The evening world., 1910-12-08
WATERS PROTEST
AGAINST PLAN TO
RECORD PED|GREES
5000 Say They Will Strike if
Headwaiters' Proposition
Is Adopted.
"BERTlLLON SYSTEM"
"BERTILLON SYSTEM"
Hotel and Restaurant Owners
Not Very Enthusiastic About
Scheme Themselves.

Ihree thousand walters In
and Fifth avenue hotels are
to hand in thor check-books. fold up
their aprons and leave tho vast num-
her OF out-of-town patrons who always
flood New York hotels at this time. OF
the year to scramble for their food as
best they may.
This decision was reached to-day by
the walters club, the Geneva Assoc
citation, Nc. 12S West Twenty-eighth
street, at a meeting held TO consider
the action OF the Elite Head Walters
Association in inaugus ating a new sys-
ten For establishing the record OF every
walter. A protest has been signed by
t3ree thousand walters against tho
adoption OF this system and II II is en-
forced they say they will walk out.
The new idea, which was originated
by Rudolph NJ. Dashner. head walter
"a Breton Hall, is described by Pres
ilcnt Matson OF the Geneva Club. as a
'Bertillon system" because 1t provides
that each waiter be obliged 10 pur-
4hasc a book containing his photograph
and a record OF the date OF his kirth.
now long he la been a waiter. where
ne ldo WoENth i've IthtolS " aWs
lcaving each place. and a minute des-
oriprion. giving height. weight. color OF
lair II eyes and all Distinguishing
marks.
Must Show Good Record.
Dsshner's plan, which he and a CONF
mittee from the Elite Association nave
presented 20 nearly every hotel manager
ia the city. is for the managers to CO.
operate with the head walters 80 that
IL a nan applies for a }ob and Is unable
TO show a satisfactory record In one OF
these books employment will be refused
him.
At the Geneva Club an Evening World
reporter found everybody in a great
state OF excitement to-day.
This book they want 10 force us to
use and charge rs a dollar for Is the
Kind OF a thing that is only At for Police
lieadquarters,'' said President Matson.
The idea Of wanting TO take our mea-
s,rrements! I suppose they'll be want
Ing to take our thumb-prints next"
II was suggested that II was already a
custom among some walters TO impress
their thumb-prints on a glass or In
side the rim of a soup-bowl, but the re-
mark was ignored as not pertinent.
No man with any self-respect will
submit to It," continued Matson. ~
understand they are going to start II
at Breton Hall. the Breslin and the
Majestic. Just so sure as they do
very waiter who Is a member Of our
association viii leave his job.
Won't Call Strike Vet.
why. II NJ a power is given the
h~ead-waiters any one OF them can KEEP
a man out OF has job as long as he
likes. and can work off hts spite or MS
prejudice by preventing a walter from
earning his bread and butter. We VII
not call a strike. but We are. waiting &c
hear what the hotel managers will do,
] have heard that all OF the hotels eN'
cepting he three | mentioned have re-
fused to treat with Daslner.'
oscar Tschirky, manager OF the Wal
dorf, who was a waiter himself and Is
IA member OF the Geneva' Club, said he
would not entertain the idea OF such a
system.
at Is nonsense," he said. I'VE woull
such a degrading thing. Anyway. We
can hire our men In our " way with
out outside suggestions"
NJ. Grisch. maitre d'hotel for Louis
Martins new restaurant, which starte,
as the Cafe de iOpera. said he woult
not enter into such an agreement.
Against Law Of Land.
1t would be against the law OF thii
country" he said. "because 1t woul,
give one man power to prevent anothel
frum earning his living. Suppose &
walter spills the soup or brings In thu
bird a little too hot or the vine a iitt.'
too cold-these are terrible crimes FOR
waiter. II IL true. and they often pre-
julice a headwaiter against a man. bu
an error Of this kind-should 1t keep
waiter from getting another Job in New
York? Certainly not. All headwa!ter
have been plain walters once on q time
and some OF us may be plain waters TO
morrow, so we should take these thing
into consideration and give a man
chance"
U~ead-waiter Cabot OF the Breslil
said the purchase OF a record-book wa
optional with the waiter. and that JUS
as the system would keep a man wit
"A bad record out OF work, so IT woul
help a man with a good record. He SAL
he hadn't heard that the waters wer
prepared TO walk out.
There is one point on which ever
one, managers, walters and head-waii
ors are agrced-the new system will no
have any effect in reducing the size q
tips.