ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 1541

injure, alter or obstruct, or prevent the action of any meter
provided for the purpose of measuring and registering the
quantity of gas consumed by or at any burner, orifice or place,
or cause or procure any such meter to be injured or altered,
or the action thereof to be obstructed or prevented, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be punished by imprisonment not exceeding six months,
or by fine not'exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars, or both,
in the,discretion of the court... The existence of any injury or
alteration of such meter which obstructs or prevents the1 action
thereof as aforesaid, shall be prima facie evidence of intent to
violate and of the violation of this section by the person or
persons who would receive; the direct benefits from the use of
gas passing through such injured or altered meter.

Fraud Upon Electric Companies, and Damaging, Interfering,
or Tampering With the Property of Such Companies.

180-A. It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to
wilfully connect or disconnect any electrical conductors belong-
ing to any company using or engaged in the manufacture and
supply of electric currents for purposes of light, heat and
power or either of them, or to make any connection with any
such electrical conductors for the purpose of using' or wasting
the electric current, or to in anywise tamper with any meter
used to register current consumed, or to interfere with the
operation of any dynamo or other electrical appliance of such
company, or to tamper with or interfere with the poles, wires
or conduits used by such companies, unless such person or per-
sons shall be duly authorized by or be in the employ of such
company; provided, that nothing in this section shall in any
way interfere with any lawful supervision and control of elec-
tric light and power companies, their electric conductors, ap-
pliances, machinery and poles by the municipality within which
such companies are doing business, or by the officers of such
municipality, nor shall anything in this section interfere with
any right now existing in the councils of any municipality to
pass ordinance's relating to and regulating such electric light
and power companies. Any person or persons found guilty of
a violation of any of the provisions of this section shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, upon conviction
thereof, be imprisoned not exceeding six months or fined not
exceeding five hundred dollars, or both or either, in the dis-
cretion of the court. The existence of any connection, wire,
conductor, meter alteration, or any device whatsoever which