Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-21
4 GROWL AGAINST TIPPING.
Why Walters Should Not BE Paid Extra
by Customers.

by Customers.
1t is to the selfishness and thoughtless.
ness of the rich that the growth of " tip
ping" is mainly due. But, while the re-
suit is not oppressive to them, it has
become Il serious tax on persons of mod
crate incomes who travel much or take
their meals in restaurants. The man who
can afford to pay anywhere from 81 to S.
for his dinner, does not miss the quarter,
which is the lowest amount that he will
give the waiter. To the man or woman OF
moderate means, who takes three meals a
day at a restaurant where the service is
sufficiently good to be agreeable, the ne
cessity of paying thirty cents a day for
tips" is serious addition to the expense
of living. If his three meals cost from
81 80 to 81, the increase is from Is to 20
per cent. Over 500 a year compulsorily
spent in tips" is a sum which, if saved,
would make to many people the difference
between continual pinching and a fair de-
gree Of comfort. Ten cents is the lowest
"tip" that can be given in good second
class restaurant. Now, if a man has a
chop and a glass of beer, or a cup of tea
or coffee for lunch at the cost of thirty-five
or forty cents, he is paying % per cent
additional for the privilege of giving the
restaurant-keeper a large profit, as the cost
OF the meal, with all expenses added, is at
the highest not more than two-thirds OF
the amount charged.
The necessity for tipping" is on the
increase. Even at the lunch counter down
town, where the hurried eater sits upon i
swinging stool, it is customary to "tip" the
waiter, and some patrons also tip" the
carver. In the cafes of large hotels, where
an abnormally high charge is made foI
liquid refreshments, the waiter who car
ries an order from the bar to a table now
expects tip. If the system extends much
further the bartender who draws glass OF
beer will want ten cents instead of five.
The public has become so accustomed t.
the necessity of tipping" that while
there is much private grumbling there is
no organized public opposition. Persons
who really cannot afford to "tip" either
do so and stint themselves in other dire =
tions, or patronize cheap and uncomfort-
able restaurants where tips" are not
expected. There will be no public move
against this practice, because people who
banded themselves in opposition to it
would foolishly fear to be called mean.
Hotel and restaurant keepers claim it is
impossible to stop the system, because
some selfish people would always try to
get the better service by continuing the
" tip" and therefore they (the proprietors)
are only acting wisely in taking advantage
of the publics weakness. This is a worth
less argument, for the experience of nearly
all the best clubs where " gratuities to
servants are absolutely forbidden is that
equally good attention is paid to all men,
bers. Selfish people would be the first to
cease giving tips" when they found
that so doing did not bring any advan-
tage.
Reform is only to be hoped for through
the action of hotel and restaurant keepers
who will possess enough intelligence to see
that larger profits can be made by Kidding
the public Of this, to many, intolerable
burden Any man who will start good
restaurant or hotel in which there shall be
strict and rigidly enforced rule against
tips" will almost assuredIy have more
patronage than he can accommodate. 1t
would need only few such entering
wedges to relieve the public of this irk-
some and unnecessary tax-Ihe Epoch.