Date: April 3, 1928
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
There doesn’t seem to be very much change in the condition of mother Goodhue. While she is gradually growing weaker, her heart action seems to keep up wonderfully well.
No final decision has been made yet for a successor to Judge Gordon to fill the position of District Attorney for the District of Columbia.
I have been over my position relative to flood control legislation a good many times with the conference and nothing has occurred that has caused me to change the views that I have already expressed, both in my message and in what I have said to the press. I am having the present bill carefully investigated to see what its good points are and what I think its weaknesses may be, with a view to undertaking to secure amendments that may be necessary in my estimation. It is true, as I understand it, that the bill calls for an indefinite amount of expenditure. Senator Simmons said $700,000,000; Senator Jones said far more than that; I think some other Senator said $1,000,000,000. Nobody knows what it would cost in its present form, and while it carries an authorization of $325,000,000 the Chairman of the Committee that reported it said that the expense would be far above $700,000,000. Of course it is a great discrepancy between that and the $325,000,000 that the Engineering Department under General Jadwin thought would be adequate to provide the necessary control of the Mississippi flood.
I have never had any intimation that Secretary Kellogg was going to resign. I do not think there is any foundation for any such report. I judge it is one of those stories that go out from time to time resigning some member of the Cabinet or some other official. They could usually be verified by calling up this office, or calling up the party that is more particularly concerned, which would be the correct method, but a great many times that would be spoiling a good story.
I have only seen a brief reference to what is referred to here as the speech of Poncaire last Sunday, and I don’t know of any comment that I care to make about it.
I didn’t know that Colonel Lindbergh had discussed any new project with the State Department officials. He may have done so. And I have no knowledge that the Colonel contemplates another trans-oceanic flight. I have seen some references in the press stating that he was or was thought to be about to start a flight around the world, but concerning that I have no information of any kind.
Mr. Mellon is appearing before the Senate Ways and Means Committee this morning making his recommendation, which of course was made with my approval, relative to tax reduction, indicating that the reduction ought not to exceed about $190,000,000. After going over the figures with him and considering all the conditions as they exist, I heartily approved of the recommendation he was making and think that that would be as far as we could go in tax reduction.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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