The State of the Union

It is not through sheer discourtesy that Congressmen leave their seats during the reading of messages addressed to them by the President. They do not leave if he appears in person. And one of the chief reasons for their leaving when he does not appear is that the Presidential message, if a good one, is better seen than heard. It is an almanac and there are only two ways of coping with an almanac--to ignore it or pore over it.

The 70th Congress received last week from President Coolidge an almanac of some 9,000 words on the State of the Union. He was sorry it could not be shorter. The bursting-with-fact nature of its paragraphs were its apology. Where it had to dip into theory it emerged abruptly and proceeded apace. Levity is not permitted to Presidents, especially in surveys of the state of the union, yet such is the Coolidge humor that some of this message's least ponderous paragraphs were devoted to three of his most vexed topics:

Flood Control. Simplicity wore a wry mask when the President wrote: "The Government is not an insurer of its citizens against the hazard of the elements. We shall always have flood and drought, heat and cold, earthquake and wind, lightning and tidal wave, which are all too constant in their afflictions. The Government does not undertake to reimburse its citizens for loss and damage incurred under such circumstances. It is chargeable, however, with the rebuilding of public works and the humanitarian duty of relieving its citizens in distress. . . ."

The President pointed out that the Mississippi's right-of-way through the flooded states was a liability as well as an asset. He recommended that the flooded states be required to pay for as large a portion of the flood control program as possible, in common justice and to ensure local interest in public expenditure.

Farm Relief. With the U. S. farmer, President Coolidge was patient, instructive.

"Government price fixing is known to be unsound and bound to result in disaster," he said. "A Government subsidy would work out in the same way. It cannot be sound for all of the people to hire some of the people to produce a crop which neither the producers nor the rest of the people want.

"Price fixing and subsidy will both increase the surplus instead of diminishing it. Putting the Government directly into business is merely a combination of subsidy and price fixing aggravated by political pressure. These expedients would lead logically to telling the farmer by law what and how much he should plant and where he should plant it, and what and how much he should sell and where he should sell it. The most effective means of dealing with surplus crops is to reduce the surplus acreage. . . .

"It is impossible to provide by law for an assured success and prosperity for all those who engage in farming. . . ."

The President thought, however, that a Federal board might be set up, provided with a revolving loan fund and empowered to help farmers sell their crops profitably.

The Tariff. Again the President dwelt on the U.S. farmer in copybook language.

Facts: "The present tariff rates supply the national Treasury with well over $600,000,000 of annual revenue. Yet, about 65% of our imports come in duty free. Of the remaining 35% of imports on which duties are laid about 23% consists of luxuries and agricultural products, and the balance of about 12%, amounting to around $560,000,000, is made up of manufactures and merchandise. As no one is advocating any material reduction in the rates on agriculture or luxuries, it is only the comparatively small amount of about $560,000,000 of other imports that are really considered in any discussion of reducing tariff rates."

Argument: "It is often stated that a reduction of tariff rates on industry would benefit agriculture. It would be interesting to know to what commodities it is thought this could be applied. Everything the farmer uses in farming is already on the free list. Nearly everything he sells is protected. It would seem to be obvious that it is better for the country to have the farmer raise food to supply the domestic manufacturer than the foreign manufacturer. In one case our country would have only the farmer; in the other it would have the farmer and the manufacturer. Assuming that Europe would have more money if it sold us larger amounts of merchandise, it is not certain it would consume more food, or, if it did, that its purchases would be made in this country. Undoubtedly it would resort to the cheapest market, which is by no means ours. The largest and best and most profitable market for the farmer in the world is our own domestic market. Any great increase in manufactured imports means the closing of our own plants. Nothing could be worse for agriculture."

Other subjects on which the message dwelt included:

National Defense. "Being a nation relying hot on force, but on fair dealing and good will, to maintain peace with others, we have provided a moderate military force in a form adapted solely to defense. It should be continued. . . .

"Our Navy is likewise a weapon of defense. We have a foreign commerce . . . outlying territory . . . long stretches . . . the richest cities in the world ... a large population . . . the greatest treasure ever bestowed upon any people ... an international duty of defending the Panama Canal. . . .

"This country has put away the Old World policy of competitive armaments. It can never be relieved of the responsibility of adequate national defense. We have one treaty secured by an unprecedented attitude of generosity on our part for a limitation in naval armament. After most careful preparation, extending over months, we recently made every effort to secure a three-power treaty to the same end. We were granted much co-operation by Japan, but we were unable to come to an agreement with Great Britain. . . .

"The failure to agree should not cause us to build either more or less than we otherwise should. ... It should be made clear to all the world that lacking a definite agreement, the attitude of any other country is not to be permitted to alter our own policy. It should especially be demonstrated that propaganda will not cause us to change our course. Where there is no treaty limitation, the size of the Navy which America is to have will be solely for America to determine. No outside influence should enlarge it or diminish it. . . ."

Economy. ". . . Because we are not now physically at war, some people are disposed to forget that our War debt still remains. ... At the end of this fiscal year it will be reduced from about $26,600,000,000 [in 1918] to about $17,975,000,000. Annual interest, including War savings, will have been reduced from $1,055,000,000 to $670,000,000. The sacrifices of the people, the economy of the Government, are showing remarkable results. . . . Keeping the credit of the nation high is a tremendously profitable operation."

Tax Reduction. ". . . Exemptions have increased until about 115,000,000 people make but 2,500,000 individual taxable returns. ... A slight depression in business would greatly reduce our revenue because of our present method of taxation. . . ." The President reiterated his support of Secretary Mellon's tax reduction estimates (see THE CONGRESS).

Philippines. Filipinos govern themselves about 98%. Let them demonstrate their fitness for complete self-government by carrying out their present laws. Let a committee of the U. S. Congress visit the islands biennially.

Merchant Marine. "The Shipping Board is constantly under pressure, to which it too often yields, to protect private interests rather than serve the public welfare." Let the U. S. merchant Fleet soon be turned over to private control.

Commercial Aviation. ". . . this coming industry."

Hemisphere Air Mail (to Mexico and Central & South America)--. "A committee of the Cabinet will later present a report. . . ."

Good Roads. ". . . more and more coming to be appreciated."

Panama Canal. It has earned a surplus of 80 millions. Let the U. S. spend twelve millions on a flood control dam at Alhajuela in the Chagres River.

Muscle Shoals. Hydroelectric power has been found to be not the cheapest way to make fertilizers and gunpowder. Since the Government does hot want to go into the power business per se, let Muscle Shoals be disposed of; let the proceeds benefit agriculture.

Inland Navigation. The St. Lawrence River route has been found the most practicable way to open the Great Lakes to ocean traffic. Treaties are being negotiated with Canada.

Prohibition. Federal enforcement will increase and continue. Let local governments help.

Negroes. "History does not anywhere record so much progress made in the same length of time as that which has been accomplished by the Negro race in the United States since the emancipation proclamation. They have come up from slavery to be prominent in education, the professions, art, science, agriculture, banking and commerce. It is estimated that 50,000 of them are on the Government pay rolls, drawing about $50,000,000 each year. . . . Nevertheless, they are too often subjected to thoughtless and inconsiderate treatment, unworthy alike of the white or colored races. They have-- especially been made the target of the foul crime of lynching. . . . The Congress should enact any legislation it can under the Constitution to provide for its elimination."

Coal. Let Congress empower the President to mediate miner-v.-operator disputes when necessary.

Railroads. Let Congress legalize more mergers. They are needed to lower freight rates.

Education. "I am still of the opinion that much good could be accomplished through the establishment of a Department of Education and Relief . . . under one directing member of the Cabinet."

Foreign Relations. We are friendly once more with Mexico. We have straightened out Nicaragua. China, "that unhappy country," will be a problem indefinitely. We can afford to be patient, generous, liberal. "Proposals for promoting the peace of the world will have careful consideration. But we are not a people who are always seeking for a sign. . . . The heart of the Nation is more important than treaties."

Destiny. "In doing good, in walking humbly, in sustaining its own people, in ministering to other nations, America will work out its own mighty destiny."