The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-09-30
Democrats Charge
 COP. With Waste
Watertown Election Feelings Run High as Day Nears;
 OakviIIe SIighted, According to Claims

Oakville received 70 percent of WPA salary funds but let's clarify the picture. The entire amount of money spent on WPA for repairs last year was spent in the first dis- trict. Oakville received very little The men employed were 70 per cent Oakville men to be sure, but the work and improvements were done in Watertown in the first district throughout.
 All of this was made possible by a Democratic constructive regime headed by @ man named Roosevelt
 Propaganda that the campaign which Is on at present is a battle of Oakville against Watertown is absolutely a falsehood of the worst type. Oakville's wants and problems are very simple and very few and can and should have been solved without much expense to the town. In the WPA case, as stated above and in all fairness could not. some- thing have been done for Oakville at a very small cost to the town of Watertown? Would not Watertown appreciate a better looking village when driving through 1t.
 For years the village has lived on promises. For years the fairminded element in Watertown have realized the condition and have been will ing to Eelp and lend 8 hand. On the other side of the picture, how. ever, Watertown has given pie ture of Oakville framed by @ few radical takers who do not in any way represent the village and who are responsible for the greater part of all misunderstanding.
 The present candidate for office of first selectman, although from the second district has had enough business experience to fully realize above conditions and give assurance to Watertown that the situation would be handled in all fairness and has plans,to be announced ito all voters at a later date, of the possibilities of improving this con- dition with very little cost to any, one.
 Over anumber of years, we have not had a selectman with @ busi- ness sense for visualizing develop ments or improventments, of for taking action at the right time. This has led to all the charges against the present men in office. Without proper supervision and management 1t has been waste. Proper super vision should come from the board of finance. regulating all purchases and expenditures and is the key to all economy for the town. Contrast this with the fact that the select- men have refused to meet with the board, as was done as 8 proposed meeting of the board and selectmen @ month after the purchase of the last town road equipment.
 Using as @ specific example, let us take the fire department. Several years ago the budget used for them was less than one half as ct present, Then the town allowed payment ot $l for each fire to each man who attended. Now we have the raised budget completely used up each year and the firemen not allowed to attend fires as the siren is only blown at the convenience of officers in the department The town would certainly get pretty cheap fire pro- lection by insisting that this sirer be blown. Average number of fires multiplied by average number oi flremen attending each, makes the figure around $l,500. The mer voted to attend each fire and have the siren blown for each. It has not been done, yet twice the budget of @ few years ago is used up,
 An example of how 1t H being done is in the equipment as follows July 2l, 1887, appeared @ 4x8 picture showing Q demonstration of fog nozzle. The descriptive printing under the picture stated: "Fire chiefs of communities throughout New Haven and Fairfield counties gathered in Naugatuck for e demon stration," Waterbury was also there What for? To find out about 1t be- fore buying. But Watcrtown has hac 4t for two years and DOES NOT NEED IT. Tn 5 to 15 years, the speedometer readings on the fire trucks do not exceed 5000. Yet tho gasoline and repair bills are stag. gering. A rumor has 1t that thii years gasoline bill is around $45( Again compare this with an item from the town report of Woodbury page 27, which says: Storage, gas oil and grease for one year $l3l ,83 1 The ethics of the fire department gave us @ new chief, until recently every two years. When was the last two years up, and why not someone who will force that siren to be blown with such good fire protection at such @ small cost from an excel- lent organization not properly handled who knows something oi the purchasing.
 If this is shown as true, in the fire department, and allowed to run by town hall in this manner, what becomes of the entire budget of over $360,000?
 We will have, until election day denials, reprisals, inversion of all possible good points, but the fact remains that conditions are not ot the best and can be easily remedied if the town wills 1t so next Monday
 A further inuendo cast adrift is that somehow or other, H. J. ONeill on the Democratic ticket is being left out in the cold. MT. Byrnes has publicly announced that he will not take the position of third selectman, consequently, legally and otherwise, MT. O'Neill would become the third as one selectman must be of the opposite party.