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Selected Messages Book 2
An Important Interview Regarding Physicians’ Wages
[
On the morning of December 4, 1913, the leading brethren of the
Pacific Union Conference conferred with Mrs. E. G. White at her
Elmshaven home in regard to the remuneration of our sanitarium
physicians. A stenographic report of the interview was made and the
ribbon copy bears a handwritten note of endorsement by Mrs. White
in these words: “This is correctly presented, and I repeat this for the
benefit of others. May the Lord help us and teach and guide us at
every step in our difficulties.” Essential portions of the report of this
interview follow.—Compilers
.]
Present: Ellen G. White, Elders F. M. Burg, G. W. Reaser, W.
M. Adams, J. H. Behrens, C. L. Taggart, A. G. Christiansen, W. C.
White; also C.C. Crisler.
After introductions and greetings, Elder W. C. White said in part
:
All day yesterday we were considering the interests of our various
schools in the Pacific Union Conference. In these schools located at
Angwin, Lodi, Fernando, Armona, and Loma Linda, there are between
six and seven hundred students in training. We were encouraged as
we took counsel together regarding these schools.
Today we must enter into consideration of sanitarium problems,
particularly the question of the wages we should pay to physicians and
surgeons. We have in our _____ Sanitarium a God-fearing physician
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who has won the confidence of all his associates—A man whom God
has blessed greatly in his ministry to the sick. He wants to remain, and
everybody wants him to remain; and he feels that it would be right for
him to remain if his brethren could grant him a wage about twice as
large as that paid to our average workers. He loves to give freely, and
he wishes to have funds with which to live and to use for this purpose.
We are much perplexed, and we would be glad to know if you have
any light on this matter.
Sister White: If he is granted considerably more than other physi-
cians, they will come to believe they are not treated right unless they
have more also. We must move cautiously and understandingly, and
not allow wages to creep so high that many will be tempted. There may
have to be a coming down rather than going up, in physicians’ wages,
because there is a great work to be done. Unless you have some clear