Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-17
COOLIDGE OPPOSES
SPECIAL SESSION
Careful Consideration of A.
fairs Convinces President
Call Is Not Necessary.

President Coolidge is understood
to have decided not TO summon Con
gress TO Washington in advance OF
its regular meeting day in Decem-
Der. This was the impression he
has given to those with whom he has
discussed the subject during the past
few days.
1t has been made very apparent
by the President that after a care
full study of the matter he has
reached the conclusion that nothing
could be gained by an extra session.
At least he is satisfied that there is
nothing Of a definite nature Congress
could do in the way Of Mississippi
food legislation if it convened early.
Mr.. Coolidge has let it be known
that Secretary of Commerce Hoover.
who has been in personal charge of
the Mississippi flood relief and recon
struction work, has reported to him
that the situation can be taken care
of by the Red Cross funds and other
moneys at his command until Deem
Der /. Also, Secretary of War Davis
has advised the President that the re-
port OF the Army engineers who have
been making a survey of the flood
control problem will not be ready be-
fore December l.
Reasons for Decision.
Feeling confident that Congress
would not care 10 attempt the franz
ing of fiood.control legislation until
the report and recommendations or
the engineering experts of the Army
have been placed at its disposal, the
President contends that there is moth
ing Congress could do prior TO its
regular meeting time.
In making his position known to
callers the President was represented
as saving he reserves the right to
change his mind about calling an eX-
ira session If something arises in the
meantime that would cause him TO
deem such a session eXpedlent. Al
though the President first considered
the question of an extra session with
the idea OF hurryng along Missis-
sippi food relief and control legisla-
ton, he is known TO have fancied that
an early start on the part of Con-
sress would result in an early ad-
journment thereby freeing the men,
hers Of the Senate and House to the
extent that they could lose no time
getting busy in the forthcoming cam
paign.
Those who are close to the Presi-
dent have reason to feel that when
the President left Washington for his
Summer in the Black Hills, he had
virtually made up his mind to call
an extra session. Developments dur
ing the Summer, however, caused him
to think less of the proposal, or at
least to cause him to deem 1t advisable
to give it further study. When he
returned here, his mind was open on
the subject, but since listening TO the
views Of several of the Senate and
House leaders, such as Senators
Curtis, Of Kansas, and Borah, OF
Idaho, Speaker Longworth and Repre-
sentative Tilson. of Connecticut, he
has concluded that nothing could be
accomplished Of a constructive nature
by an extra session. On the contrary,
these leaders convinced the President
that more would be gained by having
Congress away from Washington pre-
liminary to the regular meeting date
so as to give the major committees
time TO whip into shape the more
important legislation. such as tax re-
dCction, to be considered this coming
Winter.
Hopes for Tax Reduction.
The President is known to be still
hopeful that the condition Of the
Treasury will permit Of another sub
stantial tax reduction. There has been
some speculation to the effect that
the estimated surplus will not stand
as large reduction as expected If
the Army and Navy appropriations
are to be materially increased The |
President, however. does not believe
that the increased appropriations for
these two departments will jeopardize |
tax reduction. He expects some add |
tional expenditures for these two de-
partments, but they will not be large |
enough, in the opinion of the Presi- |
dent, to cause the abandonment OF
another slash in the tax burden.
Mr.. Coolidge is known to be anxious
for a conference with Representative
Green of Iowa, chairman of the ways
and means committee of the House,
relative to tax legislation. 1t is
thought Mr. Green will confer with
the President within the next few
daNS