Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-18
War on Tipping
in London Hotel
denee Of The Star.


LONDON, September IL, 1909
THERE is bold man in London who
has started out to work q social
. revolution, and what is more he has
met with a certain measure of success,
and hopes to meet with more. His name
is Joseph Lyons. but he is known to every
one as Joe" Lyons. and he has de-
termined to abolish the system Of tips
In hotels and restaurants.
A good many years ago Joe Lyons dis
covered that London needed cheap res
taurants. where the food was good and
cleaniy served. He started them and
made money, and he ran them on the
mo tip system, but 1t must be admitted
that the system was not very strictly en-
forced. Too much had to be left to the
mattresses themselves, and they saw no
reason why they should not pocket tips
when they were offered, for there In moth
ing dearer to the British waiter or watt
ress, or to the servant Of any class In
this country. than the tip.
Then came a first-class restaurant In
the West End where tip-top service and
food are supplied and tips are rigidly pro-
hibited. On every table stands card
notifying the guest Of this fact. and add.
confiscated by the proprietor and pock-
eted by him, and this is really carried
out. Head walters keep a close watch on
their subordfnates and any of them
caught pocketing a tip is compelled to
disgorge. Naturally the public has stop
ped giving tips in this restaurant, which
is just what Mr.. Joe Lyons wanted It
to do.
a q
It is big hotel in the Strand and will be
equipped with all the latest comforts and
Injuries and will be opened this month.
And there will be no tips Of any kind.
The guest who goes there will know lust
what he has to spend. and IL he gives
anybody about the place a cent more than
Is charged in his bill he may have the
satisfaction Of knowing that he is making
a small present to Mr.. Joe Lyons, who Is
q millionaire and doesn't want ii, but who
Is going to take 1t just to discourage the
practice.
And the remarkable thing about all
these anti-tip enterprises il that although
the walters and other employees are COM
pensated by higher wages for the absence
OF tips and the public is offered first
class service, the prices are much lower
than anywhere else. where even a pre-
tense Of the Same kind of service is made.
In the new no-tip hotel q room with a
bath and breakfast will cost only $50
and all the other prices will be proper
tionately low.
1t IL no exaggeration to say that this
is an attempt at a social revolution. No
custom Is more deeply intrenched in Eng
land than the tipping system, and only
one who has been born and brought up
in the midst Of 1t can hope to master its
intricacies. The visiting American makes
many mistakes He tips the wrong per-
sons and tips them too highly. and he
forgets others whom he is supposed to
remember Even in private houses tho
tip system Is intrenched to such an ex-
tent that 1t Is no uncommon thing for q
man to refuse an invitation for week.
ends shooting because he cannot afford
to meet the demands of his hosts SER
wants. The head gamekeeper. II the es.
tate Is big one, will expect a five-pound
note &25l, while the leaders will expect
at least IS. and the indoor servants will
all look for at least $3.50 each. A man
is lucky If he gets away from one of the
great country houses without leaving $50
for the servants.
A story is told of one host who de.
termined that he would put an end to the
caused to be posted In all the bedrooms
in his house a request to his guests not
to tip his servants. The servants said
nothing. but waited until a big house
party, including member of the royal
family, was on the point of arriving. and
then and there they all struck. They de-
clared that unless the notices were re-
moved and the multiplying rule abro-
gated they would. every one, from butler
to kitchen maid, leave the house and 60
up to London, and that they would see
that no more servants came down. Tho
last threat was most effective, for 1t is a
fact well known to all employers of do
nestle servants in England that they
have some mysterious way Of blacklist
ing a house where the conditions are UNI
pleasant or the work too hard. mis-
tress who has lost two or three servants
for these reasons may almost despair OF