Date: January 20, 1928
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
There have been a number of names presented as suggestions for appointment to succeed Justice Hoehling of the District Supreme Court. There is a man named Atkin or Adkins, District Attorney Gordon, and several others – I don’t recall them all.
There is nothing I can say about the Pan American Conference that occurs to me, that has not already been said. Naturally our Government is pleased with my reception at Havana. One of the most pleasant opportunities that I had there was going out to the country place of the President, which gave me an opportunity to drive through quite a number of miles of Cuban territory where I had a chance to observe the people and see something of the progress they are making. As I left there it seemed to me that the conference was in a position to do very much excellent work.
I have not been able to find a person that I wish to appoint particularly to the vacant position on the Radio Board. I have been trying to find a person with some judicial experience, perhaps a former member of the bench. I am having the same experience there that I always have when my right of choice as the appointing officer is limited. The law provides that I shall choose some one from a certain area, Pennsylvania and down to Virginia and out west as far as Kentucky and Ohio. There are one or two excellent men that I have no doubt could be secured, but they don’t live in that area. I presume that injunction is not binding on the President, but the law has been passed by Congress and approved by me, and for all practical purposes I shall regard it as binding. But it limits my power of appointment in a way that in this case, as in practically every other case I have come in contact since I have had appointing power, which is quite a good many years, the public service suffers when the legislation undertakes to limit the appointing power of the executive. It is generally understood that when this place is filled it is to be filled with some one that is chosen to be Chairman of the Commission. Although in the search I think some 20 possibilities have been canvassed, none of them have been selected or have been willing to serve.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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