The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-08
The First German Kellner Congress.

Berlin has long been a ~favorite meeting
place for scientific bodies. For instance,
in recent years international congresses OF
~geographers and OF medical men have met
there. 1t is to be expected, therefore, that
associations specifically German should az,
scmble in the Kaiser's capital. An i'm
portant conference OF this character. whose
discussions, however, are OF interest to
many persons beyond the German boun-
DIARIES, wa recently held on the banks Of the
Spree. a conference that lasted for four
days and is designated by the German
newspapers, for the sake OF brevity, as
"Erster Deutscher Kellnerkongress," or
Congress Of Walters, but was entitled
officially The First Professional Con-
gross of G~ermany's Landlords Assistants"
der erste Fachkongrcss der Gastwirths-
gehilfen Deutschlands."
II was no easy task to bring the con-
gress together. Not only did the various
branches Of the profession. the waters,
cooks. scullions. porters and dishwashers
pull away from each other, but there were
discussions and jealousles to be overcome
among those in the same line Of work.
The walters, for example, were divided
into local and provincial unions; there was
a marked distinction Of class between
hotel walters, restaurant walters and
religious lines were drawn, as there exist
Christian Socialist. Evangelical and EVER
Social Democratic, associations Of walters.
1t took several years u e1ertion to secure
harmony among conflicting interests, but
the need OF common action for the suppress
sion of grievances common to all at last
made the Berlin congress possible. Though
10th Court and Government declined to
take official cognizance Of It's presence,
members OF the Reichstag belonging to
several political parties attended the ses-
sions Of the congress, and one or two made
addresses.
Evidently the German Kellner has
troubles enough Of his own. Surprising
statements We're made in the discussions
as to his hours OF labor, his days of, his
food and sleeping accommodations; the
matters Of apprentices, OF accident insur-
ance and OF employment agencies were
also gone into. These questions, however,
were dealt with in n practical way that
makes the results applicable to Germany
alone. Two other questions, treated in q
more ~philosophic spirit, and. therefore, OF
universal interest, were the occasion OF
spirited debate, namely, the competition
Of the waitress. the Kellnerin, and the evils
Of tips, the "Trinkgelderunwesen."
On the woman question there was much
diversity Of opinion, the speakers being In.
fuenced by the local customs in the dis.
tricts they came from. Walters from the
Polish border made sweeping statements
about the immoral character OF the women
employed. especially in places where they
were compelled to 90 among the guests and
| incite them to drink. 1t was said that in
Posen, a town OF $4,000 inhabitants, there
were tifty-two Damenkneipe or saloons
where the attendants were women. In
South Germany, on the other hand, com,
petition seemed to be the great evil, the as
| sertion being made that in Munich there
| are only 1000 Kellner employed. the rest
Of the city's output OF beer being served by
Kellnerlnnen. A prosaic Saxon from Leip'
zig proposed that no woman under rs years
Of age be allowed to wait on guests, and that
female service should stop at 0 o'clock In
the evening. The majority Of the walters
present, however, demonstrated that Ger.
| mans as we'll as Frenchmen can be gallant.
A Berlin Kellner declared that the Kell.
ncrin should not be looked upon as a
rival, or as IN improper person, but as
n colleague with equal rights. THE
association should leap to the aid OF
that oppressed class OF humanity" A
Reichstag Deputy in a statistical refuta-
ton OF the accusations against them, In
formed the meeting that there we're 40, 900
Kellnerinnen in Germany, OF whom 1000
were over 80 years Of age. Kisses and
applause greeted the epeeches on either
side, as the meeting was excited. A res
olution was adopted amid great ap-
plauss declaring that Gin considers