The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-29
TIE CUSTOM OF TIPPING.
Efforts which Are Being Made in Ger.
tnin Quarters 20 Coudemn IL Into
RiSusc.

HiSuSe.
In discussing the Economic Effects
of Timing Guntons Magazine says
that il Is remnant of the later middle
ages. II was born of the sympathetic,
patroni2ing instinct OF masters" to
give the la0Orer siXpence in apprecia-
tion of special attention, or out of SYM
pathy for exceptional hardships arising
from an unusually large family, SICK
ness, or other social disadvantages. AS
wage conditions developed and lahOrers
became more definitely grouped 10y in
dustres in which uniformity of wages
prevailed, the patroni@ing habit of CIV
ing an extra 2ruat declined Very ma
turally So, as the effort Of the laborer
I" obtain more wages involved friction
with the employers which tended to de-
stTuy the motive to drop the laDQrer an
extra siXpenCc.
In all the complex industries where
the highest organization. best wages
ana greatest freedom among the la
borers exist, tips have long since disap-
rcarcd. And conversely. where wage
conditions are less developed and the
sentiment of wardship and the mini
mum individuality exists among labor
ers. the tipping system H. most prcVa-
lent. In Spain, italy and ON the f.uro-
pean continent generally. it is So preva-
lent as to amount almost to mondican-
cy. I'm England. ii Is sufficiently prova-
lent to be offensive to one not reared in
the atmosphere of aristocratic inStitu-
tions.
In the United States we have been
comparatively free from this offensive
semi-mendicancy. During the last
few years, however. the tipping habit
has been gradually ON the increase
among a certain class of labOrers. The
occupations in which this system Is
chiefly practiced are domestic servants,
cOachmcn, BARRIERS, walters at hotels
and restaurants, and porters on railway
trains. 1t will be observed that these
occupations are nearly all filed by for
cigncIS and negroes who for the most
part have been reared under the patron
izinG and sCmi-feudal influences of pa
ternal or ante wage conditions. The
colored people represent the remnants
of menialism resulting from centuries Of
slavery. The italian. Spanish and
French walters and English and irish
press. received in the atmosphere of the
aristocratic, patronizing conditions of
Europe.
Tipping, as q practice, is Extensively
un-American and positively unCcono-
mic. 1t is un-Amcrican. not merely be-
cause it did not arise in America, but
because it is cpruGr" 20 the whole
spirit and genius of American life and
institutions. 1t is u system Of paying
for services partly in charity, which
is always injurious, both to those who
give and to those who receive; it in
iurcS those who give, in tending to
create the austere sentiment that they
are giving something for nothing. for
which the recipient Is under personal
obligations; it is degrading to the recp-
lent. because il il a voluntary gift
for which he can put in no economic
claim. and consequently must pay for
in personal gratitude or obligation
Which always means the surrender OF
personality: it is especially offensive in
this country, because it rests on no
recognized principle of equity or pay
ment of equivalents.
Tips are unecOnomic because they
make the laborers' income prccariuus
and accidental, without making it larg-
er or bringing any other corresponding
benefits. The truth is. and it il grad
ually coming to be recognized, that the
laborers gain absolutely nothing by
tips; what they gain in tips they LOSE
in wages. All the menialism exercise /
to obtain tips. and the inconvenience
inc IN. 4.,., 4
evennoSs of the amount of income. IS
so much disadvantage due to The tip
ping system. for which the laborers
receive no equivalent
In all the occupations where tiDping is
prevalent, so far as any permanent ten
dency exists. it is to reduce the wages
proportiOnate to the size of the tips, so
that the larger the tips the lower the
wages, and the smaller the tips the
higher the wages. and where no tins
exist wages are highest of all. This is
necessary part of the economic prin-
ciple governing wage distribution.
Wages everywhere tend to equal the
cost of living of the laborerS; if the
income is from two sources instead Of
one, then the tendency will be to lessen
one or both of the sources. until they
jointly equal the cost Of living. If one
source is fixed and the other contingent,
as one wages and the other tips. the
fixed will diminish in proportion as the
contingent increases, and vice versa.
The writer of the article is encourage
to know that one large corporation in
New York city has taken the first step
toward the abolition of this tipping sys-
TEN. The New York Central Railroad
company has provided Il stafi of porters
to aid passengers with their baggage
from it's cars to the waiting rooms,
hacks and street cars. These porters
have a special uniform. a conspicuous
feature Of which Is a red cap. The
company takes great pains to inform it's
patrons and the public that these por-
te,s "are paid by the company" and
need not and SHOULD not be tipped"
If the public will cooperate with the
company this reform will be a success,
and may be expected soon to be adopted
by other corporations throughout the
country, and so, ultimately, rid the
American public of European nuis-