The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-04-18
HOW TO "IIP" SERVANTS.
How Much to Give-Useful information for
Those Going Abroad.
from the PbiIadslpbis Press. j

from the Philadelphia Press.l
A petty but endless trouble of the traveller
In Europe for the first time is the matter OF
gratuities. You give trife all the time TO
every one who does you the least service
Even for an apparently friendly word of In
formation on the street you are expected TO
pay In this way. In England 1t Ia "a tip:' In
France, the pour boire; In Italy, buono manu-,
drink money. 1t Is not much money In any
one instance. but foots up pretty we'll after an
active days work. The practical trouble,
however, is to know what to give. The in
habitants and the servants themselves know
exactly what they are entitled to, for 1t Ia q
matter of right, just as much 40 any other
charge, although the amount is never fixed
or published In any written form for the
Information OF strangers. They must learn
1t by experience.
We, as q rule, to whom the European meas
ures are new. give too much. Euglishmen of
rank and wealth complain that Americans
| raise the costs OF travel wherever they GO.
For the gratuity to cab drivers, walters at
restaurants, ETC.. the recognized European
usage Is In England one penny for every
shilling spent In fare on ct the table, and In
France and Italy two sous for every franc
spent. This rule disposes OF large portion
OF the cases.
For porters two pence In England and two
sous on the continent for every piece of lug
gage handled, II 1t Is only to carry 1t across O.
pavement. An umbrella or q shawl Is piece
hb W6ll dS ID tTuuk. LIS uEiVST Oh al OUiTl-
bus, cab or Hacre, as point of etiquette and
out Of professional consideration for the por-
ters, will refuse to touch piece of luggage
himself, even to lift 1t from three feet away
into his vehicle.
Visiting at private houses of the upper
classes In England the servants expect their
tips In gold coin II your stay is over q day or
two. The smallest English gold coin Is q ten
shilling piece-S2 80. You fee the footman
who attends your bedroom; the maid, II you
N.
butler who has charge Of the dining room
and force OF walters the keeper, II you hunt;
the groom you use II you RIDE or the head OF
the stables II there are several, and generally
any servant that you specially use You will
soon learn by intuition how to grade these
fees according to the rank OF the servant and
the length OF your visit.
On Hrst-class ocean steamers the gratui-
ties are much analogous to those In q gentle
mans house. The steward who waits on you
at the table and the one who attends your
stateroom will each extract fee In gold
ten shillings, 90 so, at least-from single
passenger; a pound IL you have baths brought
into your room every morning, are particular
about having your wines warmed or iced, or,
In short, use the servants up to their full ca
pacity. When the passage Is $50 to S75. or
less, these fees are less, about one-half of the
figures above. The boots also looks to be
remem oered, about one-half the amount
given the steward
The expense of this gratuity business In or
dlnary travel is in general rather exagger-
ated. The sums given are very small, and
you get great deal for them-a willing per-
feet and kindly service, which you do not get
In our country at all. To the traveller the
custom Is an annoyance rather than bur-
den. Its worst feature is the Generalization
and want OF self-respect which 1t eDgenders
on the part of the classes who receive their
compensation in this way, as Rratuity and
not as wages. Persons in the habit of accept
ing gratuities and doing their service for
these are certainly not tit for the diguittes
and independent responsibilities of citizen |
ship.
The usage degrades and deInoralIzes and |
him who takes the vail, or gift, or |
tip, or bounty, or whatever you please to call |
1t; yet q very great portion of the people OF |
Great Britain and Europe do receive their |
wages In this way, look for 1t and feel no
humiliation in the transaction. You can
hardly Insult anybody across the water by |
offering them anything, no matter what APP
Deares to be his or their official position. |
have given shilling in London to uniformed
policemen and franc In Paris to magnificent
looking hotel managers. Philadelphia
acquaintance In London had several hundred
dollars brought to him from his banking
house, one Of the largest there, by clerk OF
,he establishment aud the military dressed
young gentleman asked for shilling for his |
services. Imagine the consequences OF offer
ng ten cents to conductor on the Pennsyl-
,ania Railway who had shown you to your
eat In the car and given you information as
o when to get out; yet this is done all over
tn gland every day, and the uniformed and
looking guard hangs around
ticklly till he gets his Sixpence.