St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-05-14
The Incorporation Doctor"
TFrom the St. Adams Messenger

| From the st. Adams MeSSenBeE'J
Some of the newspapers engaged in the
despicable attempt to stir up class preJu-
dice and to array the workingmen of
the state against Mr.. Proctor are
vicously attacking the Vermont Marble
Company, of which Mr.. Proctor is presi-
dent and manager, with the usual
catchy phrase" charges that some de-
light to make indifferently against every
large business enterprise. The Messenger
would not dignity such articles by notice
| fit were not that several Mccullough
organs, which ought to be above such
tactics, have freely copied and circulated
them. One of the phrases which is
sweet morsel to them is the corporation
doctor" 1t is a fair sample of the false
and distorted character of all their in
situations. The charge is that the Yer
mont Marble Company has corpora
ton doctor" and assesses its employees
to pay him whether they employ the doc
tor or not that it doesn't matter
whether there is any sickness in their
families, they pay their percentage just
the same. The day laborer," they say,
"yearns for the liberty of selecting his
own DOCTOR"
The fact is that the Vermont Marble
Company does not have any 'corpor-
alton DOCTOR" and that it does not as
sess it's employees or take out of their
wages one cent for the payment of any
doctor. This fiction of the Vermont
Marble Company having corporation
doctor" is either pure invention OF some
editorial sarctum or else it arises out of
an utter perversiou and distortion Of one
or both of the following facts: The Yer
mont Marble Company at the expense
to itself of many thousand of dollars
annually carries an accident insurance
policy for the benefit OF all of its employ
ees while engaged at their work or going
to and from their homes. The company
formerly deducted part only OF the ex-
pense from its employ ees' wages, but for
a long time now has paid the entire tx
pense ITSELF deducling nothing from the
wages OF its employees. In case of acct
dent an employee OF the company is en-
titled to one-halt wages from the insur-
ance company so long as he is unable to
work but not exceeding one year. If he
dies as the result OF an accident his fam
lily receives $500. The insurance COM
pany employs and pays two Md cal
examiners, who are the leading local
practitioners at Proctor and West Rut.
land respectively. 1t is their duty to
r4Dnrt rDon 81 aims m u dc under he mol
icy and it is part of the contract of in
surance that these medical examiners
will if desired, attend all accident cases
without charge. An injured employee
may avail himself of these free services or
not as he chooses. Out of the existence
of these medical examiners OF the insur-
anCe company some disordertd mind has
perhaps twisted the theory OF 'corpo-
ration doctor"
The only other fact out Of which such
a theory could have been distorted is
that the Vermont Marble company main
tans hospital for It's employees. This
hospital is situated at Proctor, is fully
equipped for accident and operating
cases, and has a staff Of two attending
physicians, six consulting physicians and
surgeons, and ten nurses. The company
does not assess against its EN-.
pOlees or keep back anything out OF
th,ir wages for the maintenance OF this
hospital. On the other hand it is practic-
ally tree hospital to the company's EN-
ployees. 1t is absolutely free in all cases
OF accident and to all employees with
families both tor themselves and their
families. A maximum charge Of 81 per
we, k is made some IN i'll the case OF
employee, without families who are well
able to paw. The entire receipts of the
hospital from EMPLOYEES is only be.
tween five and six per cent. of
the current expense OF it's mainten.
ance. The hospital nurses, in addi.
ton to attending to cases in tie hospital,
also attend, in all cases without charge,
cases OF sickness among the employees or
amlies at their homes. During the year
1901 the nurses at the hospital made
Z,41S call Of such character at the
houses OF employees. The services OF the
attending physician for the time being
and the consultatio services of the CON
suting staff are entirely free to all free
patients in the hospital but any
patient is at perfect liberty to employ
another physician if he chooses to do so.
In these two commendabIe efforts of
the company to provide and care for it's
employees and their families in time of
accident or sickness, without expense to
them, are the only two circumstances
out OF which the cry of a Vermont Mar
bic Company corporation doctor" could
have possibly been distorted. Other
wise, the whole charge and insinuation
was pure invention. There are some
people, and the Messenger regrets to say
some newspapers, so anxious to make a
point in political controversy that.
without any reference to the facts or
indie ed without any effort to become
acquainted with the facts, they are
always ready to make any kind OF
charges, especially it they can be made
in some "ca chy phrase" The "corpo-
ration doctor" charge is fair sample of
the baseltss and false insinuations
thrown out in some sections against Mr.. |
Proctor's business methods and relations.