Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 160, § 71: Prohibition after 1907

Section 71. No corporation owning, leasing or operating a railroad wholly or partly in the commonwealth, nor any person or corporation acting in its interest shall, directly or indirectly, acquire, or attempt to acquire by purchase, exchange of shares, or in any other way, any shares of the capital stock of any domestic railroad company not lawfully leased, owned or operated by it prior to May first, nineteen hundred and seven, except under specific authority provided by law. No such domestic railroad company, or any officer, director, servant or agent thereof, shall permit or suffer the said corporation or any of its officers or agents to exercise any control whatsoever over the corporate acts of such domestic company, except as hereinafter provided.