New Britain herald., 1923-11-12
COOLIDGE STARTS >
 ON FIRST MESSAGE
Has Been Getting Data and Now Is Ready to Write It

Washington, Nov. 12. President Coolidge today began actual work
 upon his message to congress and
 upon the results of his efforts even his closest friends acknowledge will
 depend to a considerable degree his political future.
 MT. Coolidge is known to realize as
 much as do his friends the impor-
 tance of his first message and his first pronouncement of politics, and
 for that reason he expects to devote himself assiduously to work upon the document during the three weeks that intervene before the convening of congress. By agreement with his secretary, c. Bascom Slemp, the exc cutive will limit his daily appoint ments to only those of necessity and let nothing interfere with, his work upon the message.
 The ground work necessary to the drafting of the message already has been done. Six days a week for three months MT. Coolidge has been conferring with officials and private citizens respecting the problems be- fore the government. He has talked with experts in international. affairs. with railroad executives and railroad employees, farmers. labor leaders, bankers, editors, politicians and with just plain ordinary citizens. In near ly every case the one who conferred with the president had the same eS- perience--he presented his views and then was closely questioned by the chief executive. The result is MT Coolidge has absorbed a lot of in- formation on a lot of subjects.
 With this information at hand. he sat down today to write the message. The principal subjects to be treated in the message have become fairly well known to those who lave followed the course of the presidents mind and the nature of his conferences during the past three months. They embrace agricultural relief, taxation, transportation: merchant marine, gov ernment expenditures, immigration, and international affairs, including the world court and the recently negotiated conventions with Mexico.
 Three subjects would seem at this time likely to receive major consid- eration. They are agricultural relief, 1 and transportation.
 For the Farmers.
 With respect to assistance to the farmers, the chief executive is eN- ,ected to urge legislation to promote cooperative marketing and probably ,sk creation Of an agency. or author zation for an existing agency. 10 sell American farm products abroad.
 The executives tax proposals most probably will follow the outline of hose announced today by the treas lry department, with such minor notifications as republican leaders ,elieve are advisable.
 In the matter of transportation, the president has received much advice elatiye uto consolidation of railroads nd may urge legislation 10 that end. { is reasonable 10 expect that he HI not give any measure Of ap- royal to the proposal that congress [ Y it's own action reduce freight rates [ n farm products inasmuch as the interstate commerce commission has | lstitnted an inquiry to determine ,hethcr such rates cap be lowered.
 The merchant marine recommen- ations will be guided by the advice f members Of the shipping board nd arc expected to be along the line f encouraging private enterprise fin cean transportation. The present immigrant law expires ] ext June and MT. Coolidge has let
 be known he will look to congress , maintain at least the present re- ' .rictions.
 International Afair.
 International affairs, excepting the sference to the Mexico conventions, .emy to those close to the president ] be destined to occupy a secondary lace in the message. The greatest ] terest will be in the manner in hich MT. Coolidge treats the pro- osal by Mir. Harding to the last sem .e that the United States accept embership in the permanent court international justice. So far as has il zen revealed, Mir. Coolidge still ex- I scts to make mention that the pro- q 1sal is before the senate for action 9 ld let the matter go at that E Numerous minor matters un- | 1ubtedIy win find a place in the [ essage as is usually the case in li essages presented at the converting n new session. These may include n com endations as to reorganiza- r on of the executive departments, V veterans bureau admin tration. water way improvements. r lblic building and disposition Of C uscIe Shoals. s