New-York tribune., 1902-12-16
TIPPING GONE NAD.
followed.

The Timing habit is commonly supposed TO
be masculine vice. II has been reserved how
ever for a woman 10 propose the lateSt-and 1t
would seem as if il must be the last-thnS in
Christmas tipping. She suggests that on the
dav before Christmas everybody should pay Il
double fare on the streetcars. This present,
gift bribe. honorarium eXtortiOn is then 10
be distributed to the street railway motornen
and conductors as a recognition of their
vices. which. it is held. are not too largely PAID
bv the companies to whom those services are
rendered. 1t might seem as If the companies
were the proper benefactors to supplement this
Inadequate pay but in support of the plan it
is said that we should be following the example
of Philadelphia in thus including the streetcar
employees in the ever lenEtheDing list Of our
Christmas distributions
Before Christmas comes it will he we'll for
every person to take an account OF stock and
see what he is going 10 have left after he goes
through the list. He must remember" the
postman, the lamplighter, the ianitor. the office
boy. the restaurant waiter. the head waiter,
the club servants. his family servants, the Gle
vator man, the barber and others we don't at
the moment think Of but are sure 10 he remind
ed of by Christmas Day. and II he chances 10
have any sort of ordinary work done. like car
rying a trunk at that time of the year he can
generous tip Just because it is Christmas and
society demands that he spend twice what he
can afford for no purpose at all be thought
Grabbed and mean. Now it comes about that
the conductor must he told to keep the
change" The five cents which ii Is proposed
to give him is small sum, which few people
would begrudge, though there are probably
many who ride on the cars to whom five cents
means as much in the way of labor and saving
as it does 10 the streetcar employees. But does
anybody think that the custom would end
there? Look at the growth beyond all sense
and measure OF the tipping habit in every direc-
tiOn. What used to he an occasional gift of
good will is now a regular obligation. The pa
per that is passed around here, there and every
where used 10 be a spontaneous expression of
appreciation; now it is an assessed and collect
ible tax We live under a sort of feudal tenure
certain incidents being established by use
which we obliged TO observe, making pay
ments to various persons not for services rem
dered or because they are our friends, but just
toll for the privilege of living certain
days. Then too. must make ever increasing
payments Where ten cent tip was once re-
ceved gracously a quarter is now accepted
with lofty disdain. Who can be that
streetcar collection which started as volun-
tary tribute would not soon become as much
established right at Christmas as is the pop
ular habit of making New Years morn hdeous
with horns? Then before long the conductor
might expect in addition to his fare daily tip,
just as the sleeping porter and Ine cab
driver do.
We would not discourage the generous spirit
of Christmas or hamper charitable efforts to
bring cheer and aid TO those who have need of
them But is there not grave danger of losing the
Christmas nv into
son of licensed beggary and extorton? Is not
a considerable part of the appeals to "remem-
ber' this and that person for the sake of
Christmas mere imposition as impudently
mercenary as the demand of the SiciIian beg
gar, who. with saints name on his lips prac-
tises the highwayman's art? Let each give at
Christmas as heart inclines and purse permits,
but let us have less organized commercalzing
of the season.