Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-07-21
Protect Consumer
Continued from Page One)

paper correspondents.
The president spent most of the
morning at the Offices between visits
at White Pine Camp Of Secretary
Dwight Davis of the war department,
and Senator Fess, Republican, Ohio,
two close official advisers whose pres
ence was said to he unrelated and
the occasion for only incidental dis
cussions Of public questions.
| Still another caller was William P.
! jackson, Republican national COM
mitteeman for Maryland, who is
spending the summer near here and
who stopped to pay his respects.
President Coolidge had no informa-
ton. it was said on reported plans OF
members of the house commerce COM
mittee to approach operators and
miners in the coal industry this sum-
mer with proposal that their LABOR
disputes be disposed of by conference
among themselves.
The President was said to under
stand the committee had bill on
coal legislation TO take up when
congress reconvenes in December but
to know nothing of the reported
move. 1t was reiterated, however,
that Mr.. Coolidge, as he had made
| clear before he left Washington,
! hoped the basic principle Of the
! Watson-Parler railway labor act,
enacted in June, would be found ap-
| plicable not only to the coal but TO
| other industries.
Provisions for the calling of
! temporary board to adjust difficulties
! in event of coal emergency, and
! for the appointment of coal admin
! istrator. were said to be regarded as
| fundamental by the President in
any contemplated legislation.
| While no direct reference was
made to recent attacks by Democrat
! ic leaders in congress on the admin
! istration's economy program and
. charges that government eXpendi-
! lures were increasing, President
Coolidge let 1t be known he regarded
! with approval the statement on ex-
penditures by Chairman Madden of
| the house appropriations committee
which appeared in the Congressional
| Record of July is.
Although S230.000000 more was
appropriated for the fiscal year 1927
than in 1926, 1t was said in the fu-
ture a number of the items, such as
those for the veterans bureau and
road construction. would not be so
heavy. Those for 1927, it was ex-
planned, involved payments on spe-
cial bills for which accurate esti-
mates were impossible the previous
year.
The soldiers bonus. 1t was pointed
out, required S100,000.000 for the
present fiscal year, as compared with
half that sum last year, going far
to make the appropriation for the
veterans bureau $173.000,000 in eX-
cess of a year ago. The good roads
item was $26,0O0,00 in excess of the
preceding year, while increases in
other directions included 100000.
on public buildings, $13,000,000 on
prohibition enforcement, $5,000,000
on Civil and Spanish War pensions
and $4,000 for rivers and harbors.
A number of miscellaneous items,
such as payment of claims and re-
funding of taxes brought the total
to $273,000,000.
The country is expanding rapidly,
1t was said, and the pressure upon
the federal government to take on
new activities is very great but is
being resisted by the president and
by congress as much as possible.
AS the national debt is paid off, it
was added. Requirements for inter-
est charges will be reduced but the
plan is for the money to be put into
the sinking fund as the interest on
the debt increases.
Secretary Davis arrived last night
In the course of an inspection trip
of army posts and left this morning
for Fort Ethan Allen after catching
three bass and a pike in Lake Os-
good before the summer White
House. His conversation with the
president were said to have dealt
largely with fishing, the only ap-
proach to questions Of government
being a discussion of the recent ar
sena1 explosion near Dover, n. J.
Asked by Mr. Coolidge concerning
the disaster, Mr.. Davis said Major
General C. c. Williams, chief of
army ordnance, was making a sur
vey Of the arsenals and the sound
ness of the policy Of storing explos-
ives and that department recon-
mendations would await that report.
1t is the desire of Mr.. Coolidge that
the location Of munitions be made
az safe as possible but any progress
through the appropriating power.
Senator Tess arrived during the
forenoon for lunch to remain until to-
morrow. An administration supporter
in the Senate and a prominent support
er Of its farm Legislation policies in
the recent session, his visit afforded