Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-06
Government Gives System Des-
ignated an Evil Its Official
Approval
EVERY SERVANT EXPECTS "TIP"
Ordinary Citizens Caught Going and
comin,s-Promiscuous Fees Neces-
sary to Secure service-Reasons for
Defeat Of Bill Aimed to Prohibit
Growing Evil.

naDlCA IS IaSl DeCoHiiHS lHS SASoeS9 I
graft in the country. and Uncle Sam
Is one t,f the chief offenders in this
aggravaiing evil. The government has
OFFICIALLY approved of tipping by allow
Ing its officials to include tips in their
expense accounts and 1t has been esti-
mated that this item alone costs the
governm ent more than 100000 year.
Here is the way the government
tipping system gets the ordinary citi-
zen "a going and coming" Suppose
an Iowa farmer happens to be travel
ing on the same train with an army
colonel. The farmer has just purchased
big bill Of lumber, and he well knows
that he made generous contribution
to the government in the tariff on 1t.
This tariff not only helps pay the
coloneIs comfortable salary OF $4,000
year, but, If he Is travelling on or
fetal business" as usually all govern
ment employees are when they feel the
need Of an outing the tax on the farm
ers lumber goes toward providing a
pullman berth or parlor car seat and
lining car meals for the army officer
at government expense. On top OF
this. the aforesaid colonel is allowed
to take part Of the farmers tariff
money 10 tip the Pullman porters and
walters to give, him better service than
they dc the farmer, IL the latter has
enough left out Of his lumber bill to
afford N,he luxury OF a Pullman car.
The colonel accordingly get the kow-
4 lowing and the farmer pays the bills.
Tipping in Washington.
Memf,ers Of congress are themselves
largely responsible for the tipping
graft. which is most annoying feat
,lre Of Washington life. Senators and
representatives, vulgar rich and proud
poor alike. not only tip every servant
and me, aial in sight, but also open their
purses to many government employees
already we'll provided with salaries
AmorIg the worst victims of the tip
habit are the pages Of the house and
the senate. They are paid SIS month,
! fair wage for boys, and get an extra
months salary at the end of the ses-
zion. but 1t is difficult now for mem
Z ser or a senator to get much service
suit Of these pages unless they are
generously tipped or allowed to make
! raid on the members stationery al
lowanct for fountain pens or expensive
,ocketb ooks.
An anti tipping bill introduced by
Representative Murphy of Missouri,
vas defeated In the house two years
ago. such was the influence Of the
sWashin gton hotel keepers, who main
aiv~S nj
tippfng system Of today. Now, however,
renewed effort is being made TO nave
The degrading European custom abol-
slshed in the American capital Fresh
impetus to crusade against tips was
given 3.mas day whenth The ash gathering
force Of the city was demoralized by
the generosity of the Washington
housek eepers. Dozens of the Workmen,
theirs rockets filled with holiday tips,
abandoned their ash wagons, and We're
found later in saloons, too drunk TO
get home to their families for Christ
mas dinner.
Pronniscuous Tipping Necessary.
II is almost impossible to get any
decent service at all at Washington
hotels and apartment houses unless
one hands out quarters, half dollars
and even gold coins with the abandon
of a drunken sailor The highest class
of walters are paid only $50 a month
nv hotel and cafe managers as sort
Of etainer fee ad the rest OF, their
wages is made up by tips which RE
auentlv exceed 5000 a month for wait
ers WHO know how to get the money.
II is useless to protest to hotel man
ayers against these extortions, as they
blandly reply that it is optional with
the sTest whether he tips. Mime hosl
assures the guest that he Is ent1tied
To first class service in any event, but
that the walters will not take any Of
tense If they are rewarded for any ex-
I Ara fayors they may show a generous
patror. 1t is usually a case OF tip Or
.cuss the waiter.
ss System Gaining Ground.
In rJew York hotels the tipping hab-
/ It is even worse than in washington
I for there the vulgar rich and the high
rollers from Wall street have scattered
other peoples money in such PERCUSSION
at lao.els and cafes that walters de-
liberat.ely insult nontipping patrons
who are left to their mercy by prof1ting
managers.
There IS almost no end to the pro-
cession of people who have their hands
out for tips in New York, Washing
ton and other eastern cities. Tt is
case of give money to nearly every
person visitor meets from the time
he leaves home until he returns. In
fact the European custom of feeling
the servants in a private house where
one happens to be guest is now be-
coming prevalent in many eastern
homes In other words, the guest
helps pay the servants of his host.
In Austria the tipping habit is SO
universal that the head of a house
hold even tips his own servants when
they perform any duty for him. At the
present rate America is fast coming to
the limit of this pernicious system.
Iowa Anti-Tipping Law.
Several states already have adopted
laws hitting at the tipping evil. but
these measures usually lack enforce
ment or are not vigorous enough to
carry out their purpose. Wisconsin and
Missouri have anti-tipping laws. and
the E[ambleton law in Iowa against
gratuties in business transactions Is
believed to apply indirectly to tipping,
since the bill was passed by the legis-
lature of 1907. An honest enforcement
OF this Hambleton act or a slight
amen drnent of it would go a long way
toward wiping out the tipping evil IN
Iowa, 1t is believed.
A inspection of the traveiing -ex-