Evening journal., 1920-07-21
DOCTOR AGAIN
SCORES LICENSE
Condemns City That Would
Tax Physicians Who Do
Much for Charity
DECLARES MANY
IGNORE BILLS

to the proposed city tax on profess
sions. The medical men feel that be
cause Of the peculiar nature Of their
work no such tax should be imposed
upon them. In an interview today
Dr. w. Edwin Bird, secretary OF the
New Castle County Medical Society,
said nobody outside OF the medical
profession has any idea Of the amount
Of charity work the medical men are
constantly called on TO do. and do II
willingly. Continuing, DR.. Bird said
After a canvass OF a large number
OF the practitioners Of the city we
have discovered that approximately
One-third OF all the work a physician
here does is for charity. We see and
treat great number from whom we
neXer expect pay. Also we see and
treat a great number who should pay
agree 10 pay, but never do pay. These
two groups total One-third Of the
work we do on the average. In other
words. the medical profession Is asked
90 maintain the health OF one-third Of
this community as charity. One-third
Of The disease here Is treated as a pub
lie benencence and the health cOndi-
tions Of one-lhird Of This city are kept
up as a gift from the medical probes
sion.
And 10 and behold, along comes the
City Counsel and proposes 90 tax tne
profession for the privilege OF doing
this charity Talk about appreciation.
understanding and gratitude. We wish
every Councilman were a physician :
he'd have his eyes opened TO some
things he does not know ABOUT dp-
I'm the first place, the state in
poses tax Of 5000 pear lor~ lle
privilege Of practicing medicine mere,
DESPITE the fact that they are lhe
roctnients of a charity from the ply
slcians tolalling one-third Of all the
work we do. Delaware, | believe,
stands alone In this tax. a few years
ago four States had such iaN-Dela-
ware. Virginia. South Carolina and
Georgia. Some time back Virginia and
Georgia became ashamed OF 10 ana re-
pealed it; and ! am under the impress
ion that South Carolina did likewise,
leaving Delaware as the lone state
That has the gall 10 Tax her physicians
annually for the privilege of pracuc-
inr. I'm other words, for the right 20
treat poor people free.
THE medical profession is the only
profession that is called upon 10
grcnd One-third Of its energies, one
third Of its time, One-tnird OF lis
skill. and One-third OF its overhead
expenses for charity, and we contend,
by all that Is fair and just, that the
state tax Is a disgrace to Delaware,
making her appear almost mig
rardly pauper instead Of her true po-
sitiOn-One Of the very richest Staies
in the Union. And this proposed city
tax is even worse. for the amount
raised would be negligible. ] know
Of absolutely no city that has such a
Fl see by the press that some Of
ac lawyers approve OF this tax; mat
is. II 30 has TO be. The lawyers can
readily pay taxes. No profession gels
better fees. and no profession col
iects a larger percentage OF its Dlils
than The lawyers. Show me the law
v.r In Wilmington that dos one
Third OF all his work for nothing
show me the lawyer who donates 10
The poor OF this city, onc-third or MS
time and one-mTq OF his traiiiils ,lll.
and One-third OF his ability. You
can't do 10: there isn't such law
ver here. TO show the difference be-
tween the fees The lawyers gel, even
from Door people, and The ices lne
doctors get, lft me cite a case or my
own. A man was hurt al work, hau
an operation done some TWO years
. ago, but was nevcre aDle 10 Worh
acain because OF his injured iooL
A few months back he was referred
la me 90 have the foot amputalcd ga
. That with q mechani foot he could
Ed hack TO work Because ne was q
moor man. l charged him only $50 iol
Inc amputaiion, which Included ih'
operatlOn and three weeks aller'
treatment AS a matter OF iact h'
has paid me only One-hah or the sum
Now me lawyer who presented hi.
papers TO the Accident Commission
Charged him $50 for this relatively
SLIGHT service. and got the whole $50
They generally get theirs. you vii
There are some people in this
city, as In all communities WI,
would gladly pay a lawyer s599 !.
wears who would kick like TeXa.
steers al paying a doctor $50 TO slO'
TO keen them out Of hell for a life
time it Is such as these that MAKE
the practice Of medicine a Durueh
sometimes.
Another astounding feature OF this
new city bill Is that no hearings nave
been announced. Why Is any reNe
nue. measure railrOaded through
without a public hearing2 so iar
we have not seen any public state
ment as to a hearing. Is Council
afraid TO give this measure the spot
light Of a hearing? Are any Of tn
NlllalN0 W NilhiNHluu MlllAlr 10 AZ
taxed without even the formality o
a hearing2 The New Castle Count!
Medical Society will send a delega
ton TO any hearing announced; WI
are waiting for some word from
Council on this point
FINALLY TO make a professional ta
complete. II the physicians are to b
taxed for doing charity we must in
clude in the taXables all the minister
for their average financial retir
equals that OF the physicians. AlsC
we must include the poog-under pai
teachers, for they are IN a profes
sional occupation. And we must nc
leave out an the highly-iraincd pro
fcssional chemists and engineers.
we must have a professional tax, le
us be thorough with it-h3lf wa
measures VIII surely defeat the bill
This Society protests against thi
bill because we feel It Is manifesll
unjust We stand alone in IN
amount Of charity we do, and W
claim exemption from such taxes b.
cause Of this charity.
HURT BY FALL FROM CAR.