The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-07

The Serving Classes Demand Extra
Fees without Limit.

From the Phlddeipnld Record
Paris. Dec 25.-It is a New Years in
France that one is reminded of the philos
opher's adage about life being tolerable
but for its pleasures. Life in Paris would
be tolerated except when Paris sets out
TO enjoy herself, which apparently she
does in her very curious fashion about
now. Although the climate of Northern
Europe, in a city especially, can hardly
he said to lend itself to out-of-door amuse-
ment al about New Year the Frenchman
insists on taking his pleasures on the
boulsvards Thus. in the cod, penetrating
rain we have stalls. roundabouts, switch
back railways and all the paraphernala
OF a Coney Island holiday occupying all
the principal squares and open places.
The cafe prOpril tors set their tables out
on the 81 1ewalk-never mind the snow ana
sleet-in order that the customers may see
the passers-by. Everybody seems to be
out. 1t is impossible to find a seat in
bus or tram or railway carriage; cabs are
not to be had. Means of communication
seem to be suspended. You stand in sleet
and slush waiting an hour for some means
of conveyance to a destination you could
have walked to in fifteen minutes if you
had tried.-and all. forsooth, because Paris
is enjoying herself
ANt'tfN
BILE. About Dec. BIT was the exact date
in my case-a ring comes at your door
and you are told that the newspaper post
man or the registered letter postman has
come for his New Years gift. There is no
escaping it. The next day, with another
ring, comes the telegram postboy for his
New Years present. Then comes the let
ter postman. After that you will probably
get the gas man, then the coal man, the
wood man, all the tradesmen's employees,
without exception; the carmen who has
brought your ice, the milkman, the chin
ney-sweep-I am not eXaggerating in the
least. Finally, ana most important of all
there is the concierge-the janitor. All
must have presents or life will be made
unbearable for the balance of the year.
They have come to regard 1t as an abso-
lutte right. When they come to the door
they say quite simply please, l have
come for my New Years present" No
ambiguity about it at all.
Last year a man presented himself at
my door in top boots and great cap.
who are your" | asked. please, sir,
/ am the man who looks after the drains
in your quarter and have come for my
New Years present.
But l have never set eyes on you be-
FORE
mo, sir; you see l work underground,
and people don't see me-"
The very bowels of the earth then de-
uNeT up blISaiitlS anu bldt hAl4illNiS -
There is no other term for il, because all
the year long you have been bled little
by little by these people You have had to
tip them every other time they did any
thing for you. Every time the postman
brought you a registered letter you had to
tip him; and to insure the meat for your
dinner being on time you have had 10 tip
the butchers boy. and so on. And, more
over. to this species of bTigandage the au-
thorties lend themselves. The postotiice
people far from discouraging this collect
ing of tips. organizes the campaign.
1t is never one man a.one who comes
for your money The postman is al
ways accompanied by a companion. This
companion represents the other depart
ments of the postoffice. and is there to see
how much you give the other man. At
the end of the New Years season the TAX
ings are pooled ard divided N varying pro
portions among the various persorelle of
the postofFice Without this yearly tip the
pOstoffice servants could not live upon
what the government give them and In
this Way the public is made to supplement
the incomes paid by the government,
which in themselves would not be suffi-
cient.
A year or two since there was a re-
volt by the workers themselves against
this system OF tipping Because in the
end they do not benefit by it, Their le-
spective employers pay them so much the
iESSs hHONlHS lldf the Ups VIII make up
the deficiency. This is as true of the
walters in the restaurant as of the letter
carriers | remember quite well when all
the Paris walters struck and refused 10
work unless the tips should be abolished,
AS was pointed out at the time the
clients tip goes straight into the pockets
Of the employer, and nowhere else--it 3
simply an addition to ne price of the
drink
A self-respecting man would. of course.
far prefer to be paid reasona BILE and
steady salary instead of having to sponge
like beggar on the people he serves.
But, of course, The attempt at reforma-
ton never came to anything. Were not
this species of cadging so familiar as it
is In Europe one would wonder hat the
pride of the men themselves as workmen
did not prevent their being placed in such
positions.
Things have reached a pass now where
revolution of some sort will be forced
upon loug-suffering humanity so golled
with the yoke of this petty tyranny Do
you stay at a friends house the night?
Tip. Do you fish his streams or shoot
his moor? Tips gold innumerable. You
teke the train?- Tips. A cab? Tip
bathY TIP. Receive telegram? Tip. 4
registered letter? Tip. As Frenchman
said the other day: THE time viii come
when the corpse will have to tip the man
who nails the coffin down before finally
being gathered to his fathers, where let
US nope, he VIII have to tip no more"
-S-Ss-o-