THE NEW PRESIDENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 185, 4 August 1923, Page 5

THE NEW PRESIDENT.

COOLIDGE THE SILENT. j j LAWYER AND (iOVKRXOR. : The new President, Calvin Coolidge. \ U an i.iitstandhiu' peivonality in the I American political world. As Covernor ' of Massacliusetls -lie has attracted nation-wide attention for his demo- j cratie legislation, hi* firm repression of ' disorder, and his simple mode of life. The type of man who "talks litthand sa\s much." he has always been ! likened to Lincoln. j He went to college a raw country ' boy, with pants tucked into his boot-] tops. At school he preserved the family! tradition as a hoarder of words, and was the most silent and unobtrusive of all the students. Yet, he graduated I with the highest honours. 'Ivaine a barrister, and, entering politics, was soon i a power in State politics. Silence and ! strength of character carried him j through. I When lie decided upon marriage, lie | visited the father of .Miss Grace j Goodhne, and announced. "Just came over to be married to Grace." "Have you spoken to Grace yet?" asked the father, and he' anwered, "No. but 1 think I will in a couple of days." In a week they were married. In IPIS lie was elected Covernor of Massachusetts, and such was 'his popularity and success that, two years later, he was re-elected by an overwhelming majority. He still lives with his wife and family in one half of a two-storey which many an American workman would spurn. Asked recently why he did not induce the landlord 'to repaint the place, he anwered. "Might raise t iie rent on mc." lie believes in the doctrine, that flip, bent way of being independent is "to limit your wants so strictly that you don't need much money to cover them." His favourite word-, wrote a friendly critic recently, are "Yes" and "No." I Mr. Coolidge iv-jn great prominence by his work in the repression of the Boston police strike, where he took a very firm stand in opposition to the establishment of an organisation, and eventually won the day, compelling the strikers to resume on his terms. He was born in the village of Plymouth. Vermont, on July 4 1572. his father being a storekeeper

and small farmer. The new President attended the \ iilajjo -cliool, and in the intervals worked on the farm and in tinstore, lie la.cr att led secondary schools ill l.iidiou and Si. .l(,hnsbury. N'erniont. an.l ihen went to collej;e at Amher-t. Massaehu-ett-i. He was trained for the law. and admitted to the Bar ill ISS2. (ijipiiiny a practice in N'ortliampton His lirst public ullice was membership of the City i oiincil ti.ere. followed by the county ' .-lerk-hii. and the mayoralty. Before be.-omiiu Covernor of the State he was i.r for four year-, and l/ie.itenant (invornor for three. Since his election to the \ i.-c-I'rcsidency lie has taken a \erv small share in the affair* of the nation.