The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-02-14

ly as to what he will ultimately have
to pay for the report. There are
various reasons why one should at
tempt to give this after getting all the
information he can from the employer,
rather than insisting on giving daily
rate. A particularly important reason
is that it is the basis of a much simp-
Ter contract and may be easier to col
lect than a per diem rate.
Collection of Fees.
This brings me to another point in
the relations between engineer and
client, namely the collection Of fees.
Many engineers know or think they
know how to run mines and to get
the most out of every dollar that Is
spent, and how to save and to get the
last dollar for the product that the
mine produces, and yet when it comes
to the matter of their own pockets
many men of the profession can recall
several fees that have not yet been
paid or were paid only in part. 1t is
due to poor business foresight that
such bills remain uncollected, and 1t
does not conflict with the ethics of
the profession to make arrangements
previous to the engagement that will
insure their payment. With clients
for whom most engineers would like
to work, contracts are not necessity
Letters of instruction or even verbal
understandings are all that is required
And yet this type of client is the last
to object to formal contracts if asked
for them. Clients with whom con-
tracts are necessity are the kind
who hesitate to sign them. Whether
contracts are insisted on or not, the
manner of wording them depends upon
the good business judgment of the en-
gineer and that of his legal adviser.
believe that it Is strongly advisable,
and just as necessary, to guard ones
own small interest as it Is to protect
an employers interests, which may
amount to much greater sum. 1t is
just as necessary to show good judg-
ment in making fee safe as it is in
naming the proper fee, and that judg-
ment, as in the latter, will depend
upon the several factors pertaining to
each individual case.
One would not expect the entire fee
in advance from one of the responsible
and we'll konwn mining companies of
"a oc1r f(at of W
ments be placed in the hands Of a
trust company. On the other hand,
| it would be poor business to allow the
whole of the fee to remain in allegiance
ger. There is always middle and a
safer course to follow. With respon-
sible individuals or companies, it will
not make much difference but it is
that there may be no possible chance
of a misunderstanding. With the ir-
responsible or unknown client, the con-
tract becomes a necessity, and then
not relieve the engineer from annoy
ance if the client is irregular. Some
years of experience, with but few
fees uncollected. suggests that with the
unknown or questionable client a
large percentage of the fee should be
required in advance. A contract Is,
Of course, drawn to cover monthly
payments ON account and any balance
due on completion of the report, but
the balance should be SO small that
the employer will have little reason
to avoid its payment or, avoiding it,
the engineer will have lost only
small part of his compensation. All
engineers time and thought should
not be given over to wondering how
and when he is to collect his fees. 1t
is wiser to let them go entirely, to
say, my fee will be $1,000 and an ex-
pense account of $500, both payable on
enga cement and make an end Of a
questionable contract rather than
nurse it along hoping in the end to
collect that amount.