 1909. The sub-station was erected there, and rather than have a storehouse and office at some distance from the sub-station, it was decided to have them all under one roof. This land, you will note by the report of the Financial Committee, cost the town three hundred and twenty-five dollars ($325), and the substation and storehouse, built with cement walls and slate roof, was erected by the Osgood Construction Company of Nashua, New Hampshire, under separate contract from the rest of the plant, and cost about sixteen hundred dollars ($1,600) more, five hundred dollars ($500) of which for the sub-station, was charged to the Kendall Company, this coming under the original contract.

Your committee, before commencing its pole lines, decided that it would be necessary to close a contract for current, which contract was made with the Ayer Electric Light Company, being signed August 2, 1909. The terms were for a period of five years from commencement of taking current, and they were to furnish at the Town line a current of 2200 volts, the Town agreeing to take 20,000 K. W. per year at six cents (6c.) per K. W., and if it-used any portion or the whole of 10,000 additional, these were to be delivered at five cents (5c.) per K. W., and if still another 10,000 or any portion thereof were used, they were to be billed at four cents (4c.) per K. W., bills to be rendered monthly, commencing at the date when the lines were ready to distribute the current.

The meter through which the current was to be measured was to be at the Town line and owned jointly by the Town of Groton and the Ayer Electric Light Company, and they were to erect their own poles and wires to this meter from their plant free of expense to the Town. Your committee also contracted with the General Electric Company at a satisfactory price and discounts, for meters and transformers, and with the Wetmore-Savage Company of Boston, for lamps, using the Tungsten 32 and 40-candlepower.

We also have a policy with the Elmployees' Liability Assurance Corporation, to protect the Town to the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) against accident or death of the Superintendent or employees engaged to work upon the wires, and the committee recommend that for the coming year another policy be taken out, covering accident to the public amounting to twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).

At the November, 1909, Town Meeting, the Town voted to extend the lines to the junction of Ayer Road and Peabody Street, from Hollis Street on the Martin Pond Road to Lawrence Brooks' farm, and on the Boston Road to Mr. George Prescott's, also from the State Road at the railroad bridge to Mrs. Kemp's, authorizing an amount of eight hundred and sixty dollars ($860) to be borrowed for these' extensions, which have been made.

The streets were first lighted on the evening of November 20, 1909, and have been so lighted since, and we believe, to the satisfaction of the citizens. "We have also arranged to supply current to a number of citizens for lighting their houses and stores, and have at this date twenty-five (25) takers, who appear to be perfectly satisfied with the light, and, so far, we have had no fault found with the light service or the prices charged. Current at present is only furnished between dusk and. daylight, but there is a promise that as soon as there are enough applications made for day service, and it would appear to be profitable, twenty-four hour service will be supplied. No special fund was provided the committee to pay for connecting the service with the buildings, and our construction appropriation was exhausted, but we have proceeded as requests have been made and contracts signed, to make these connections and supply light, as this service is run at a profit and helps to reduce the cost of street lighting. We felt sure that if the appropriation for maintaining or construction was not sufficient for this, that the Town would gladly vote a sum necessary to pay such bills, if any were contracted.

We have already received from consumers the following amounts for current delivered: December, 1909, seventeen dollars and fifty-eight cents ($17.58); January, 1910, thirty-seven dollars and sixty-one cents ($37.61); February, 1910, forty-eight dollars and fifty-three cents ($48.53). This shows a gradual monthly increase, and it will probably amount to seventy-five or eighty dollars per month by the end of another year.

As more consumers have been added during March, our income is expected to be larger, but as the meters are read on the 26th of the month and bills rendered the 1st, this report will go to press before we get any definite returns from this month, although the income really belongs to this year.

The plant was constructed in two circuits, one running from Mr. Grant Shattuck's store to the Public Library, the other taking in the balance of the Town. This was done so that on any night during the moonlight schedule, in case of fire or any other emergency in the centre of the Town, these lights could be run without running the whole service.

As the State Commissioners on Gas and Electric Lighting require a very accurate system of bookkeeping and returns to be made to them at the end of the fiscal year, we have employed an expert accountant at a moderate expense to open a set of books and enter the various items in their proper places, and continue this work until the end of the fiscal year of the State, June 30, when probably arrangements can be made with some local party to continue the work.

The plant is now completed and running, consisting of a sub-station with storehouse and office properly furnished, about five hundred and forty (540) poles, thirty-two (32) miles of wiring and one hundred and eighty (180) lamps.

For the coming year it will be necessary to make an appropriation for operating the plant, such as current, superintendent's salary, etc., renewals, general supplies, depreciation, house connections and for painting poles, and for this we would recommend the following amounts:

Current, income and. .......................$850 00

Superintendent's salary. ...................450 00

Supplies ..........................................100 00

Renewals .........................................75 00

House connections ............................200 00

Painting poles ...................................175 00

Depreciation, 3 per cent..................... 535 56

Making a total of ................................$2,385 56

According to law, if the Town should conclude to extend its lines, or if a destructive storm should damage a large portion of the system, the depreciation fund could be used for extending or repairing, but it is not a portion of the regular operating expense. The amount for painting the poles will not be included again in the expense for a number of years, and the probability is that in a year or two the expense of house connections will be reduced to a minimum, so that the cost of lighting the Town and furnishing current to the citizens from our estimate for the ensuing year will be income, which approximately will be five hundred dollars ($500), and estimate for current, superintendent's salary, a quantity of supplies and what renewals may be necessary, amounting to fifteen hundred and twenty-five dollars ($1,525), so that actually the cost of lighting the Town streets will be very little more than we paid formerly when they were lighted so poorly with oil lamps.

In conclusion, your committee would state that in the superintending of the erection of this lighting plant, their aim has been that the Town should receive a dollar's worth for every dollar expended, and while the labor throughout has been taxing, yet it has been a real pleasure because of the harmony existing between the members of the committee and because of the willingness of the General Contractor to co-operate with the committee in giving the Town a lighting plant that would not only be serviceable, but lasting.

We also wish to thank the citizens of the Town for the pleasant way in which they have expressed themselves in regard to the work and for the patience exercised in waiting for its complete installation. "We trust that it may be satisfactory in every way.

HENRY K. RICHARDS,

GEORGE H. BIXBT,

MYRON P. SWALLOW,

JOHN H. ROBBINS,

FRANK F. WATERS,

Committee.

FINANCIAL REPORT

CONSTRUCTION

Amount authorized borrowed at July, 1909, Town Meeting............... $15,000 00

Additional amount at November, 1909, Town Meeting...................... 2,000 00

Additional amount for extensions....................................................860 00

Total ............................................................................................$17,860 00

M.K. Kendall & Co., as per original contract for pole line,

substation, etc...............................................................................$13,285 00

Same, for extras and extensions......................................................2,231 13

Paid Osgood Construction Co. storehouse.........................................1,000 00

Osgood Construction Co., substation,

charged to M.K. Kendall & Co..........................................................500 00

Osgood Construction Co., extras……………………………………………………………126 61

Mrs. Kate Haley, land.....................................................................325 00

Willard M. Bacon, architect..............................................................45 00

McKenney & Waterbury, station fixtures ..........................................12 11

Yale & Towne Mfg. Co ............................................................25

Wetmore-Savage Co., lamps………………………….…..225 77

Ayer Electric Light Co., half-joint meter.................................47 13

Boston & Maine R. R., freight………………….……………1 81

General Electric Co., meters and transformers .....................637 63

For grading land .................................................................... 6 00

Baldwin, Robbins & Co., hardware.........................................3 99

J. H. Robbins.............................................................................55

F. Lawrence Blood, legal advice …………………..…...…....6 54

T. Russell Robinson, engineer………………………..……...40 10

Edward Roache, painting..........................................................1 50

M. P. Swallow, telephone, express, postage ........................... 4 23

E. F. Garland, paint, etc. ..........................................................1 50

------------- $18,501 85

Less amount paid Osgood Construction Co.,

for sub-station, charged to M. K. Kendall & Co. …….. 500 00

Less discount from M. K. Kendall & Co.'s bill of extras.......148 14

--------------- $648 14

$17,853 71

Balance in favor of Town. 6 29

$17,860 00

MAINTENANCE

Amount authorized borrowed for maintenance............ $1,000 00

Amount received from consumers for current, etc.............. 109 25

---------- $1,109 25

Paid H. S. Turner, printing..........................................$30 45

Postmaster, envelopes.................................................10 62

Baldwin, Robbins & Co., hardware ..............................3 26

Wetmore-Savage Co., lamps........................................56 22

F. A. Sherwin, coal. .....................................................18 58

Employers' Liability Assurance Corporation...................50 00

Ayer Electric Light Co., current December, 1909..... 111 60

Ayer Electric Light Co., current January, 1910........ 118 80

Ayer Electric Light Co., current February, 1910...... 111 60

New England Tel. & Tel. Co............................................4 82

Deimison Mfg. Co., meter tags……………………….... 2 50

Walter H. Dodge, salary 3 months ..............................112 50

American Express...........................................................1 80

Walter H. Dodge, telephone and team ............................2 15

Adams, Gushing & Foster, stationery ………………....12 84

Mosler Safe Company, safe...........................................33 90

New England Furniture Co., desk and chairs..................19 57

F. M. Blood, stove.........................................................15 00

John H. Sheedy & Co., mop and brush............................1 40

Shattuck's Store Co., shovel.............................................. 65

M. K. Kendall & Co., maint. Supplies ……………....100 61

————— $818 87

Balance in favor of Town. ... $290 38

$1,109 25

House Connections and Other Expense Not Included

in Construction or Maintenance Reports

Connecting Town Hall. ........................................... $ 9 32

G. E. Hodgman's market. ............................................ 4 99

Boynton's bakery........................................................... 4 78

F. A. Sherwin's store.................................................... 6 91

H. A. Johnson's stable.................................................. 6 27

F. W. Coburn's house. ................................................. 9 17

A. H. Torrey's store...................................................... 5 42

J. Paulham's shop.......................................................... 6 43

Baptist Church............................................................. 5 84

Setting transformers at Coburn's………..…………… 5 90

Changing transformers & running secondary wires............27 61

Repairs caused by ice storm...............................................1 52

Raising lamps at railroad bridge......................................... 1 40

Amount not provided for................................................................................$95 56

Groton, Mass., March 18, 1910.

"We, the undersigned, auditors of the Town of Groton, have examined the books and accounts of the Committee on Electric Lighting and find them correctly cast and properly vouched.

HENRY W. WHITING,

CHARLES BIXBY,

Auditors.