Date: August 28, 1928
Location: Superior, WI.
(Original document available here)
I saw a headline in regard to what General Lord had said about the prospects of the Government finances showing a deficit of $94,000,000 for the current fiscal year. That has very little to do with the present budget. That result will come about from the budget that was passed last session. What I shall have to do when I get to Washington is to call in the heads of the departments and see what we can do to cut down our expenses for the rest of the year.
Question: That will be for running between now and next June?
President: Yes, the 30th day of next June. That is our current fiscal year. Of course it would have this effect on the current estimates, that there is going to be a deficit unless we cut down our expenses for this year, and it means that the estimates for the next fiscal year, which will begin the 1st of July, 1929, would have to be very carefully made in order to avoid a deficit for the fiscal year which closes the 30th of June, 1930. But this fiscal year has to do with the expenses that are to be incurred under the budget which was passed last winter.
I haven’t much information about other countries adhering to the peace treaties. I did receive word from Mr. Kellogg that some countries had, through their representatives at Washington, expressed to him the expectation that they would adhere. I think those are some of the South American countries.
The fishing season closes in the public waters the 31st of August. It doesn’t close in the lakes that are private reserves out at the Lodge, so the conference will have to keep on thinking up fish stories.
Question: That will take you off the Brule River itself?
President: Yes.
Question: We didn’t have a chance to ask you to tell us about that prize fish you caught yesterday.
President: There is nothing special to tell about it. It was a rainbow trout that weighed 4 ½ pounds. The largest fish I caught out there.
Question: Did it require much effort in the landing, Mr. President?
President: Yes, a fish of that kind plays in the water longer, but the landing of the fish depends on how well he is hooked. If you have a big fish that is well hooked, it isn’t as difficult to land as a small fish that isn’t so well hooked.
I don’t remember having accepted the Tri-State Fair invitation. You can talk with Mr. Sanders about that.
Mrs. Goodhue’s condition remains about the same. The hot weather they have been having has been somewhat trying for her. The last few days she doesn’t appear to be quite so strong.
I don’t know just when I shall go back to Washington. I think some time about the middle of the month. I should judge that it would not be earlier than the 10th and not later than the 20th. Some time between those dates.
There was nothing special in the reports I got from General Summerall. He thought the Army was in good condition. The enlistments are very satisfactory and the summer camps have been especially good. The maneuvers for the season had worked out very well. The building up of the air service is going on very satisfactorily. He wants to strengthen that a little at Panama, which is part of the program that is being worked out in the five year program provided for in the winter of 1926.
Secretary West is here. I presume you have seen him. He is on his way. to look at some of the reclamation projects in the West and naturally stopped off here. He says his Department is going on all right.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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