The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-01-18
STARVING THE PREACHERS
Tampa Tribune)

The following logical and succinct
editorial directed to the church goers
Ct Louisville, KY, is so appropo to
Tampa that the Tribune reproduces
it in its entirely and endorses it with
pleasure to the Christian thinking
people of this city.
The Courier journal says
"a vast number of Louisvillians
Will motor to church this morning in
costly vehicles, many of them clad in
furs which the temperature does not
makes necessary, but which are worn
because the buyers can afford them. A
larger number of attendants at the
churches will be persons using less
expensive vehicles, clad more modest
ly. but comfortable financially, pa
irons of savings banks, owners of lib
erty bonds-the bonds of hte people
nowadays as one American in five is
a liberty bond holder
"The congregations at the churches
will be advised, entertained, by minis
tiers who are culturally the superiors
of nine in ten of those who hear them;
men who have devoted the best years
eff their lives to requirement of equip
nent for one of the most difficult
callings; calling which places a
man in an exposed position without
the slightest protection from the fire
0% xrrDxs C
lessly upon the minister who does not
make good. Nine ministers in ten are
so grossly underpaid that they can
rot, as many others do, look upon the
recession of commodity prices as re-
lief from the hardships of inadequate
income.
ga minister should read, must read.
Books under copyright, books I'M
copyrighted, have doubled in value,
rejecting white paper prices and other
changed factors in book production.
A minister should travel. A rate
does not save him the expenses of
travel. 1t is well known that even the
holder of a railroad pass in the period
when passes were issued often found
his possession of the pass of doubtful
value because of the expense to which
it tempted him. A minister must dress
presumably. No congregation would
tolerate threadbare coat, patched
trousers, dingy hat and dilapidated
shoes as the costume of the occupant
of their pulpit. Clothes cannot be had
for song. A minister's home should
be well maintained, well furnished,
situated in suitable residence quar-
ter, as the domicile of the occupant of
the pulpit of church whose congre-
cation has certain amount of pride.
Household expenses are twice what
they were ten years ago. They are not
likely to reach the old level within
another decade. A servants salary il
100 per cent above what is was five
years ago. Who expects it to fall off
so per cent within five years? Who
believes it should decrease to that ex-
tent?
"An investigation of the salaries or
ministers of the gospel would show
that in many cases the journeymen in
"a dozen manuel trades which any in
telligent man may learn and within
six months receive higher pay than
ministers who serve prosperous con-
gregations, and that even the best
paid ministers, with rare exceptions,
receive miserably inadequate salaries,
the nature of their equipment, their
social obligations, their cultural needs,
considered.
ain this wonderfully well-to-do
country innumerable drives for funds
for the relief of sufferers in America,
in western Europe. in the near east,
in the middle east, in the far east sue
coed. Would it not be well to consider
also the American minister who needs
relief from the burdens and trials of
the man who, though underpaid. must