The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-01-13
gelect Misrellany.
Trades VS.. Professions.

The fact that Galveston has a lawyer
and ex-Congressman at work at the
docks as cotton SCI. Wnan, tarnng
the union-scale wage OF 81 day jam
ming" cotton ought to impress our
host of professional men who in many
cases earn less than half that sum a
day. Time was when The proit ssioas
brought the better incomes, but
thanks to the greater dt mand for skill
ed workers in mechanical occupations
and the activity of labor unions the
trades are now the more remunerative.
The Texas cotton.jammer tried law,
after trying politics, but found that in
the leng run they do not pan out we'll
"Seven dollars in hand each day. in
bis view, "beats sitting round a dull
office waiting for client to turn up
and be plucked." 1t isn't everybody
that can be a cotton jammer-an &C.
cupation that requires great physical
strength-but the incident illustrates
the truth that skilled manual labor
begins nowadays to pay better than
skilled intellectual labor. The cotton
jammer gets at the rate of $2,lO0 a
year-a pricely income compared with
the scant earnings OF many teacher,
lawyer, doctor and engineer, who has
spent years of his time and much
money in acquiring proficiency in his
craft. The carpenters, bricklayers,
stone masons, plumbers and other
trades now engaged in rebuilding
Baltimore average probably a rate of
more than 81 900 a year, while some
earn 81 500 and $4,000 year. Some
years were spent less productivity, of
course, while learning the trades, but
little or no capital was sunk in pre-
paration for employment. The grad
uate of good college, on the other
hand, after spending three or four
years at college and spending from
81 900 to $1,000 for his collegiate
training is fortunate ii he can get, as
a "professor" or teacher, as much as
$500 year. After paying living ex-
penses the graduate finds, as rule,
that he "cleans up" with $3.50 or les
for the savings bank. II he stays
three years more at some tirst-class
university and gets the degree OF
doctor of philosophy he may start off
with as much IS $500 a year, in rare
cases getting $1,000 or $1,000. II,
instead Of going in for doctor of
philosophy, the college graduate gives
three years to learning law, medicine
or engineering he will start on the
"practice" Of his profession with an
income ranging from zero up. If be
has extra energy and "pull' Of some
sort be may start off with from $500
to $500 year but will thereby become
an object of envy to his less fortunate
brothers. The professions are crowd.
ed. This is an old story. Yet young
men will crowd into them, through
the common experience is that eight
or ten years elapse before good liv
ing income is realized.
The trades evidently pay better
with less work and in a shorter time
The Texas lawyer has had the perspi
Guilty to see it and act accordingly. /
is not difficult to believe that biz
course will be followed by others i,
the future-that his experience dis
closes tendency. Manual labor il
no longer exclusively rough and ex
acting in respect to the physica
strength of the iaborer. Labor ha
shared in the progress Of the moderl
world. Many occupations are Of
refined and responsible character, r
lquiring intellect and sound morals