Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1895-08-23
BENNETT & co.
FINE CHINA
==and--
GLASSWARE.
EVERYTHING WANTED
FOR THE KITCHEN.
zos WALNUT STREET.
DIES MONIES HOTELS.

u p
some Very Interesting Facts Cleaned ny
Reporter.
1t is generally presumed that hotei
is Mecca for its employees; that theif
life is easy and profitable; that land
lords would make good judges IN an
equity court; that because the waters
are generally better dressed than the
guests they are on easy street without viii stt
a care on sorrow; that the salaries pald
are renumerative; that everything Is
lovely and the goose hangs high, But
such is not the case in Des Moines.
The highest salary ever paid by hotels
in Des Moines was $50 per month ana
extra pay for serving parties ana
banouets in or outside of the house
The reduction came at time when lt
was least expected. 1t was mace
previous to q large state convenbio.nls, N
and the state fair-when business was
improving along all lines. This was
when the change was made. Some
people labor under the mistaken ldea
that anyone can work in a hotel 1t is
business. a trade, profession, ana
one who has not served an appre ntlce-
ship is of little or no account IN q large
hotel. Unskilied walters will drlye
away more guests than poor biu q
fare. The position requires man q
brains. activity and full control OF
temper while waiting on uncouth ann
ungentlemanly guests,
| The waiter must be mar OF very IN
dustrious habits. His pay and poor
privileges are not not in keeping vita
his labor His pay is from $50 to W.
per month, out Of which he must pay
fines and damages as follows: For
each time late, Csc, if less than ~
minutes: If more than 80 minutes, lay
off one meal; for each dish broken
| for each infractlon of rules fwhlch are
numerous and a great many absufdl sac
| or more Each waiter must have ms
| hair cut in a style prescribed by the
| proprietor regardless of his own taste
and the rule requires that he snouiu
| put on a clean collar at least tsyaee e:
| day. but if there should be pretty
| GOOD house TO feed he can not wear =
collar for more than one meal.
His hour of duty commences az a..'o IS s.
M and he must continue to move N =
| hurried gait until 10 a. m. when ne =
| allowed to eat breakfast and go where
| ever he chooses.
| He must be on the floor in uniform
ard at his Station at 1890 noon; 1891 ~
will rot do unless he wants to pIy 9
fine of 25c. At O. clock he IS off until
/ 600 D. M, from which time he labors
until $40 p M. after which he gets ms
supper and goes. Please notice that
he always eats on his own time.
/ Ifa waiter needs a new jacket ne
must bny it from the hotel, price 81. SO
4 lust the same kind of jacket that
i Others sell for 9Gc to Sl.o0.
/ Whenever there is banquet or q
/ party. the walters remain until II is
! over. which is seldom much later than
1 $40 in the morning; but he does not
! have to come to work in the morning
any earlier than his usual time, $3.50 a.
| M. Neither does he receive any
4 paw for the extra hours he has worked.
/ After handling the richest viands the
/ culinary Gepar tnleIat can prepare they
| go to dine on such things asare brought
! back from the guests tables and such
| things as are about to become hit Tor
| the swill barrel only.
AS for bell boys. boot blacks, etc.,
their pay runs from rs to S12 per
1 month"; Hours from 6 q. m. to z p. m,
with Is minutes for dinner and no
intervals for rest like the waiter.
The night work about a hotel and
| the bell boys work in particular is the
| most pernicious that one can well i'm
agine Every is done by night
force III order to make extra money
1 Many hotels are simply assignation
| houses, and the bell boys are brought
| in contact with influences that dull
their sense of the eternal fitness OF
things and confidence in character and
responsibility as they really exist.
| The general time of q hotel employe
/ is about twelve hours on duty. The
walters will average over eleven hours.
and it is very seldom one receives full
months pay
The steward, the head and second
cook and porter receive fair pay. but
| the others simply receive enough to
exist and pay laundry bills.
Manv of the colored men about ho-
! tells are graduates from city schools
and colleges and are bright and ener-
! getic men. They are not united and
/ do not understand each other as they
| should and consequently do not receive
salaries commensurate with their abil-
ity