Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-12-17

In his annual message to Congress. report
ing on the state of the Union" President
Coolidge blandly and with Snug compla-
cency finds it impossible" to aptly employ
any other Characterization than one Of
general peace and prosperity" For a
continuation Of the golden era he sees
through his partisan spectscles. Mr.. Cool
idse holds it to be necessary only to con-
tinue those policies for which he assumes the
major share of credit and which he thinks
are being crowned with such abundant
success"
Our present state Of prosperity" says
the President, is chiefly due to three causes.
all his; Economy. elimination of waste
and general raising of the standards Of
efficiency. II the picture the President
painted were true picture, then some of
his pride in his so called policies might
be justified. But is it, What about this
prosperity Let's examine a non-politicnl
authority:
Dun's Review. in its first December num-
Der. shows that for the six years Of the
Harding Coolidge Administrations from
1921 TO 1925. the total liabilities Of COM
mercial failures in the United States were
more than $242 100000, or an average
Of more than $40.0O0.00O year.
During the last five years of the Wilson
Administrations. 1915 to 1920. the total
OF commercial failures was approximately
$SO.OO0.000. or an average of $l6.OOO,-
900 per year.
Can an Administration that has seen
commercial failures multiply those of a
preceding Administration by two and one
half claim that il has promoted prosper
ityE 1t can. and does, but not with truth.
During the period from 1921 to 1925
under Republican Administrations what
the business world knows as trading fail
ures" were multiplied three times:
And what about manufacturing The
Coolidge Administration would have the
country believe the Fordney- McCumber
Tariff Act is the rod that smote the rock
and brought forth molten gold. Bnt did
iti
During the six years of the Harding
Coolidge Administrations liabilities of
manufacturing concerns. going into bank
ruptcy, totaled Sos. 900 900, or an average
Of about SIS. 600. 900 annually. During the
last five years of the Wilson Administra-
tons, liabilities Of manufacturing concerns
becoming insolvent were approximately
$42.000,000. or an average of little
more than 100000 per year.
II manufacturing concerns, operating
under the Greatest degree Of protection ever
bestowed upon industry. can't hold their
failuree down to less than two and one-haf
times those under a Democratic tariff.
who. then, can be expected to prosper.
What Of the American farmer, who is
still clamoring for some sort of relief, or at
least for an end to the discrimination
the present Administration has practised
against himH Has he prosperedi Exam
inc the list Of foreclosures 10 any sheriffs
office in the agricultural States, and the
figures you will find there will give you an
idea Of what has been happening to Mr..
Farmer. But as for his pleas for relief, he
had as well be talking to an Egyptian
mummy
The President breaches economy, but
the record at Washington shows that every
budget he has sent to Congress has car
ried larger sum than Congress has found,
after due hearings, was necessary in the
public interest. So what saving has been
effected in expenditures has been effected
by the Congress, not by the Executive.
The Presidents message is full Of gilt
tering eeneralities, and il what he says
on other subjects won't stand the test
better than his claims Of economy and
prosperity, the message will have to be
accepted with pinch Of salt.