The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-06
EXIT HANDSHAKE
At WHITE
HOUSE
President Coolidge to Ban Gus
tom Of Executives As
Health Measure.
By JOHN r. LAMBERT.
Cosmopolitan News Service.

Another great American :nstitu
ton will soon fade into obscurity
with the hoopskirt, the carryall
suspenders, and other relics.
| The presidential handshake has
hit the skids. through no personal
desire of President Coolidge, but
| through an awakening of public
| thoughtfulness as the result OF Mr.
Harding's death.
1t has been customary for the
President to shake hands between
800 and 500 times day. No more
arduous task falls to his lot. Even
Colonel Roosevelt, whose short
srubby, powerful hand was admir-.
| ably adapted to the use, found ii
difficult many times to Withstand
the daily assault. Mr. Wilson got a
fortunate respite because the war q
advent shut out White House call
ers. Mr.. Harding enjoyed 1t, and
very often went to bed fatigued by
the effort.
Carefree youths shake a Presi-
| Some braWney but thoughtless men
put their last ounce of energy into
the shake. Another strength-sap-
| ping class cling to the hand in
the hope they will finally force a
| look or word of acknowledgement
from the President which they can
recount to the folks back home.
| forgetting that he averages to give
! 500 shakes to their one.
| POstmen Start Innovation
The national letter carriers started
President Coolidge on his preceden'.'
+ - Il iT1o I'd "a -
! when arranging for the President
grounds, allowed that every man
| hand, but they realized the Presi-
dents strength must be conserved,
and they would be fully satisfied
If he would but meet them and say
! a word of greeting. Those who
| feel responsible for the President 8
physical well-being expect that most
, future organizations will follow the
precedent of the letter-carriers.
The President has adopted q
daily schedule that will keep him
active about seventeen hours out
81 every tWenty-four. He arises
about $50. At 6:15, he beings his
daily walk. He plans to walk five
miles in shortly more than an
hour. He returns to breakfast. the
newspapers and to such work as
he can negotiate before leaving for
| the executive offices at o'clock
He then attacks his mail. which
keeps fleet of carriers busy. Ills
secretaries are careful to lay be-
fore him the mail which reflects
public opinion, including criticism
and commentator from all corners
| of the country. He insists that
his duty is to know whether MS
| official acts are satisfactory to tn<
public he was chosen to serve.
His Schedule.
He receives Cabinet officers, de
partment chiefs, official delegations
reads briefs, digests reports and rec
concentrations, discusses policies
approves programs; in short, directs
the business of 100000 peop!e
through a Government that expends
$4,000, 600, 900 a year, until l o'clock
when he lunches. He returns at
and does the same thing over and
over again. Whenever possible, he
closes the Presidential desk at
o'clock, but is rarely able to do it
He plans to retire about 1920.
He has found the new tasks ener
waiting. For more than two years
he had occupied an office in which
an active man would become
FESTIVE.