The Cairo bulletin., 1905-02-19
FIFTY MILLIONS
THE COST OF TIPS
Enormous Sums Expended in
this Way in New York
SPOIL SERVANTS ABROAD
IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES TIPS ARE
REGARDED AS PART OF THE
DAYS EXPENSES.

DAYS EXPENSES.
What Is the total amount of tips
and fees paid out in Greater New
York every year? Is s50000000 al
oyeFestimate2 AT first sight it wonle
seem SO, bur count up the dimes ana
| quarters. the halves and dollars and
the bigger tips at Christmas and New
Years Figure up what all these
| amount to and see if this estimate is
too high says the New York World
New York is the most expensive
place in the world to rip. because lis
silver coins are the lowest coins that
have a tipping value. In London a
man can carry a pocketfu of the big
English pennies. one of which is
! worth two American cents. and for
most tipping purposes these coppers
answer In Paris the coppers are.
common coins. and for nine tips out
of ten they answer. In German. Aus
ria and Italy even smaller coppers
Of less value than the English penny
do the tipping for nine tenths OF the
population.
New York tipping amounts 10 more
than anywhere else because il is so
out Of proportion. Tipping abroad is
the way in which wages are paid The
walters, the BARRIERS. the bootblacks
and servants generally are tipped as
mater of course. both in New York
and abroad. but abroad tips are also
given to everybody who performs any
little service for You.
Tipping Abroad.
A London policeman who has told
an American visitor how 10 find a
certain number or street expects
penny or two as "A matter of course.
The bus driver expects a penny. The
bus conductor will not bring The ON
nibus to a full stop unless he has had
IA little tip of ha' penny, equal In
value TO an American cent In Ger
many the street car conductors ex.
1ect a tip, for which they will stop
he car and let you get on or of com
ior ably Every railroad employee ex.
poets tip, but Il is only Americans
who give them tips Of anything like
the size that are paid in New York.
Abroad tips are regarded as
necessary part of the daily expense.
like the newspaper and the street ear
fare In New YORK.
Allowance is made for them in the
price. The fare for short dis ances
on omnibuses and street cars is one.
two or three cents. instead of five
cents, and tip of the value of a half
cent Or cent does nor bring the total
Up 10 the New York rate. Railroad
fares are classified, and If a man does
lot mind hard seat he can ride on
he same car of the same train for
lalf the fare hat his rich American
,ellow-passenger is paying in another
compartment with plush upholstery.
IN barber shops. restaurants and like
llaces the charges are made on the
understanding that the fps nav the
wages, and regular percentage is
expected and is always paid as a mat
er Of course.
Excep. In places abroad which are
latronized by Americans the foreign
'ee system works our fairly accept
ably both TO the glver and the recia-
made that Americans, are demorallz
ng the foreign fee system wherever
hey come in contact with It. English
men complain hat in hotels patron
zed by Americans the servants have
earned how 10 extort fees by inso
.enee and fault-fndiug demeanor.
ND TO which Americans meekly sun
nit. The proprjetors Of such hotels
ave learned the great value of these
american tips. and at hotels which
Americans frequent the proprletors
nave in several cases adopted "a sys
en- OF compelling the waters and as
istants to urn over the tips 10
common fund, from which they are
,aid wages while the hotel company
axes the remainder OF the fund 10
add TO its profits.