Massachusetts General Laws Part I. Administration of the Government (Ch. 1-182) Ch. 163, § 2

Any corporation organized as provided in this chapter, and any domestic street railway company may, as hereinafter provided, transport for hire passengers, freight, express parcels and mail over public ways or over private lands with the consent of the owners thereof by the system known as trolleymotor or trackless trolley, and may build, equip, operate and maintain vehicles for such transportation, and establish and maintain power houses, poles, wires, conduits or other structures within the limits of and over or under such public ways or private lands for the generation and transmission of electricity for the operation of such vehicles, and the authorities having jurisdiction over such public ways may grant permits for the operation of the said vehicles over such ways, and for the erection of poles, wires and other necessary structures within, over or under such public ways in the manner and to the extent provided by law for the granting of locations to street railway companies.