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Show tONGHESS GIVEN GDOLIDGEMESSAGE Condition of Country Is One of Progress and Prosperity Approves Revenue Bill. Washington. In his message to the Sixty-ninth congress, President Cool-Idge Cool-Idge Bald that the general condition of the nation Is one of progress and prosperity. The President stated that he approved of the new revenue bill as framed by the house ways and means committee. The President's message In part Is as follows: Members of the Congress : In meeting the constitutional requirements re-quirements of Informing the congress upon the state of the Union, It Is exceedingly ex-ceedingly gratifying to report that the general condition Ls one of progress and prosperity. For Government Economy. It ls a fundamental principle of our country that the people are sovereign. They hold Inviolate In their own hands the Jurisdiction over their own freedom free-dom and the ownership of their own property. The wealth of our country ls not public wealth, but private wealth. It does not belong to the government, gov-ernment, It belongs to the people. It Is always necessary to keep these principles In mind in the laying of taxes and In the making of appropriations. appro-priations. All proposals for assuming new obligations ought to be postponed, unless they are reproductive capital investments in-vestments or nre such as are absolutely abso-lutely necessary at this time. It has always been our policy to retire our debts. The taxpnyer will be required to produce nearly twice the amount of commodities to pay his debt If the dollar dol-lar returns to the 1913 value. The more we pay while prices are high, the easier it will be. There ls room for further economy In the cost of the federal government, but a comparison of current expenditures expendi-tures with pre-war expenditures ls not unfavorable to the efficiency with which government business ls now being be-ing done. I believe that present federal expenses ex-penses are not far out of line with pre-war expenses. We have nearly accomplished the deflation. Budget. The congress has wisely set up the bureau of budget. This gives a centralized authority where a general and comprehensive understanding can be reached of the sources of Income and the most equitable equi-table distribution of expenditures. How well It has worked Is Indicated by the fact that the departmental estimates for 1022, before' the budget law, were $4,008,000,000 while the budget estimates esti-mates for 1927 are $3,150,000,000. This latter figure shows the reductions In departmental estimates for the coming com-ing year made possible by the operation opera-tion of the budget system that the congress has provided. Taxation. The purpose of reducing expenditures expendi-tures ls to secure a reduction In taxes. That purpose ls .lbout to be realized. With commendable promptness prompt-ness the ways and means committee of the house has undertaken in advance ad-vance of the meeting of the congress to frame a revenue act. In its present form it should provide sufficient revenue rev-enue for the government I approve of the bill In principle. I am advised that the bill will be th rough the house by Christmas. The bill should reach me prior to March IS. Foreign Relations. The policy of our foreign relations, casting aside any suggestion of force, rests solely on the foundation of peace, good will, and good works. It seems clear that It is the reduction reduc-tion of armies rather than of navies that Is of the first importance to the world nt the present time. Court of International Justice. Pending before the senate for near-j near-j ly three years is the proposal to ad-j ad-j Here to the protocol establishing the I Permanent Court of International I Justice. A well-established line of precedents mark America's effort to i effect the establishment of a court of j this nature. ' Foreign Debts, Gradually, settlements have been ; made which provide for the liquidation of debts due to our government from foreign governments. Immigration, i While not enough time has elapsed to afford a conclusive demonstration, such results as have been secured ln-, ln-, dlcate that our Immigration law is on ' the whole beneficial. It ls undoubtedly undoubted-ly a protection to the wage earners of this country. National Defense. Never before In time of peace has our country maintained so large and : effective a military force as It now has. The army, navy, marine corps, ' National Guard, and organized re- serves represent a strength of about "8,400 men. These forces are well trained, well equipped, and high In morale. Aviation ls of great Importance both for national defense and commercial development. We ought to proceed In Its Improvement by the necessary experiment ex-periment and Investigation. Our country coun-try Is not behind In this art. Veterans. If anyone desires to estimate the esteem In which the veterans of America are held by their fellow citi zens, if ls but necessary to remember that the current budget caiis for an expenditure of about $Go0,0O0,000 In their behalf. Agriculture. No doubt the position of agriculture as a whole has very much Improved since the depression of three and four years ago. But there are many localities local-ities and many groups of individuals, apparently through no fault of their own, sometimes due to climatic conditions con-ditions and sometimes to the prevailing prevail-ing price of a certain crop, still In a distressing condition. This is probably prob-ably temporary, but It is none the less acute. National government agencies, the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce, the farm loan board, the Intermediate credit banks, and the federal reserve board are all co-operating to be of assistance and relief. On the other hand, there are localities locali-ties and individuals who have had one of their most prosperous years. Muscle Shoals, The problem of Muscle Shoals seems to me to have assumed a place all out of proportion with its real importance. impor-tance. This property ought to be transferred to private management under un-der conditions which will dedicate it to the public purpose for which it was conceived. Reclamation. The national government ls committed commit-ted to a policy of reclamation and irrigation ir-rigation which it desires to establish on a sound basis and continue in the Interest of the localities concerned. Shipping. The maintenance of a merchant ma rine ls of the utmost Importance for national defense and the service of our commerce. We have a large number num-ber of ships engaged In that service. We also have a surplus supply, costly to care for, which ought to be sold. Coal. The perennial conflict In the coal Industry In-dustry Is still going on to the great detriment of the wage earners, the owners, and especially to the public. The Industry could serve the public much better and become subject to a much more effective method of control if regional consolidations and more freedom In the formation of marketing market-ing associations, under the supervision of the Department of Commerce, were permitted. Prohibition. Under the orderly processes of our fundamental institutions the Const!-, tution was lately amended providing for national prohibition. The congress passed an act for Its enforcement, and similar acts have been provided by most of the states. It ls the law of the land. It is the duty of all who come under Its jurisdiction to observe the spirit of that law, and It is the duty of the Department of Justice and the Treasury department to enforce it. Waterway Development. For many years our country has been employed In plans and operations opera-tions for the development of our !n-tracoastal !n-tracoastal and Inland waterways. This work along onr coast ls an important adjunct to our commerce. It will be carried on, together with the further opening up of our harbors, as our resources permit. Along with the development of navigation navi-gation should go every possible encouragement en-couragement for the development of our water power. Railroads. The railroads throughout the country coun-try are In a fair state of prosperity. Their service ls good and their supply of cars ls abundant. Their condition would be Improved and the public better bet-ter served by a system of consolidations. consolida-tions. I recommend that the congress authorize such consolidations. Civil Service. In 18S3 the congress passed the civil service act, which from a modest beginning of 14.000 employees has grown until there are now 425,000 In the classified service. This has removed re-moved the clerical force of the nation from the wasteful effects of the spoils system and made It more stable and efficient. The time has come to consider classifying nil postmasters, collectors of customs, collectors of Internal In-ternal revenue and prohibition agents by an act covering those at present In office, except when otherwise provided pro-vided by executive order. It is apparent that we are reaching Into an era of great general prosperity. prosper-ity. "It will continue only so long as we shall use it properly. If the people will continue Industrious and thrifty, contented with fair wages and moderate mod-erate profits, and the returns which accrue from the development of our natural resources, our prosperity will extend itself indefinitely. CALVIN COOLIDGE. |