Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-27
VOICES OF THE PRESS.
The Tipping System at Its worst.
On. Y. Tribune


The testimony of one of the witnesses
before the Senate committee, though not Of
the most sensational character, was an ex-
ceedingly interesting and suggestive dis
closure of the means to which . multitude
Of persons engaged in active pursuits are
compelled to resort, or think they are, in
order to get necessary things done to their
satisfaction. The manager of the shipping
department of a large establishment very
unwillinRly testified that he paid the dock
master S25 for every ship locked, and $50
apiece to the customs inspectors, general
ly two in each case. He occasionally paid
sums of money to other persons-weighers,
for example. All these payments were en-
tirely outside of legal fees. The witness
earnestly insisted that it was not case of
backmail. The money was not handed
over until the service had been rendered.
In his opinion ell shippers in the city were
practically obliged to make similar pay
ments in order to have their vessels prompt
ty loaded AMI unloaded that is to say, they
thought it advisable to do so, knowing, of
course, that they would otherwise suffer
serious loss and inconvenience.
This is fair description of what may be
accurately enough designated as the lubri-
eating process. 1t is almost universally
employed, and there is doubtless a general
feeling that it has to be. 1t has come to be
applied in nearly every affair of life, wheth-
er important or comparatively trivial. The
lawyer continually uses it in his profess
sional dealings with the deputy sheriff; the
householder in facilitating with this or that
official the performance of little services
for which he has already paid once in taxes !;
the traveller for attentions which his ticket
ought to guarantee; the tenant of flat for
the janit0r's goodwill the patron of hotel
or restaurant for pretty nearly everything.
1t is the essence of the whole irritating sys-
tenn of tips to pay double for zeal and expe-
dition. As the witness declared yesterday,
probably in good faith, it is not blackmail as
that word is generally applied; but it savors
of blackmail nevertheless in every case, and
in many cases it is blackmail to all intents
and purposes. 1t used to be almost I'M
known in this country; but it is getting to
be more common and burdensome here than
anywhere else. Its prevalence indicates
deplorable loss of self-respect on the one
hand and of courage on the other. 1t is an
annoying and frequently oppressive tyranny
which discredts as well as burdens all who
submit to it.
In its least dishonest, though perhaps not
its least irritating, form the tipping system
cannot be abolished by law. The custom
of adding gratuity to the price of ser
vice, where only private individuals and
transactions are concerned, can apparently
be eradicated only by common consent.
But the law is capable of stopping the pro-
cess which Was described to the committee
yesterday; or if not it ought to be made
equal to that task. A .public official who
must be bribed to do his duty, obviously
shipping trade would mot admit in so
many words that he and others in his
line of business, bible dockmasters,
inspectors and weighers when they pay them
for the promrtness and energy which they
well know the legal fees would not procure.
But it is essentially bride which they be-
stow, nevertheless. The man who gives
may give cheerfully, from force of habit,
and charge the largess up to necessary ex.
penses. and the man who takes may be a
well-meaning sort of person, who follows
custom without analyzing his motive or his
act. But the custom is at the best demon
alizing, and at the worst it is criminal in
tendency if not in fact.
The case of the individual who needs to
have work done quickly and thoroughly,
and knows that he must pay an extra price
for efficiency, is doubtless embarrassing, if
his conscience is alert or even merely if his
temper is independent. But a general
agreement of such individuals to refuse to
be bled would seemingly end their troubles.