Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-09-14
TIP, TIP, TIP
The Custom of Tipping Walters Ought
to Be Abolished.
From the Boston Herald

From the Boston Herald
The editor of the Century deserves the
thanks of seli-respecting Americans fol-
his censure of the system of tipping which
is now largely introduced into our hotels
and is part of the exaction made upon
the summer visitor almost wherever he
goes. In England or in continental Eu.
rope this is so constant a practice that every
one makes provision for it; but in this
country the prices of entertainment at the
hotels and the compensation for services
are placed at such figures that there is nc
necessity for tipping, and where it is
practised and the landlords makes the
wages of his servants conditional upon the
gratuities which they receive, it amounts
to an exaction which removes entirely its
character as gift and simply puts per-
son in the attitude of meanness, if he does
not come up to the expectations of those
who serve him. The practice is bad for
both entertainer and entertained. The
landlords where tipping is encouraged
and where the landlords insist on having
share of it, may keep the patronage Of
wealthy people, bvt they are likely to lose
the patronage of those who are willing tc
pay their bills and do not wish to be con.
PEELED to do anything more.
Where tipping is insisted upon or en-.
couraged, self-respecting American people
are not likely to go the second time; and
where this system is encouraged or made to
count for all it is worth, it is to be feared
that inn-keepers suffer more by loss of pa.
tronage than they make by encouraging
the fleeing of their guests. Then, on the
other hand, the employees gain nothing, be.
cause these gratuities are often counted
in as wages. The system may be be in.
evitable where the distance between classes
in society is great, but it is rot in keeping
with American sentiments, and where il
is practiced there is always more or less
the feeling that more is demanded than
one pays for. A few wealthy Ameri
cans, to whom tips are no hardship
ought not TO set the standard fol
their countrymen in this matter. The
natural independence of the American
character resists the importation of ar
European custom which has no arts
tocracy behind it among ourselves
Rather than seem to be mean
people in many cases will make
small presents to servants, but the Ameri
can feeling is that you pay for all this il
the bill. Then the servants and employee.
| are demoralized by the practice.
Where the tip brings the service, and
where the person who does not give the
| tip, but pays his bill like an honest man
is neglected, the morale of the servant il
| injured. The guests are unfairly
served the servant is almost sure t.
neglect his duty; and dissatisfaction is al
most certain to be expressed with the way
in which one is entertained. The servant
comes to neglect the very thing which
he is appointed to do unless you pay hin
] specially for it; and the Indignation ofinde
pendent Americans, who have to pay twice
for service or an article for which they
have already paid once, is not easily KEEP
within bounds. Nothing can be done
to suppress tipping unless there
is concerted action, unless both employers
and guests recognize that the system j:
bad, but it is believed that the practict
stands largely in the way of satisfactory
results in our public houses and that i
acts as restraint upon considerable pro
portion of the travelling public. The ricf
may encourage such practice with tn,
idea that they are behaving generously
but with people of limited means the in
| sisting upon tips is often serious draw
back to the pleasure trips which the,
would like to make. 1t is considered that
in this country, at least, there is no caus
for tipping, and that if its limited prac
tice could be abolished, all parties woult
| be the gamers by it.