Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-16
A RATIONAL SYSTEM OF TIPPING.
Problem for Some Active, Courageou,
and Sensible Social Reformer

Problem for Some Active. Courageous
| and Sensible Social Reformer.
From the Chicago Record.
In spite of the stubborn fight made
| against the importation of the feeling Gus
| tom in restaurants hotels and other places
OF public resort, 1t Is evident that the prac-
| tlce Is already very firmly established. and
that. in large cities. at least. the effort to
abolish it would have to contend with al
| most insuperable difficulties. Observers who
have commented on the custom are practi-
cally agreed that it's introduction to the
United States was unfortunate and that it
begets peculiar evils of it's own.
Doubtless this is true. In Europe where
the wages paid to walters and others who
perform services for the public are merely
nominal or are omitted altogether the fees
or the patrons are a necessity. In America
where the employers of labor of this kind
are supposed to pay fair wages, 1t would
be far better that the wage should be suf-
fcient to enable the employe to dispense
with fees.
Right or wrong. the custom is well estab-
lished and spreading rapidly in most Amer
lean cities. That being the case, is It not
time that those who make it practice to
give tips should agree upon rational sys-
tenn of tipping? If tips must be given. let
them be given with some considera ton OF
the relative Importance of the tip and the
service received. In Europe there is a fixed
TIP being known percentage of the amount
of the whole bill. Under the haphazard
lndlscrlmlnate plan in vogue in this coun-
try the tip is left entirely to the discretion
or the patron or customer. The amount to
be given thus becomes troublesome prob
lem, the patron whose moral courage Is
not OF the stoutest feeling that a small tin
Will he taken as indication either of impe-
curiosity or stng!ness, or perhaps both
Men with more money than Judgment set
the standard by tipping heavily. and the
average customer witnessing their example
feels that he must either adopt the high
standard or suffer inferior service. He either
Ups too heavily OF not at all. fearing that
moderate remuneration may be scorned.
AT this time Of year. when thousands of
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES in summer parks and
gardens are partaking of the lightest kind
OF refreshments. the disproportion between
the Ups and the services rendered frequent
ly becomes absurd. A man who would re-
gard Decent tip ample remuneration
for being served with a .a)-cent meal hest
tates to give less than that amount for
being served with glass of lemonade cost
ing only 10 cents. Whereas p per cent OF
the cost of the meal may be the tip for a
dinner. the tip increases in proportion for
cheaper purchases, until it may be 30 or
100 per cent. and even more. In France a
restaurant patron does not hesitate to give
a waiter sous for a simple service In
this country he must give a. least ) cents
or not give a all. The iron courage which
would be needed by man who proposed to
oIier only penny or two is no longer
known to the human race.
Here Is problem for some active social
reformer with common sense and courage
somebody should make known the proper
ratio for tips and then whether the ratio
OF hrst cost to tip be to l or 10 to l or
IN Europe-the tipping public should stick
TO 1t.