Date: December 19, 1930
Location: Northampton, MA
Summary: Coolidge discusses the role of the government in ensuring the benefit of the people. He concludes that empowering business and industry is the best way to do this.
(Original document available here)
It is an axiomatic policy of our government that it be conducted for the general benefit of the people. As those with the larger resources can care for themselves, the government is more particularly solicitous for the welfare of the less fortunate.
The question always is how this best can be done. More and more our people are becoming interdependent. A few are practically independent, but the mass are connected with large producing organizations. Their welfare depends not only on their own efforts and skill but on the ability and success of the management of some large concern. Only if the concern prospers are they secure.
That is why the government encourages industry. It is difficult to assist the wage earner directly, but he can be benefited by making it profitable to employ him.
Many of our public service companies and industries feel they are so much restricted by legislation and regulation that they cannot operate profitably and so cannot employ wage earners. Such complaints merit careful consideration. Certain regulation is necessary, but a wise administration of regulatory laws increases greatly the employing power of the nation.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge Says: Dispatches Written by Former-President Coolidge and Syndicated to Newspapers in 1930-1931 (Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation)
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of John Sullivan III who prepared this document for digital publication.