Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-02-13
NO MORE TIPS.
Congressman Murphy Is Pushing His
 Antf-Tip Bill.

washington, D. C., Feb 13.-HTip-
 ping Is to be placed under the ban
 or the law in the national capital. If
 measure introduced in congress by
 Representative Murphy of Missouri
 and favOrably reported to the house
 Dy the committee on the District of
 Columbia should be enacted, and the
 prospects are bright that it will be.
 The Dill provides that both the per-
 son who gives tip and the one who
 accepts a tip shall be fined on con
 viction.
 i The measure has been well re- ceived by members of congress. They
 and their friends from home who S visit Washington are the principal sunerers from the tipping practice,
 which has become not merely
 nuisance, but an outrage, from which
 there appears to be no way of escape ecept through the enactment of some such bill as MT Murphy's into i law.
 l The measure has received the ap- i prOval not only of members of con- gress but of Washington business men, hotel keepers and restaurant teurs. Of course, thousands of suf- I ferers add their endorsement to the
 Dill and are hoping sincerely that it may be passed. Naturally, there is opposition to it. That comes, as l might be expected, from the walters and porters and others who are en- i toying the usufruct of tips. One waiter declared day or two ago. and he doubtless represented in a measure the sentiment of his kind that If the Murphy bill should be passed and the law enforced, Wash ington hotel and restaurant keepers would have to face a serious strike. He maintained that walters in promi- nent hotels and restaurants, which are patronized by many people who desire to be separated from their money, could not live on the wages they receive and that they depend upon tips to eke out inadequate sal aries. This may be true to an ex- tent. but, as has been pointed out by Representative Murphy and by other victims of the practice, it is situa- tion which is susceptible of adjust ment without imposing upon gener- ous public.
 The practice of tipping was intro duced into America from England. It has been made an evil, however, by the proverbial extravaganza of wealthy Americans both in this coun- try and in Europe. They have thrown their money at the birds' to such an extent that in large Amer ican cities the slightest service now is an invitation to respond with a tip. If bell boy in a hotel hands you a telegram he expects tip. al- though he may have walked not thir- ty feet from the telegraph ofiice to your chair in the office. If you should be so absent-minded as not to offer him the tip, he will stand on your foot until you give it to him. The chambermaid will inquire solicitous ly if she made up your bed just right | and will show her disappointment if you do not respond with bit. of sil- yer: if the hall boy brings pitcher of ice water to your room he expects to be paid for it; the waiter who 1 serves your meal in the cafe or din- ing room looks for a quarter as a matter of right; if table is reserved for you and your friends in any fash i0nable cafe or restaurant for an after-theater supper, for instance, you are expected to remember gen. erously the head waiter as we'll as walters who serve the supper. In fact, the visitor to, or resident of. | Washington, is likely to get himself disliked and to be made the victim of poor service, for which in any event he pays good price, unless he i tips the cabman, the porter, the | messenger and every other individual | in the long roll of those who serve | him in any way.
 In respect to tips. Washington is even worse than New York or any other American city. He must be an unpopular waiter in fashionable restaurant who does not pick up from $1.50 to $500 day, and the head waiter who does not triple that sum is not onto his job. There are at least two head walters in Wash ington who own valuable property and live. not merely incomfort. but
  in style. Recently, one of these men loaned the son of a prominent gov ernment official $500 one evening in order that the young man might get in hurry. There were no either, about the loan. The youngster simply asked the man for the money as he sat in the cafe and the head waiter took 1t out of his pocket and handed it to him as If it were the most ordinary transaction. Of course, he knew he would get 1t back with good interest. because the young mans father is a multi 
 Many people deprecate the tipping practice. but endure it. because they do not care to put themselves In a false attitude. It Is repugnant to the feelings of most people and is un-American. With the of the Murphy bill 1t is believed the national capital will be able to demonstrate to the country hat good service of all kinds can be obtained without paying twice for '