The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-12-30
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
Compensation Of the Physician and
the Clergyman I'm This
Country.


The naked fact of inadequate sums
received by the doctor is his own skele-
ton in the closet, but he can covertly
and privately match il with the pub
lished accounts Of salaries with which
the ministers must be satisfied. Alto
gether il must be admitted that the
medical man, inadequate as his earn
ings may be, Is much more fortunate
than the clergyman. The latter, il il
true, gets his rent free, with OCCASION
al yearly donations Of potatoes, hay,
flour and the like, but his living ex-
penses must be within the limits Of an
income scarcely equal TO that of an
average mechanic with regular daily
employment.
1t Is somewhat OF &. surprise 10 learn
that frst-class clergyman in a coun-
try town averages only from $500 TO
$500 as yearly salary, while those in the
large cities are not enough above those
figures TO make up the relative differ
ences in incidental expenses of living.
The latter amounts are said TO range
from $1,000 to $1,000 yearly. Certainly
the average doctor must 30 much bet.
ter than this, otherwise h. must either
run in debt or look for some other oc-
cupation. II the doctor in practice must
make any living at all, he is bound 10
calculate on a sum one-third more, and
perhaps dauble that which the preach
or can get. We are now speaking OF
the average man in both professions,
il being well known that special skill
and recognized ability in either calling
always command proportionately in
creased remuneration.
In sonic respects the physician and
the clergyman are equally handicapped
by conditions which make their clients
more or less Independent of their spe-
cial services. The doctor has the free
dspensaries, the while the minister
sees his flock squirting away on the
Sunday bicycle, sneaking for the train
with the golf bag, or read the Sunday
papers for the latest Gospel heresies.
Still there is one advantage for the doc
tor over the clergyman; men, women
and children will get sick and must
have faith cures, while the would-be
Christian is too ready TO postpone re-
pentance until il is too late TO do
church, minister, or himself any good
either from spiritual or pecuniary
standpoint.
With both professions there is a SEN
timent Of so-called charity and a SYM
pathy for suffering, spiritual, mental, or
physical, that binders the more direct
appeals for ready compensation which
appertain TO most callings. This at
tribute certainly does not cut n figure
with the lawyer, whose retainer before
and after the trial is matter entirely
in his own hands ms the controller of
the funds in his direct keeping. In his
case the client gets what is left before
all is gone. while ofttimes the physician
and preacher must wait until their
Legitimate share has been divided and
exhausted among the numerous and
importunate creditors who work their
claims on what is conventionaily
termed purely business principles.
Thus il is that the doctor particularly
is the best friend in need and the last
to be considere& when his indispensable
services have been conscientiously and
dutifully rendered. In these practical
days il is no longer an optional and gen.
erous honorarium to be freely given,
but prosaic bill that is too frequently
entirely ignored, or worse, is cowardly
disputed Medical Record.