Date: January 8, 1929
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
I have been approached by some of the individuals in the City of Washington who are managing the collections for the Community Chest, Frederick A. Delano, Charles J. Bell and John Poole. Their problem has been what the Departments could do to cooperate with them in the way of getting contributions from people employed in the various Departments. The only enterprise that we have permitted to do anything in the way of solicitation in the Departments has been the Salvation Army – it was permitted to have stands – and the Red Cross. Really, the Red Cross has been the only charity that has been permitted to make direct solicitations. The Salvation Army has been granted the privilege of standing at the exits and entrances with baskets or something of that kind for receiving donations. We have determined that the chief clerks or someone of that nature will be permitted to distribute envelopes among the employees and that someone representing the community chest may be stationed at the exit to receive those envelopes when the employees pass in and out. That is a method which has been adopted in some parts of the country by industrial establishments and we are going to permit it to be done in behalf of the Community Chest of Washington.
Question: Is that for any one day or period?
President: No, not for any special day. Such time, I suppose, as it may be necessary to do it.
I haven’t a great amount of information concerning the business situation, but I was advised this morning by the Department of Commerce that the last six months, according to their reports, was better than the first six months of the year 1928 and was up to the standard of 1927. So far as they can determine present conditions in business throughout the country are good and the prospect for the immediate future seems to be as good as usual.
Mr. Collier was in yesterday, Barron Collier, and left with me a nicely bound little book on the subject of how his business — I assume that he gave a copy of that to the press, so that they have it.
The appropriation bills, I am advised by the members of the Cabinet, and appropriations are going on all right. The hearings are being expedited and the bills are being passed expeditiously. The financial situation is such that of course we have got to look with great care on all proposals for immediate expenditures of money and with great care on the appropriation bills. There are some bills pending that will call for an expenditure of money which are necessary. Those we shall have to take care of in some way. Anything that isn’t a pressing necessity ought to be put off until next year, when we will have had the tax returns on income for 1928 and we will know better what the condition of the Treasury is.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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