Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
TEXT OF PRESIDENTS SPEECH
BEFORE BUSINESS ORGANIZATION

The text of President Coolidge'S ad-
I dress at the meeting of the Business
| Organization of the Government fol-
| lows in full:
Members of the Governments Bust
| ness Organization:
| AS would be the practice in any
we'll managed concern, the executive
heads of the various departments and
bureaus of the United States Govern
ment meet twice a year for receiving
a report of the results of their efforts
! to make the business of the Govern
| ment more successful. This is pr-
| mariiy meeting to consider the Fed
| eral financial operations. But it APP
proaches that problem not from the
! side of the finding and the raising of
| revenue but from the opposite side
of the conservation and the eXpendi-
! ture of revenue. 1t is an eternal chal-
! lerGe to which we respond. of how to
| secure a more efficient Government
with a smaller expenditure of money.
! II is Il great test of engineering Skill
! III the constant elimination OF wa ste.
| in the making of every dollar count,
| and in the conserving of national
| energy. On the success with which
we meet these requirements depends
| the welfare OF tile government anu
| the prosperity and happiness of the
I American people.
| Ii Is for these reasons that the
! greatest emphasis should be placed on
constructive economy. Merely to re-
| dUCe the expenses of the Government
| might not in itself be beneficial. Such
action might be only the discontinue
ance of Il wholly necessary activity.
No civilized community would close
its schools, abolish its courts, disband
its police force, or discontinue its fire
department. such action could not be
counted as gain, but as irreparable
loss. The underlying spirit of econ
omy is, TO secure better education,
wider administration of Justice, more
public order and greater security
from contia grafton. all through a SUI
pcrior organization which Will de
crease the unit OF cost. 1t is all re-
ducibe to a question of national
efficiency.
Each Part of Whole.
Each one Of YOU may sometimes feel
that YOU are performing Il small and
ineffective part and that the eNpendl-
lures in your department Will make
so little difference that il is not worth
while TO put forth much effort. Paus-
ing long enough TO remind YOU that III
manhood and womanhood which you
develop will depend entirely on the
amount of effort that You put forth,
| pass over that consideration To the
fact that though each OF you may con
tribute Il comparatively small share IL
the general result. Vet in n concern
so vast as The Government OF the
United States the aggregate is very
large. | want 10 see the public Serv
l.,
trihution to the character OF those
who are employed in it ana become
the most efficient instrument of organ
lied government in the world. Before
YOU admit that Your own part is small
and ineffective You should remember
that the whole is equal IL the sum of
all the parts and take a survey OF the
broad plan which is gradually being
framed in accordance with the system
of constructive economy for the con-
duct Of the Federal business.
1t happens that this is the tenth
budget meeting. Ii YOU will look back
at the situation which existed in June.
1921. only four and one-half years ago,
when your first meeting WAS held. you
will he able better To understand the
tremendous results of Il policy OF con
structiVe economy. Al that time
5000. 900 of our people We're without
employment. trade and commerce
We're Respondent, transportation was
unable 10 finance itself. the loss OF
buying power ON the part of the wage
Garner depressed the price OF all agri-
cultural products, our foreign rela-
lions were in an uncertain state, we
We're threatened with an inundauon or
alien goods and alien peoples, about
s. 900 600 900 of unfunded public debt
was shortly TO mature. II was almos,
impossible TO secure private credit.
The burden of taxation was over
whelming.
The action of the Government was
prompt and effective. 1t is for us to
see that it remains sustained. The
flood of immigration and importations
was checked by legislation. Our own
people began to find work. Our own
goods began to find a market. Taxes
were enormously reduced. Federal eX-
penditures, which then amounted to
So ,53S 600 900 for that fiscal year, il
is now estimated will be cut down to
IS ,619 10000 for this fiscal year.
That is d saving of S1,919, goo. 900. Our
skort-term obligations We're so skill
fully funded that instead OF embar-
RAISING business the operation ac-
tually stimulated it. The public
debt then was s23.997 900 900. At
the end of this fiscal year it is es-
timated 1t will be less than $4,000
600. 900. This is d payment OF
about 81 600. 900, 900 and represents a
yearly saving in interest of $4,000
900. Credit was extended to agricul-
ture and transportation through the
War Finance Corporation.
Consumption Increased.
With the return of employment and
high wages the consumption of agri-
cultural products increased IS per
cent. Our foreign relations We're adj
iUSted in manner which added to
the peace and stability of the world.
The enormous debts due to us from
abroad have been steadily adjusted
until but one of large importance re-
mains. The system of foreign loans
has increased foreign purchasing
powers. Economies in production
have decreased our domestic costs.
Our exports and imports for the last
year were about $4,000, 100000, the
highest mark ever reached III time of
peace. With our assistance the eco
nomic condition of the whole world
has been very greatly improved
To eliminate competition in arma-
ments and prevent the friction and
suspicion which inevitably arise from
that practice, the Washington confer
ence provided treaties which not only
afford great financial relief but are
very effective in the promotion of in
ternational good will and confidence.
Before us is the prospect of another
conference which holds the promise
i of further advance i'll this most at
tractive field. These accomplishments
mean international peace, economic
prosperity and financial stability.
In your own peculiar field the most
impressive action was the adoption
of the budget system. With the CO.
operation of the Congress. with your