Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-02-26
MINISTER'S COST
LESS Than AUTOS
World Survey Figures Reveal
How Badly United States. Is. d.
Paying Its Pastors.
MANY LIVING ON $500 A YEAR.
One Of the Aims Of Present Protestant
Cooperation is to End Disgrace
Of Underpaid Preacher-Pen-
sIons Also to BE Provided.

What are the chances of a young
man who intends TO be lawyer of
making 5000 u year? What are the
doctors chance? What of the minister
or the manufacturer?
The lawyer has exactly one chance
in five. The doctors chances are one
In seven. II Ia ten to one against the
manufacturer. The modern minister,
however, who formerly ranked with the
doctor and lawyer rs q member of the
"learned professions" has fallen hope
lessly behind, He Is II 100 to shot.
These figures are part Of Il mass of
astonishing facts brought to light by
the world survey being made by the
nterchurvh World Movement ana
whose sources of Information are such
that many economists and statisticians
are avalling themselves of the results.
This survey puts Americas minister
at the bottom Of the ladder of the ma
tons income receivers-and with re-
SpOnsibilities which equal those of any
captain of industry.
A worker In q silk mill, a labOrer in
rubber plant, a paper maker, Il work
er In Il shoe factory-all are getting
higher average wages, the survey
shows, than does Americas minister,
city or country. Nor does the city
man receive the luxurious salary that
many persons, including many country
parsons, believe he does. Not four
ministers In a thousand, according to
the survey, receive $1,000 year. In
no instance, whatever the denomina-
ton. does a majority receive $1,000.
Cotton Pickers Better OF.
Are you Congregationslist7 In
2,7S: churches the yearly pay to your
min siers has been less than $1,000
Are YOU Presbyterian? You are then
on tl.c less than $1,000 list with GALS
min:Sle ers. In the event that you are a
Meth ,dist the charge is that 4,7l9 pas
tors are trying to exist on the $50 u
week that you pay them. Eplscopalians
do little better, yet half of their rec
tors receive less than the $500 year
whicl, government economists regard
as the minimum on which family can
he decently maintained.
The initial cost Of the cheapest "fiiv
yer" on the market Is less than 5000,
but a very good, conscientious pastor,
1t is shown, can be hired for year for
that sum.
Ministers in the South are preaching
to Fifty or more cotton pickers who in
dividually are paid more for picking
cotton than their entire neighborhool
pays to the preacher in year.
One of the aims of the present CO.
operation Of the worlds Protestant de-
nominations Is to end this disgrace Of
the underpaid minister With univer-
stiles, business houses and municipali-
ties daily taking action to provide for
the comfort Of their workers, the
church is to keep pace with the times,
and to arrange not only for adequate
pay for Its workers. but to provide pen
sions for those no longer able to work
1t Is to move the public to prevent
unfavorable comparison Of pastors and
puddlers. Until then, as for pudder
swapping Jobs with pastor drawing
an ordinary" salary-neveri The
lowest salary paid to pastors Is lower
than any wages paid In the entire steel
industry,