The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-12-02
]. \. PECK ATTACKS BOARDS CONDUCT Democratic Candidate for Warden Declares That Officials Have Juggled
 the Accounts.
SAYS REPORT COVERS
 ONLY ELEVEN MONTHS
Candidate States He Would Sever Connection With the Party If He Circulated
 Recent Letter.

On the eve of tho borough election in West Haven to-unorrow. James H. Peck, denocratic warden from 1903 to 1906, and now running against Warden Joseph D, Merwin for that office, when asked regarding the financial affairs in that burough last night said:
 Your question is altogether too com- prehensive for newspaper discussion. and yet there are some salient points l can touch on which our taxpayers would like to know For example, look at the burough's source of Income and of outgo placing the latter items at even less figures than past experiences have proven to be conservative Tn the first place, the b1lrough has only four sources of income at best. One is an appropriation of se,50O from the town legally for use solely in roads--4 rot sidewalks, cross walks and guttersS but for roads within the borough. For all other purposes we collect $1S,0O0 In taxes, and almost $1, 700 in water rents and licences. That is, we get aside from the town for roads, some $19, TOO, with which to meet all other and cur rent expenses.
 Upon the question of expenses. MT Peck said "A large share of our exe renses are what you might call fixed. Even such as are not fixed charges have by use and by experience become so customary and regular in amounts ttat we may in an estimate so consider them. or this class we have, Lighting. s7,0o0; salariss, $2,O0O; Water, s105o: Interest, s190O; Taxes, $700; Police, $2,- 800; Fire, $1,50O; Public Park. $500. {Re- moving Snow, $200; Election Expenses, S125, and Auditors, $S0--a total regular debt of ST, 7,605 per year which must be net in every case no matter who is warden or what sort of a report he gets out. Then, to this sum must be added, the following items, wiiiah are estimated but at the very lowest possf. lble figures figures lower than most administrations of the borough would be willing to be bound by: Sidewalks, crosswalks and gutters, $500; Adver- tising, SIS; Cutting weeds. SIS; Hy- i drants $T5; Insurance $S6; Trimming trees $lO0; Surveying, $10O; Miscellan- eous, $400--which makes total of s1,- 404 for these items This sum with $17,- sos above, makes a total necessary an4 nual outgo of $19,009, leaving balance ! to the good of less than $700, even If every expense avenue has been kept guarded against ali leakage and the borough has indulged in no luxuries or unusual expense of any kind. IA simple lawsuit would throw the bal. ance far against US the other way. To make this showing we have got to live in the very closest manner without frills of any kind. That is our exact condition as to income and expenses report or no report I'll bet my house and lot 1t cost more than have just put down here"
 Mir. Peck was asked, How does the report of the present warden and board compare with these figures of yours?" 1 1T have not seen the report" replied the exrwarden, "and I wish had. No- body, so far as know, among the peo- pie has yet seen it. All know of it, and the public at present knows no more Is that 1t is said to be still in the hands of tho printers. Anyway. to be truthful it must, in order to show fContinued on Third Page