Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-21
HEAR THE OTHER SIDE
COMMISSIONERS HOLD SESSION
ON ANTI-TpPINu BILL.

More than twenty of Washington's repre-
| sentative business men. and members of the
Business Mems Association, appeared at
| public hearing before the Commissioners
| at the District building today in advocacy
of the anti-tipping bill. The speakers con-
demned the Tip evir' in the most vigorous
| terms and stated that a remedy should
| be provided at once, as the average patron
of a hotel Is made to suffer much inconven-
| fence and embarrassment because of the
| evil. =
Allen D. Albert, who headed the COM
| mittee. was the first speaker. "Our asso-
citation proceeds on the theory to correct
| an evil that exists he said. I'VE hold that
| the tip creates an unfair and wholly unde-
sirable treatment. and we ask for this
| legislation to remedy the evil. The effect
| of the tip is to transform an honest serv-
Ice Into a form of charity. The workman
| everywhere receives a definite wage for a
definite service. When the payment
takes on the form of charity we hold that
| the workman loses his standard and the
individual is made to suffer
| We think. he continued. that the testi-
| hearing held on this bill last week is
] enough in itself to cause the prohibition of
/ tips. We believe that the cost of q meal
| in a local hotel is sufficient for a patron
| to pay. The effect on the man himself Is
| the most important part of the evil. A
| waiter should be ready and compelled to
give the proper service without having to
give him gift or tip. we believe a man
accepting a tip sells his American birth
right. The evil is bad in the District
| that it Is impossible for the individual pa
tron to combat it. and the only remedy is
| in legislation. Legislation such as pro-
posed by Representative Murphy of Ken
| lucky is being enacted in England and
several states in this country"
his, ai,1t yxaI
| what bearing upon the case would be the
| payment to an expEessman for carrying
trunk to the second or third floor of a
house the payment of which he consid-
| cred very just.
| A. Leftwich Sinclair answered by say
ing the bill only provides for eating houses
\ restaurants and cafes and that the pay
| ment for the carrying up of trunks could
not be considered tip.
| Legality of the Bill.
P. NJ. Brown spoke upon the legality Of
! the provisions of the bill. He also discussed
the effects the tip evil has upon the average
man.
1T has been argued he said, that a
| man should not be prohibited from doing
what he wants to do. but think, while it Is
| a fundamental principle that a man can
| use his own as he sees fit, a man should
not be allowed to do this If it is injurious
| to others who think and act differently
| from him. This tipping should be done
away with, as 1t Is disgraceful and inju-
riouS.
The liberal Upper he continued. by
| lavish tips establishes custom that pre-
vents me or some one else from going into
| the same place and getting the same treat
ment and service. This custom is taking
away from me something that am entitled
| to. However. few of these liberal tippers
give the same from a point of generosity.
| They do it a form of bribery. in order
that they can get better service than is ac-
corded the average patron. By this BRIDE
he takes away from me the proper amount
of service and treatment / should have by
paying the listed price of the hotel. We
who are advocating this bill are not doing
so to injure walters. but we hope that other
| states will follow suit. and in the end the
walters will be put upon better plane.
| They will be given better wage"
Mr.. Brown cited numerous incidents
where men have bribed walters for better
service In one case a man at a local
hotel flashed $40 bill at a waiter. 1t is
frequent that walters are getting s. and
$40 tips for individual meal, he con-
cluded.
The next speaker. Mr. Sinclair. stated
that there is absolute necessity here for
the legislation in question. the patroniz-
ing Of local hotels has become disgusting
because of the tip evil.
IF we advocates of this measure had
secured the town We could not have pro-
cured better evidence in advocacy of the
measure than the variations of the head
walters at the last hearing before the Com
miSSionerS upon this bill" he declared.
"One head waiter in proud way, told of
the different treatments accorded a liberal
Upper and a on-tipper.' He showed the
| injustice. 1t has become form of sand
bagging. l have often been the victim of
the injustice, and think almost every man
has"
Regarding the legality of Mr.. Murphy's
| bill, Mr.. Sinclair stated that it has been
| said the law will take away personal lib
| erty.
II think the mans liberty should be regu-
| lated to the public good, and this legsla-
| ton is constitutional. valid. enforceable.
and will end one of the worst conditions
| that exists in this city.
Tipping is contrary to the spirit of our
country c. w. Claggett said.
Judge Kimbail, the next speaker, said:
Tipping is un-American. 1t is void of any
| American manhood. When / go into a res
| taurant where tipping is the rule the
walters are lacking in manhood
"They are only looking and think
Hotel managers should pay walters. and
not force their patrons to do 1t for them.
| 1t is an European custom. In every place
abroad tips are expected. Travellers who
do not tip have their baggage marked show
ing that they do not tip. and everywhere
they go receive a lack of courtesy
MIR. Albert concluded the hearing by stat
declared they would lose good walters If
the bill was enacted are mistaken.
"It will not take long," he said. "before
these grafters' places are filled with men
equally as efficient. At any rate, their sue
cessors will be more manly and will give
the same treatment and service to the pa
irons of hotels"