The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-12-26
THE EFFECT OF TIPS.

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Tips to walters are for the most part
an extortion and an imposition. In the
majority of cases they do not represent
free will offerings, but are tacitly de-
manded under pain of personal discom-
fort. There are many restaurants and
hotel dining rooms where this pernicious
practice is carried to an extent so obnox
ious as to materially diminish their
patronage. People of independence will
not bride walters for the purpose of Sc
curing a meal for which they have
already paid good price.
Tips are an all around evil. They are
curse to the public, the walters and
the proprielors of hotels or eating houses
where the practice is encouraged. To
begin with the proprietor gets his help
cheap with the virtual understanding
that they must prey upon his patrons to
supplement the meagre wages. As
result of his stinRiness, the walters must
squeeze the public in order to exc out
decent remuneration for their services.
Indirectly, therefore, the tips instead Of
the employers pay the wages. As a re
suit there is a systematic and odious dis
elimination against such patrons as will
not tip the walters in response to the
suggestions insolently made in one form
or another. Just in proportion as a
patron permits himself TO be ''bled" is
he the recipient of polite attention and
the most generous care.
But the worst losers are the walters
themselves. When they become tip.
tskers they acknowledge the inferiority
o. their calling, 1t is practice which
implies servitude. A gentleman who
performed a slight service would feel
insulted if rendered a tip; he would
justly resent the indignity as reproach
upon his manhood. The same is true Of
mechanic. He would ordinarily spurn
gratuities. Therefore when tips are
countenanced and practically solicited
by any calling, that calling is degraded.
Competent walters exhibit creditable
skill and politeness in serving guests,
and deserve good wages. But it is their
employers place to pay them; not the
public's. 1t is better to charge higher
rates, if this be necessary, than to at.
tempt to supply the deficiency by often
sively securing it through the agency of
tips.
The New York Tribune is making a
crusade against tips, and its attitude is
warmly endorsed by many correspond.
ents who have been victimiZed. A bust
ness man writes from Syracuse, and
makes several good points. We append
an extract from his letter:
"lf the proprietors of reputable hotels
and restaurants could be made to under
stand that they are actual losers through
the practice, they might be awakened to
the enormity of the scourge. 1t has
come to be fact that you cannot have
a decent meal served to you in many
places in New York unless you Tip" the
waiter in the beginning. He will not
trust you. You must not only pay
dearly for what you have to eat, but
landlords allow you to be subjected to
the insult of unfeed walters. There are
hotels and restaurants in New York
which are Stunned by many people
because they will not voluntarily sub.
ject themselves to such abuses. And
this feeling of opposition to the extor-
tion of waters is rapidly growing and
will continue to grow, for it is most OBJ
noxious. The hotel and restaurant that
will adopt the stand taken by many
SlulldT pIdCeS III EuTOpe, anu put up
signs reading, 1t is requested that no
fees be given to walters will forthwith
see their daily receipts increase. There
is no reason why the public should be
to make up salaries paid by
stingy proprietors, Some of the New
York papers-never the 1ribnne-seem
30 take delight in sneering at country
men and 'hayseeds, but there are many
of this class that haye good sense
enough to know when they are imposed
upon in the first city in the land. Con-
tinue YOUR warfare on the great abuse
and please hundreds of thousands of
people who must be fleeced or starved"
In view of such condition of things,
is it any wonder that tips are growing
questionable. as well as places that
tolerate the m ?-TrOy Press.