The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-09-21
sTE|:.LzLE WRITES on
=. :. :. =. :. MINISTER'S SALARY
Thousands Of Them Receive Less
Than Ten Dollars q Week
~ as q Salary. = gel ,...,
Something of :. the Trials and
Struggles Of: ID Preacher ! q
of the Gospel. =
(By the Rev. Charles Stelzle.)

Its frequently insisted by some
working men that ministers of the Cos
pei receive exOrbitant salaries. 1t is
true that In some cities there are a
few ministers who receive: large sala-
r1es, but the 100000 or, more ministers
Throughout the United States receive
less; on an average, than is received
by, the average mechanic: Thousands
or them receive less than $10ea week
Ihe average minister spent Is. years
IN school. college and seminary, in
preparation for his life's work. mean
while paying for his own support:
while the hodScarrier who may not be
able to. read or write, receives more
Tor his, years f,work--even. though he
learned his trade in a day and on that
day received higher wages than: the
fully equipped minister is receiving,
: Meanwhile the demands upon the
average minister are of such a nature
that he finds the greatest difficulty: in
living up to the high standard which
everybody expects of him. He must
wear better clothes; he must live in a
peter house, he must buy more
DOCKS; he is expected to contribute
more to charitable institutions and
movements than the most highly
skilled mechanic in his church; he is
called upon to move in a higher grade
OF society. Furthermore, during these
years OF preparation, and because he
m1ngles with the best: educated men
IN the community, his ethical tastes
nave been cultivated to such a degree
That 1T is very difficult for a man of
nne sensib1lities to live on the coarser
Things In life.-~ He must keep up to
the times, socially and intellectually.
10 do this: he must attend lectures.
travel great distances at his own ex-
pense to attend meetings of ministers
OF :, his denomination, both state and
national. He is expected, to perform a
vast service in the community for
which he receives no pay. Most any
minister could earn many times more
money in some other vocation than he
Is now receiving.
The perilous dead line" constantly
stares him In the face. The average
cnurch prefers"the young minister, be-
cause ordinarily he is. more popular.
he mas not been able to save anv
.noAoy' when Ola age comes, he must
become a life insurance agent or a
book agent, or devote himself to some
other task which, at best,-must be
dlsagreeable. According to statistics
which have been kept for many years
one In eight of the families represent.
cd on the: roll of the ministers TODAY
Will come to the Board Of Relief prac-
tlcany asking for charity. This, to. a
!enned Woman, is one of the greatest
hardsh1ps of her life. . !: r,
IN spite of these discomforts and
trials, the. average minister goes on.
year after year, accomplishing. He
spent; Is years in preparation for his
work, knowing full well just what was
before him. >'~
r.: You may not agree with the preach
ers theology: You may think that he
does not know as much about the
labor question as you do-for which
perhaps he is partly to blame-but
any fair-minded man will at least re-
spect him for his devotion to a cause
which has for it's sole purpose the
upl1ft1ng OF the community and the
leveling up Of the standard of liytng
OF other people. .......lrr