Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-15
TIPS IN THE FATHERLAND.
Curious Features of the Prevailing
CMstOm in Regnrd to Grntuities


The question of giving gratuities to wait
ers and servants, says a Berlin letter in the
London Post, is as much a vexed one in
this country as it is on your side of the
channel. Even your manservant or maid
expects in Germany Tip" from your guests
after they have dined or lunched with you
and it constantly happens that on engaging
servant you are asked, How about
tips? Can l expect much from this source
and may keep all get or have to share
the tips with other servants?" l have
even known mistresses to hold out as an
inducement to servants the fact that they
entertain a good deal, whereby the wages
are considerably supplemented by gratui-
ties from guests.
One very curious feature about German
everyday life is the readiness of people to
give a "trinkgeld," the equivalent of the
French 'pourbore," under which name the
donation is more familiar to English ears.
The feature Is curious, because the Teuton
is by nature thrifty and many of them are
more close than thrifty. And yet the same
person who will expect hard working
teacher of languages teacher to give les
sons at from sixpence to one shilling an
hour will often be seen to bestow a groschen
on the shop servant who has brought par
eel to his house, or a half-penny to the
tramway conductor for handing him his
penny ticket. The postal officials who pay
the money orders and bring the money to
your door are entitled to charge a halfpenny
for doing so, but look very sour if you do
not add another halfpenny of your own
accord Small tips" all round are de
rigueur in German daily life.
1t is always understood that the porter
and the boots at a hotel may expect
gratuity from the guests. Now, the porter
does little more for you than hand you
your key and take off his hat to you as
you enter and leave your hostelry and in
small towns he summons the boots at your
departure by vigorously ringing his bell, and
for those amenities he is rewarded in a sort
of geometrical progression. The boots really
does render services; he blacks your boots
and brushes your clothes and is ready to
assist you to pack and sits on your port
manteau for you if need be when you want
to lock it. Notwithstanding this, it often
happens that he comes off second or third
best in the way of rewards.
1t has however, always been supposed that
the largesse assigned to him was a volun-
tary one. This idea has now, according
to the decision of court at Chemnitz, in
Saxony, been shown, at the expense of a GER
tain commercial traveller who recently Wis
tied that town, to have been an illusion.
The man in question remained at Chemntz
for four weeks at local hostelry, perform
ing his mercantile duties and on leaving
handed to the boots for the usual services
rendered by that functionary the sum of
four shillings as a gratuity. The boots de-
manded twelve shillings, that is to say, at
the rate of three shllings week. AS the
higher sum was not paid he brought an
action against the traveller and the court
declared that the latter was to pay ten shl-
lings. The reas ms given for the judgment
were that although the boots received board
and lodging from the landlord, he was paid
nothing in cash; on the other hand, he had
to give remuneration in money out of hls
own pocket 10 two assistants who helped
him to do the work of oot-cleaning aud
clothes brushing.