Milford chronicle., 1957-04-12
PRESIDENTIAL DUTIES


States holds the biggest and most awesome-
ly responsible job in the world is to say the
obvious. Another truism is that the job is
incredibly demanding of the Presidents time
and physical and mental resources. Our
only two living former Presidents, Herbert
Hoover and Harry Truman, have both dealt
with this in their writings. Serious consd-
GRAFTON has been given to possible ways some
of the burden might formally be shifted to
other officials, but little in the way of tang
ible result has come of it.
Actually, it is probably that compara-
lively few people know with any degree of
exactneSs what the Presidents varied duties
are. An unusually clear description is pro-
vided in the highly-successful book "The
American Presidency" by Clinton ROssiter,
a Professor of Government at Cornell. DIR.
Rossiter finds that the President plays 10
roles. Some of these are specified by the
Constitution, others have been created by
statute, and others still are based on custom
and tradition. Here, in very brief summary,
are those roles as DR.. Rossiter sees them.
The President is Chief of State This
means that he is the ceremonial head of the
government, and participates in bewilder-
ing list of Notwithstanding charity drives,
bestowing honOrs and decorations, throwing
out the ball to start the baseball season, and
laying wreaths on tombs of the dead great.
Inc IGSlQ0IL 1S IIG OlllGl EACCuJIVL. III
other words, as DR.. Rossiter puts it, g. . he
is held primarily and often exclusively ac-
countable for the ethics, loyalty, efficiency,
frugallty and responsiveness to the public'S
wishes of the two and third million Amer-
cans in the national administration"
The President is Chief Diplomat, He is
the dominant authority in the whole field of
international relations, and in many mat
ters he holds exclusive power.
The President iS Commander in Chief Of
the armed forces. In time of total war, this
power can be construed to be almost allen
comprising.
The President is Chief Legislator. That
is, he assumes leadership in guiding Con-
gress in legislative matters = though, of
course, this leadership is not always follow
ed.
The President is Chief of Party. He has
both the right and duty to lead whatever
political party he belongs to. An anomoly
results--in DR.. Rossiter's words, "He is al
once the least political and most political of
all heads Of government"
The President is the Voice of the People
Woodrow Wilson once wrote, "His is the
only national voice in affairs . If he right
ly interpret the national thought and boldly
insist upon it, he is irresistible.
The President is Protector of the Peace.
1t is to him that the country turns to act
in time of disaster-whether it be great
floods, or major Strikes or many other kinds
of calamaties
The President is Manager of Prosperity
This is a relatively new role, given to him
through laws empowering him to take dras-
tic action in times of economic trouble. For
example, the Employment Act of 1916 spe-
officially instructs him 9. f. :. to foster and
promote free competitive enterprise, to avoid
economic fluctuations or to diminish the
effects thereof, and to maintain unemploy-
ment, production, and purchasing power"
The President is Leader Of the Worlds
Free Nations. This means that .. his
words and deeds in behalf of our own sur.
vival as free nation have a direct bearing
upon the freedom and stability Of at least a
dozen, perhaps even two dozen other cOun-
tries"
1t is said that Harry Truman used to keep
a sign on his desk reading: "The buck stops
here" DR.. Rossiter writes: "That, in the
end, is the essence of the Presidency 1t is
the one Office in all the land whose occupant
is forbidden to pass the buck
1&&@~G&
WHY COSTS RISE
Why is the cost of living so high? Are
food prices responsible, or is it the labor
unions, or the big corporations? All three
are blamed from time to time.
Edwin L. Dale, Jr., Of the New York
Times staff has been surveying the situation.
He finds that the great increase is IN services
of various kinds. In the last four years rail,
bus and rapid transit fares have gone up 20
per cent. Rent is up II per cent. Mortgage
interest is 80 per cent higher. Laundry costs
IL per cent more, haircuts IA per cent, and
beauty shop services II per cent.
Automobile repairs have gone up Is per
cent, and radio ard television repairs 25
per cent. And so it goes All combined and
similar services net itemized above, account
for "a per cent Of the average mans income
Most of the above increases are in fields
with which large corporations and labor
unions play little part. These increases may
be catching up with the great rise in prices
between 1916 and 1852 In that case, they
may be expected to level off before long.
The fundamental cause, Dale thinks, may
be that Mr. and Mrs. American expect more
AS long as they demand better and more