The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-05
MMlMs.
Coolidge and Congress

President Coolidge is finishing his job as he began
His final regular message to congress is characteristic
It reveals aloof executive whose virtue passion
for economy at home and sympathy with peace
abroad and whose fault is insenstveness to acute
problems of predatory wealth, violated civil liberties
and pharisaical Imperialism
Those parts of mis- message recording the govern
ment's material gains, and recommending further
economy and efficiency, impressive.
"One-third of the national debt has been paid,
while much of the other two-thirds has been
funded at lower rates, and these savings of interest
and constant economies have enabled to repeat the
satisfying progress of tax reductions, he says
Under this sound and healthful encouragement the
national income has increased nearly so per cent
til it is estimated to stand well over $900000000OO
Timely is his warning that the present margin be-
tween federal expense and income is less than a
per cent surplus, which makes it obvious that the
treasury in no condition to undertake increases in
expenditures to be made before June &c."
He sees that there should be no further general
tax reduction but forgets the need for shifting
of the burden to the backs of those best able to bear
it. He repeats useful recommendations for railway
consultations and for inland waterway development
with joint rail and water rates.
Why he should single out the need for co-ordinat-
ing federal legal activities and veterans agencies
without urging the desired general reorganization of
governmental departments, is unclear.
On farm relief, the President has nothing very new
to say But what ne does offer has the advantage of
being sound as far as it goes
He specifies the orthodox forms of federal aid
Technical reports by the department of agriculture
reforestation curtailnent of homesteads, extern
sion of co-operatves Having twice slain the McNary
equalization fee panacea for surplus crops he supports
the Hoover plan for federal farm board ito advise
producers associations in establishing central agencies
or stabilizing corporations to handle SURPRISES"
The revolving loan fund to finance these agencies,
he says should be provided by bill carrying author
ity for raising the money by loans or otherwise-as
the treasury has no surplus"
The surprise Of the message is omission of any ref
erence to the tariff either for farm relief general
revision.
Although he mentions prohibition, his brief dis
cussion of this serious problem is inadequate. He
recognizes the right of opponents ITO advocate its
modincation or repeal"
He implies-what is all too true-that the states
are evadng their equal obligation with the federal
government to provide enforcement But there is
no word in the message of the progressive collapse
of federal enforcement suggested improvements,
no questioning of the efficacy prohibition in the face
OF such sagging experiment.
Just as the President seems unaware of the issues
Of individual and state rights raised by prohibition he
ignores most of the current issues Of civil liberties and
social reform He asks for anti-lynching legislation
But he is silent on child labor, free speech and
assemblage, and on anti-labor injunctions.
This inSenstiveneSs to human values enables him
to think that phenomenal prosperity has had
the widest distribution among our own people" He
apparently does not know that there is constant
jobless horde of more than million, which grew to
more than three million men in this very year of
relative prosperity; that the mechanization of indus
try is unavoidably increasing this danger"
He apparently does not know of the sick basic in
dustres, such as coal and textiles. He apparently
does not know that increased wages are limited in
the main to union trades, that the unorganized and
unSkilled need help.
The blindness permits him to discuss Muscle
Shoals and Boulder dam solely from the get-the-
government business angle without seeing that
the peoples control of natural and cheap
electricity is at stake. That there is giant power
lobby power propaganda, power grab you never
would guess from this message.
This strange contradiction which always has
characterized Coolidge President reached its height
in his treatment of national defense and foreign af-
fairs He appeals spendidly for ratification of the
y