Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1900-01-23
NIwLvIiI EIppINe. -
It Seems to &c Legal as Well as Gen.
eral In Germany.

Graz IN 1cImdUys
The question of giving gratuities to
walters and servants is 0s much a
vexed one in this country as It is on
your side OF the Channel. Even your
man servant or maid expects in Ger
many a Tip" from your guests after
they have dined or lunched with you,
and it constantly happens that on en-
gaging q servant you are asked;
How about tips? Can expect much
from this source, and may keep all
get, OF have to share the tips with
other servants?" / have even known
mistresses to hold out as an induce
ment to servants the fact that they
entertain q good deal, whereby the
wages are considerably supplemented
by gratuities from guests.
One very curious feature about
German everyday life is the readiness
of people to give a "trinkgeld" the
equivalent Of the French ''pourboire,"
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 a
Woodworking teacher Of languages to
give lessons at from sixpence to one
shilling an hour will often be seen to
bestow a groschen on the shop serv-
ant who has brought n parcel to his
house or halfpcnny on the tramway
conductor for handing him his penny
ticket The postal officials who pay
the money orders and bring the
money 70 your house ere entitled to
charge a halfpenny for doing so, but
look very sour il you do not add an
other halfpenny of your accord. Small
| tips" all around are DO rigueur in
German daily life.
It is always understood that the
porter and the boots at a hotel may
expect a 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 these amenities he is re-
warded In a sort of geometrical pro.
gression. The boots really doels rem.
der services. He blacks your boots
and brushes your clothes and is ready
to assist you to pack, and sits on your
portmanteau for you IL need be when
you want to lock IT. Notwithstanding
this It often happens that he comes of
second or third best in the way Of re
wards.
II has, however, always been sup
posed that the largesse assigned tc
him was q voluntary one. This idea
has now, according to the decision oil
a court at Chemnitz, in Saxony, beer
shown, at tho expense OF q certain
commercial traveller who recently
visited that town, to have been an
illusion. The man in question re
NAMED at Cremnitz for four weeks a
local hostelry. performing his mer
camille duties, and on '"~ wing hand
ed to the boots for the u. al service
rendered by that functiOnary the sun
OF four shillings as a gratuity. Thu
boots demanded twelve shillings, tina
is to say. at the rate Of three shilling
q week. As the higher sum was no
paid he brought an action against tn
traveller. and the court declared tina
the latter was to pay ten shillings
The reasons given for the judgmen
were that although the boots receives
board and lodging from the landlord
he was paid nothing in cash; on tn
other hand, he had to give remune
ration in money out of his own poke
to two assistants who helped him L
do the work.-London Post.