The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-03-09
TAXING DOCTORS.
A Protest aud Some Pertinent
Questions from DR.. Benedict.


SALT LAKE CITY, March 8, 1882.
Editors Herald:
L find in your published proceed
ings of the Legislature the follow
ing from the committee on eduea-
ton:
The committee on education reported
on q. F. %, providing revenue for
district schools, and recommended a sub
stitute bill licensing certain vocatioDs
and professions in the several counties,
making it unlawful for persons, firms or
interpretations doing business as mer-
chants, psddlers, kswkers. drummsrs,
telegraph companies, express agents,
sewing machine agents, agents for the
sale of agricultural implements, agents
for the sale of musical instruments, sur
geons, dentists or physicians to do bust.
ness without paying prescribed license
to the county collectors, three-iourths Of
which shall be paid into the school fund
of the county.
Now, as a member Of one OF the
classes mentioned as being licensed
in order to help along the school
fund l desire to say few words
and ask few questions: Why is it
that our legislators both city and
territorial single out one and only
one of the educated professions and
compel that to pay license? Why
are not lawyers and ministers in
Guided with physicians in the mat
ter of license? Is it because their
calling is so much more honorable,
that a better class of people are to
be found in those professions, that
they are more charitable, that they
respond more readily and willingly
both night and day to the calls OF
suffering humanity, that their
work is gratuitous, while doctors
charge for each visit made or is it
because these doctors have never
spoken or made themselves heard
upon the subject? Is a law
licensing the practice Of med
icine q protection to the com
munityp and does it prevent any
one from following that business
who chooses to purchase from the
authorities that be the privilege
so to de ? An ordinance to that
effect has been in force in this city
for the last ten years, and Of what
consequence has it been? Every
man, woman and itenerant who
wanted to go into this business re-
ceiyed that privilege for the paltry
sum of one dollar. Is it for revenue
If so, this city has averaged
about $40 per year "a large
amount surely. More than double
this amount would have been
realized had other professional men
been asked to contribute their mite
and thus have made the revenue
therefrom perhaps exceed the enor-
nous sum of 500 per year. This
would help the eau q OF education
Why not go farther then and license
the rest, or indeed g still farther
and license every educated man a1d
woman for the cause of eddcati III
How would that sound 10 put Il
premium for such 1t Isl upon tnO5'
who are already educated ? Per
hapS step more may be taken, "a ID
school teachers and school superin-
tendents might also be licanseu that
tl.ey, with these doctors. EIay
help along the cause. Is
this picture overdlawn? An at
torney accepts Il case and studies it
uD. So does a doct II. a minister
accepts a pastordte and devOtes hi
time and talents to build up and
benefit his congregation. A doctor
holds himself in readiness at all
times to attend such calls as may be
made upon him. He leaves his tire
side or bed in all weatherS and at
all times of night to relieve suffer
ing and minister to the bodily well
fare of the safferer. The attorney
expects and receives his fee for the
case. The minister expects and re-
ceives his salary, and the doctor gets
his fee perhaps and perhaps not.
The doctor, however, pays license
and the others do not. He is classed
among the tradesmen, among the
peddlers, hawkers, on par with a
telegraph or an express company,
as having only the same education
as one who sells sewing machine
or a plow, or in fact as one who
has no other standing in this world
than the average man. 1t is the
common opinion among our legiS-
latOrs q should judge that these
doctors are an evil that, like some
others, society cannot eradi-
cate; that they are little less
than demons or ghOuls, who
delight and revel in human blood
and to whom suffering is bat a
tonic to what their appetites, re-
garded as birds of prey, lowering
over our streets and perched on the
corners watching with eager and
hungry eyes for their next victim.
This, It seems to me, is about the
estimate the average legislator
places upon body or class of. men
who have sought and gained an
education in their branch of this
worlds needs, and who must be
singled out as the scape-goats who
may be called upon to help educate
others that they too may pay
license. No matter how far the
distance may be, no matter how
cold or stormy the night, no matter
how bad or dangerous the roads, the
physician must leave his comfort
able fireside, take his life in bis