In order to succeed in a chosen calling one must first have a liking and a natural adaptation for the work; second, he must prepare himself by obtaining a thorough working knowledge of the profession or business he expects to follow. He must educate himself for the work. This is fundamental and has been proven many times with the successes in every profession. It is fair to presume then that the great majority of men entering this profession have considered the probabilities of success and have met the requirements needed to qualify them to follow this calling and to receive the support of any who through necessity need their services. Without going into the non-essentials showing the rights of individuals holding a license as an embalmer to practice, we may naturally come to the next question in this connection, the value of his services and how they should be charged for. Charge what your work is worth, and do not conceal the amount in the price made on the casket or any other part of the funeral expenses. Make it a specific charge in every instance for there is a good and sufficient reason why you should. An explanation of these reasons may be summed up as follows: the conscientious effort in qualifying yourself to meet the needs of your calling and the requirements of the state, the cost of your training and education in time and money, the years spent in the hard school of practical experience and self development. Next your business equipment and investment, the care of the case on which you are called, its peculiar requirements and how it taxes your skill in doing the work, the risk from infection, the distance you must travel and the expense of the trip. All of these considerations enter into the cost and should be the basis on which to formulate a charge for the work. Just as the well equipped surgeon of wide experience and training skillfully performs operations relieving suffering, saving and prolonging life, naturally allows the difficulties of the case and the distinctive personal service rendered to govern him in the amount of the fee, so in a very similar sense the services of the embalmer should hold a certain ratio of value to the conditions under which he works and the ability he employs in its performance. Therefore let me again urge that you make it a specific charge showing it a distinctive personal service.