Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-02
PROSPECT Of HOME
PLEASES COOLIDGE.
President Spends Last Work
ing Day With Eleventh.
Hour Business.
BY the Associated Press.


Frankly happy that he and Mrs
Coolidge are about TO return 10 the
peace and serenity of their old
Northampton home, President Coolidge
was busy today with laSt-minute &C
emulation Of Government business,
urged on by a realization of much to
be done and the fact that it was his
last full working day as Chief Executive
of the Nation.
Awaiting his action were nearly $50
pieces Of legislation, lacking only his
signature to make them laws: there
were numerous Federal offices of great
responsibility to be filled and the DAYS
engagement calendar. standing in its
embossed leather frame on the Presi-
dents desk. revealed long list of Gov
eminent officers. people of national
prominence and close friends who
wished to drop in, shake hands and bid
him good-by.
Outside the executive Offices workmen
could be seen adding the final touches
to the stand from which Mr.. Coolidge S
successor will review the parade in
honor of his Inauguration, and a long
queue OF out-of-town visitors was gath
ering to meet the President at the last
OF his daily nOOn-hour receptions. But
within, 1t was regular business day.
The President was adhering TO the pre-
cept, announced early in his political
career, of doing the days work
Wants TO eco Back Home"
Mr.. Coolidge has made no effort to
conceal the fact that his retirement
from office will enable him to return 10
| the life he likes best. Although the
last eight years have seen him elevated
to the highest place in the Nation and
| have been crowded with significant
events and accomplishments of which
| ne Is intensely proud, there has always
lurked in the Chief Executives mind a
desire. sometimes discussed with Mrs.
Coolidge, to go back home"
In his interview with the Associated
Press in 1926 MIR. Coolidge mentioned
his visits to the old homestead at
/ Plymouth, VT, and the pleasure he de-
rived from doing the little odd jobs that
were constantly necessary, things that
! must be left to others when one sits
! IN the White House surrounded by It's
large staff of servants.
II like to dispense with the kind OF
| service that it is necessary for me to
have at the White House and wait on
myself" he said then. IF I find a
strap broken I like to get out the tools
that are used by Shoemakers, make a
| wax end, and repair it. I like to &c
out and repair the fence when IL is
oresH'oe ooTr., 40 Nero De 1stCh
oa .ne E1c'.e.. 900.
! 3 * 4. ;1Ip.a lie o. tais kino, tee
! i.oIn sea- axis and Set.eG Service Leo
, has - h"cAonng the : es4osn1 "a
~ I4.4rno UoAl AID SSrv-ly 80 4UGy his
deep ano often expressed regret that
he must sever the many pleasant per-
! Snno1 yryt1io Ia h,,;J
about himself in Washington.
| He has mentioned this reluctance
many times within this, his last week in
the White House, to the many callers
who have come to say good-by, to the
Washington correspondents. and finally
to the 10 men who have been close to
him in administering the affairs of the
! Government, his cabinet.
This spirit of regret underlay the
Presidents apparently happy and genial
| mood yesterday as he presided for the
last time at the cabinet table and later
held his last conference with the news
paper men. At the conclusion of each
| he put into words, thanking the cabinet
officers for their services to him and the
Nation. expressing appreciation to the
newspaper men for cooperation and
helpfulness and telling them of his wish
| that they may be as happy in the years
to come as he has been IN his associa-
lions of the years just gone by.
Withholds His Plans.
! He would not permit them to draw
/ him into declaration of his plans fol-
| the future or with respect to a report
| that he would write for the Encyclopedia
| Americana. He declared he contem-
| plated making no farewell address tc
the American Washington hao
accomplished that task so well. he
thought, that there was no need of his
attempting it-and finally he told the
! correspondents that the one outstand-
| ing and significant achievement of his
| stay in the White House had been
minding his own business.
Two events remain on the Coolidge
! social calendar. Tonight the members
OF the cabinet and their wives will be
dinner guests at the White House. and
tomorrow evening Mr. and Mrs. Cool
idge will be hosts at dinner to the
President-elect and Mrs. Hoover, SEN
ator Curtis and his sister, Mrs. Edward
H. Gam.