Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-07-27
DO Ministers Receive a Large Salaries
NOW a. Formerly.
.Mt,srs Eiii0rs Of ~ Frss Preis

.Ee,srs Editors Of te Fres Pres:
know that you publish a secular
,heet, and get inAsmuch IS ecclesiastical afairs
have their business side venture TO ask for
space in your columns TO say 4 word IN regard
10 clsrgymeu's salaries.
It Is my opinion tina, the religious societies Of
Vermont have, for several years, been gradually
reducing tis s.ipeads allowed their pastors, and
l would Ike briefly to state my reasons for this
opinion. If It rests upon good grounds, the
churches hsve cause to give immediate attention
to the matter; for no one will venture to say
that the ministers Of Vermont were ever too
highly paid for their services.
The general rise in prices is a matter known
and felt by every person in the community. It
is talked o. every day and by all classes. Pre-
eisely how much the necessAries Of lie have ris-
en- il nominal value, on the average, il msy not
be easy to say. Mr.. Opdyke, no mean authOri-
ty in such matters, says that, on the whole. pr
oes have advanced at least 100 per cent An
other, after making very careful estimate Of
the various articles needed in housekeeping.
came to the conclusion that the prices in 1850
were 20 the prices in the fall Of 1865, as 80 to
20; that is 10 say,--the nominal values are some
what more than twice what they we're FIVE or six
years ago. It is plain then, If we consider the
purchasing power Of money, that salaries
need to-day to be st least twice
as large as in 1850, IL order to procure the
same smount Of clothing, food, &c, as then
Have the salaries Of Vermont ministers been
raised in the same proportion as prices have si-
vanced Not, so far as my knowledge goes, in
any one instance. Then it follows as matter
Of course, that ministers must live on much
more restricted scale than SIX years sgO,-Or else
run every year in debt; for very few Of them
have any productive property
Probably most Of Us have not yet become
fully accustomed to the new scale Of prices. The
large figures deceive US little. Let US change
the figures with which we reckon our paper
dollars into the currency we had when the war
A~64A--t N--- ~ LoN tAf1N Will II
the ratio given above of 80 to 20 is a true
measure Of the appreciation Of values within
five years-and certainly it is not far wrong
then $1,000 salary Of to-day il worth the
same as (say) $40 IN 1860; salary of $500
viii buy to-day, Of all things needed for the
support Of family, just about as much as $3.50
WuuIl hafnrn he "a. A.
possible for even a small household to live luxu-
rlOusly on $3.50 year, And yet one year ago,
In denomination which counted in this State
los ministers in charge Of parishes, there were
Al who received less than 500 paper dollars per
year Does any one know by what means they
kept their souls and bodies together Ivish
some Of them would overcome their honorable
pride and mOdesty, and tell their people and
the public by what shifts and turns they fought
with hunger, and kept themselves and families
from utter nAkedness- l am acquainted with
many Of the minister's Of the State; and know
that most Of those who receive the LARGEST sals-
ries are not able at present, by means Of
their salaries alone, to defrsy their unavoidable
current expenses.
80 much for the rise in prices as it affects the
minister. See now how it affects those who pay
his salary. Some Of these are mechanics and |
Nobody needs to be reminded /
Of the enhanced value Of cotton and woolen /
cloths, to choose but one example The manu-
'acturer gets for yard Of cloth from two to
three times what he used to. So Of the farmer
lie finds reader market for all his productions.
NJ an advance Of 100 to $50 per cent than ten
Fears ago at the low rates then prevailing. !