Date: August 12, 1927
Location: Rapid City, SD
It would be my opinion that the newsreels of the various agencies do perform a very important function in keeping the American people informed about current events. It states here that half the population of the. United States see the reels weekly. We see quite a number of them at the Lodge and find them very interesting, and they give me an idea that I couldn’t otherwise get of events that take place.
I don’t see much chance that I might visit Aberdeen on my way back from here to Washington. We have an invitation to stop at Brookings on our way back and dedicate a library there that is part of the State University, isn’t it Mr. Sanders?
Mr. Sanders: State Agricultural College.
President: State Agricultural College, yes. That would be the only stop I could make, if I go back that way.
Question: Do you plan to do that?
President: I have an invitation to do that. If I go back that way. That will be the only stop I could make.
I think it is the general expectation of the members of the Congress that they will be able to pass legislation providing for the erection of a dam at Bowlder Canyon at the next session. Of course, all any one could say about a proposal of that kind is to indicate what the expectation is. It is a matter that has been before the Congress for some time. They haven’t yet “been able to secure satisfactory action.
The business of the country is in very fair condition. Labor conditions are extremely satisfactory. Wages are on a very liberal basis. There is some unemployment in certain lines, not anything more than what is usual. That is always the case, that there are some lines lagging behind. I haven’t any direct information that the White House repairs are completed. I haven’t had any report on that from Colonel Grant for some little time. I have heard indirectly that the work was all done and that what remains now is the cleaning up and putting the White House back into shape, which of course will take some little time. If it isn’t all done, we will go back to Dupont Circle. We are still keeping the Dupont Circle house and rather expected to be there a short time after our return to Washington.
I have never given any consideration to transferring the Insular Bureau or other bureaus by executive order. It is possible that the President has authority to do that, but I should rather, hesitate to do it because it would probably make necessary some kind of legislation and it would be very much better to have the legislation before the transfer than to try to get it afterwards.
I haven’t any figure to set for next year’s budget, other than what I stated in my address before the Business Meeting of the Government. Of course, I should be pleased if I could bring the amount down to $5,000,000,000. I don’t think that can be done. It will be something over that. Just what it will be I couldn’t say until I have a chance to confer with General Lord, who is arriving very shortly. Is it this evening, he is coming in?
Mr. Sanders: Yes.
President: Is he arriving here?
Mr. Sanders: At Rapid City.
President: What time?
Mr. Sanders: 6:40 or so.
President: I am very hopeful that there will be some railroad consolidations. They could be facilitated some by law, but I think there is adequate law now to provide for a great many desirable consolidations. My general position in relation to that has been set out in so many of my messages that it wouldn’t be necessary for me to restate it.
I am going up to Newell I expect some where about the 1st of September. There is a far up there that they would like to have me attend. I have forgotten whether the fair is in the town of Newell, Mr. Sanders?
Mr. Sanders: Yes. It is in Newell.
President: And there is an irrigation plant there that I would like to look at when I am in that section. No final determination has been made yet about my visit there, but I am expecting to be able to go.
I don’t know whether I can write an inscription for the Rushmore Memorial Perhaps I can. I will do it, if I can.
It is a little hard for me to say what problems I shall take up with General Lord. It comes the other way about. He expects to take up problems with me and they will l be such as would naturally occur to any one. the amount of the budget, it is distribution among the different departments. There may be some special things that relate to different departments which are questions of policy that he will especially want me to decide before he makes any recommendation, because if the President has certain policies to carry out quite naturally the Director of the Bureau of the Budget would want to know it in order that he can take that into consideration when he makes up the budget and makes his recommendations for appropriations.
I have made some suggestions to the conference once or twice about some general topics that might possibly be discussed. I have in my hand here a very interesting report from the Industrial Division of the Chamber of Commerce at Huron, S.D., relative to the development of this state as a dairy state. I think that most of this information was given to the press when this was presented to me, by some people that came here. It is here on my desk accompanied by figures and charts of that kind which show the very interesting development of this state in agriculture, especially in dairying. It led me to think that that when any one had time on his hands he might very profitably make some investigation as to the development of the state since the culmination of the war period in 1920-1921, find out the production and the probable value of the production of cattle and sheep, wheat and corn, different farm products, and the banking situation. Some of the banks in the state failed. It would be interesting to see whether the amount of the deposits in the banks in the state have increased or diminished since the culmination of the war activities in 1920-21, Things of that kind. If any one wanted to make a study, it might possibly be very interesting.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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