New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-15
AGAINST TIPPING IN CLUBS.
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT OF AN IN
SIDIOUS EVIL.
now THE ABUSE OF FEElNG ALL SORTS OF SER
WANTS GAINED A FOOTHOLD IN AMERICA


the organization circular letter, in which he
says:
The Board 90 Governors has requested me to
advise YOU that its attention has been called
To the frequent violations of the rule against
tipping employees of the club 1t is the purpose
Of the Board to stop the abuse and enforce the
the rule and with that object notice is hereby
given that the Board will discipline members
found infringing the rule and Will Immediately
discharge the dsobedont employe.
This is the natural outgrowth OF a system
that has long been source Of discomfort to
club members. and it may mark the beginning
Of a crusade against an abuse which. although
comparatively new in this country, is wide
spread and is practised in all walks Of society.
The tip system was, until few years ago a
purely European CUSTOM and when Mrs Par
vcnu or Mrs Suddenrch returned from Euro
pcan tours they felt called upon to tell about
the numerous tips they had to give to hotel
servants. .coachmen. conductors and TO all per
sons who served them in public places while they
were abroad.
THE GOOD OLD TIPLESS DAYS.
American servants of high and low degree, in
the period known as before the war knew
nothing about tips. and there are hundreds OF
citizens of NewYork today on whose heads the
snow Of time h is not yet fallen, who can re-
member when self-respccting barber would
have resented an Insult an offer to tip him.
The spirit of Amercacism was abroad in the
land in those days, and men worked for their
pay and felt themselves as good as the men
who paid them. Tp-taking would have de-
stroyed that sense Of equality. But travel to
and from Europe increased, and men and women
brought from abroad not only inery made in
Paris. London and Vienna and English phrases
and European manners. but the customs of the
..l1 fha
the French cafe where walters have always
been undcrpad and had to rely upon their
pour boies Tn" American who saw disadvan-
tage to himself and a degradation TO the re-
cipient Of the tips, was forced TO follow the ex-
ample in self-proservatiCn.
After the first step in this direction had been
taken the custom spread rapidly. Walters,
porters and other hotel and restaurant employees
were the pioneers, but they were followed close
" by club servants who fell into the habit
naturally. becausn.a number Of these were en-
ploved during the day in downtown restaurants.
There they received tips from customers who
preferred to have their soup 'nyess and thumb
less and their luneheons served quickly. The
downtown customs became the uptown club
rules and in order to be properly served club
members had to pay extra fees to the walters
THE BARRIERS GET THEIR TURN
Then came the BARRIERS. Razors pulled and
were duh for all who forgot the barber, and they
are in that condition still. The BARRIERS tip de-
Ponds on the location of the shop in which he
works The better the place the higher the tip,
and While man who expects never to go there
again may escape without paying the barber an
extra coin and the brush boy a smaller amount.
he runs the risk Of being guyed as he leaves the
shop. and if by chance he should go there again
for the purpose Of having tonsorial operation
performed. he would find for styptic cotton
and courtplaster before he left the place. The
BARRIERS tips became large that the wages
were reduced in many shops and brushboys in
some instances now pay for the privilege and
give the boss a "rake-on" on their receipts.
Commercial travellers have the most ptiful
stories 10 tell about the hardships of the tip sys
tenn The baggage "smasher' at the station, the
hotel porter and the bus driver must each re-
ceive the regulation tip unless the drummer
wants to run the risk of having his sample
trunks forgotten, put off at the wrong station
or smashed. In addition to these he must fee
the hotel waiter the same as other guests do;s
and all in all, the tips make up a respectable
Item in his expense account.
WHERE PORTERS GET RICH.
In some Of the great hotels which are popular
resorts for commercial travellers tn tips to the
pOrtcrs amount to 50 much that these men grow
rich. hire underlings to DO their work, and, al
though they wear overas and jumpers, they
pre- more independent and have larger in
comes than many of the guests who give
the regulation - cents to the porter when
baggage is taken to the station. This state
RI affairs has caused some hotel corpora
tinnc 70 institute a new order Of things, by which
the tins 20 to the house, and the porter Who re-
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