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Exchange of Remarks between the President and Rogers C. B. Morton at the Swearing-In Ceremony of Rogers C. B. Morton as Secretary of the Department of Commerce [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7339021
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Exchange of Remarks between the President and Rogers C. B. Morton at the Swearing-In Ceremony of Rogers C. B. Morton as Secretary of the Department of Commerce [Ford Speech or Statement]
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Digitized from Box 10 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 1, 1975
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
EXCHANGE OF REMARKS
BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT
AND
ROGERS C. B. MORTON
AT THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY
OF
ROGERS C. B. MORTON
AS
SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
12:22 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Vice President, Rogers
Morton, distinguished Members of the Congress, Mr.
Justice Powell, members of the Department of Commerce
family, ladies and gentlemen:
I think there is some significance to my coming
here. It has a dual purpose, one to indicate my great
interest in the Department of Commerce, as the former
Secretary has said, and my great interest in one of my
closest and best friends, Rog Morton.
I do want to pay my respects to a very vital
department of the Government and to a devoted friend
of mine. This is a very special day for Rog Morton.
In addition to becoming Secretary of Commerce, with
its many duties and great responsibilities, I have
also asked him to continue as the Chairman of the
Energy Resources Council, with all of its very essential
and vital responsibilities.
I have a feeling there is `going to be an
awful lot of energy conserved, but I am not sure that it
is going to be done by Roger. Because of this dual
responsibility, Rog will be wearing two hats, and from
my knowledge of him over a long period of time, he can
do it.
I don't mean he has a big head. (Laughter)
I think he just has plenty of talent.
MORE
Page 2
I have had the privilege of knowing Rog as
a Congressman, Party Chairman, a Cabinet member, and
in each capacity, he has done an outstanding job, and
I am absolutely confident he will continue this string
of success as the new Secretary of Commerce.
With the end of the Vietnam era, tragic as
it was, I think it is time for America to look ahead,
to move forward, as I have said before, with a new
agenda for the future, an agenda designed to solve the
Nation's problems as we move into this third century
in our great history.
A top item on that agenda is the restoration
of a dynamic and effective economy and a revitalization
of our free enterprise system as we know it and we
love it in America.
The Secretary and the staff of the Department
of Commerce must play a very key role in bringing this
about. Let's not kid ourselves. Despite the enormous
material progress and the individual freedom which we
have attained in America through the free enterprise
system, confidence in that system today is considerably
lower than it should be.
One reason is inadequate education and a lack
of understanding of the free enterprise system, which
has produced for all of our citizens the highest
standard of living in the history of the world. Because
it has worked so well for so long a time, we have
tended, unfortunately, to take it for granted. I don't
think we can do that any longer.
We must make sure we do not lose this great
legacy of freedom, progress, and prosperity through
apathy or indifference or even ignorance, and that is
where this department and this man who is about to be
sworn in as your new Secretary comes in.
Rog Morton, it is up to you and your department,
along with the business community, to get the facts to
the people, to resell Americans on the most productive
and the most responsive economic system the world has
ever seen.
It will be your task, Rog, to help restore --
and I am positive you can do it -- the confidence of
the business community in Government and the public
confidence in the business world.
Let me assure you I will work with you in that
vital effort.
MORE
Page 3
As you take over these new and these very
vast responsibilities, I want to wish you the very
best, the best success in pursuing these new goals.
I am fully confident that this Department, its new
Secretary, have the energy, the ability and the
character and the integrity to do this important
job.
It is now my privilege and pleasure to ask
Justice Powell to administer the oath to our new
Secretary of Commerce.
(Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr., administered
the oath of office.)
MORE
Page 4
SECRETARY MORTON: Thank you very much, Mr.
President, Members of the Congress, colleagues in the
Cabinet, ladies and gentlemen:
Fred, I deeply appreciate your kind intro-
duction. It reminds me a little bit of a story Bryce
Harlow tells. Bryce always says, "You know, when I
started out in Government, I was exactly Rog Morton's
size." (Laughter)
I was very much afraid that the President
was going to allude to the fact that I might have two
heads. (Laughter) But he did not, and I appreciate it.
First, Mr. President, let me say I think your
concept of a challenge for the future here as we pass
our 200th birthday-going into really laying the ground-
work and the cornerstone for a new century for American
progress-- that the challenge is certainly something
that all of us -- all Americans -- should accept.
Rest assured that I will do my part, wherever
I can.
I cannot pass this opportunity, sir, to thank
the people of the Department of Interior, with whom I
have worked over the last four years and four months,
and to congratulate them on their accomplishments.
Let me say with excitement equal to the gratitude
that I feel toward all of them, I am looking forward to
working with the great people of this Department. Bear
with me, be patient, I will need a lot of learning.
I am looking forward to working with you, both
as teachers and as partners, in the great challenge
that the President has laid out for us.
There is no reason in America for us to scrap
what has been great and what has been unique in the
development of world civilization. Just because every
race that we run is not perfect, and just because there
are a few rainy days among the sunny ones, let's not
overlook or forget the great heritage and wonderful
accomplishments many people have died for and striven for
all of their lives.
Let's build a second America that on its 300th
birthday can look back with great pride and accomplishment.
President Ford, your leadership, your faith,
your devotion to duty and the greatness, really, of
your spirit, I think, will give us guidance to do
just that.
END
(AT 12:32 P.M. EDT)