The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-10
ANNUAL REPORT ISSUED


Other West Haven officers.
The annual report Of the warden and
other borough officers of West Haven
has just been issued Many needed
improvements have been made through
the year, and all in all it must be very
gratifying to the citizens of the Dor
ough. In the warden's report he speaks
of the violence of the storms and the
great damage to the streets. He goes
further and says:
The long delayed repairs OF Beach
street, from Summer street to Rock
street. have been accomplished and al
though they drew quite heavily on our
treasury the cost was much less than
anticipated and now it is in first-class
condition. Washington avenue, from
Elm street to Main street, has also
been hardened and is at present one Of
the best streets in the borough. Con-
crete walks have been put across the
green on every path, which has long
been considered, but now become a
fact. Other expensive matters, like
damages, lawsuits, extra lights voted
at citizens meeting, new hose for our
fire department, etc., have been forced
upon us, so that altogether our needs
have forced us beyond our income, and
while we think each year that the next
will not require the expenditure OF SO
much money, we are at that stage
when We must expect extraordinary
questions and conditions to confront
| us, and unless a retrograde movement
is begun our expenses will increase.
The total expense of highway repairs
the. past year was So, S9235, of lighting
the borough $4S1S,G1, The expense OF
maintaining the fire department was
$1,126.S5, for police duty $4,000. The
| cost Of removing trees was $19450, of
removing snow $35395, and for sprinl(-
| ling streets $11S.20 The total expense
of running the borough was $20,60S,37.
The outstanding notes against the Dor
| ough amount to $4,000.
The report of the treasurer shows a
cash balance of $16977 on hand No
Yember %.
Chief A ]. Thompson of the fire de-
| partment also makes his report. He
| compliments the fire department for
its excellent work during the year and
for its promptness in response to the
calls. In part the report is as follows:
/ consider it necessary at this time to
call the citizens attention to a few
matters that should receive immediate
attention in order to furnish the pro-
| lection that this constantly growing
| borough needs from the fire fiend
| During the fall five hundred feet Of
/ new hose has been purchased to take
/ the place of some that was beyond SER
vice But five hundred feet more should
be secured at as an early a date as pos
] sble, as we have at present about thir-
/ teen thousand feet of available hose,
while many sections of the borough
would require sixteen hundred and
! over to reach the nearest hydrant.
! Another matter which needs prompt
| attention is the fire alarm system. Dur
| ing the year there has been considera-
BILE trouble owing to its condition.
which is constantly growing worse and
more expensive each year. I hope that
/ the coming year will find our citizens
able to appropriate enough to put the
system in thorough shape, as it should
| be, so that dependence can be placed
/ uDDll IL dL All llliltS. ALEU- lilClI pOilIc
means viii be devised to, give the alarm
in the center of the Borough, either by
bell or whistle, as the power house is
| of very little benefit to the firemen
living above Second avenue If this
was done it would greatly add to the
efficiency Of the department and ex-
cuse for not hearing the alarm would
be done away with and the service cor
respondingly improved
Again I would call the citizens at
tention to the water supply. The Bloss
and Haines fires were both two fitting
examples of the complete inadequacy
of our water supply, both Of which fires
| could have been made only partial loss
es if a respectable pressure of water
was available Will it ever be our good
fortune to possess it?