The San Francisco call., 1910-08-07
By Ezra Knox

By Ezra Knox
IN davs of old when knights returned from holy
and unholy war; hoi poloi would stand along
the line of march and shout "Largessel Lar
eessel" And the knights swelled with pride and
round shouldered from Juggling their loot, would
throw out little cash the people. In the essen
tial thing the getting of the money the conditions
exist today. The people do not stand on the side
lines and they do not plead for largesse; they de-
nand il now and they get it, but they call it tips
It was in the distribution of largesse that the
tipping system had its inception, and can say
where it will stop. "The sign of the outstretched
palm" is every side, and so insstent are the
demands, either actual or implied, that the tax i'm
posed on the average person by reason OF this sys-
tenn which is alike undefended and undefendable, is
nothing less than appalling.
It is not a tax, it is holdup. Perhaps that term
should not be applied to the process of tipping
waiter who has served meal. There is semijudi-
cia decree upholding this expenditure The corpora
ton counsel of New York, in what of his prede
cessors called cigar store opinion" has said the
payment of tip TO a waiter is usual as the
payment of the bill ITSELF and that the supreme court
penses TO employees of the city, that the tip became
part of the cost of the dinner
Tips may be divided into two classes-those that
are semiegitimate and those that of the common
garden variety of biackmail While there is good
reason Why you should pay the proprietor of res
taurant for the food you and then his servant
for serving 70 you yet there is service rendered
That is a good deal than be said for some
of the things for which tips are demanded.
Go to any of the better class Of in San
Francisco and you the tipping system in
many of It's phases Before you enter the dining
room you are compelled to leave your hat and coat
with boy the door, and before you get them back
you arc expected to give tip. The boy at the door
is one OF the choicest nuisances. IF you should
chance to get by him with your hat in your hand
thinking perhaps, that you place it in empty
chair he is after you like Nemesis, and will look
at you as if you guilty of high crime and ought
to be ashamed for even trying to associate with de-
cent people.
1t is not absolutely necessary that you give money
to that boy; you will get your hat and coat back if
you do not But if you expect to go back there again
it might be just as well to hand something to him.
Inc WORST you sSN II you 10 liOl up ID
sneer and muttered cheap skate" but if you
turn there he will remember your face, and he will
take his own time before he finds your hat, and will
take the checks from just as many other persons
he possibly can before he reaches for yours That
is the way he gives an object lesson the advantage
OF distributing largesse
$3.50 FOR ONE DRINK
You might TO wash your hands before sitting
down to dinner. In the washroom you will find boy
who looks enough like the at the checkroom to
be his twin, and they than brothers when it
comes to demanding tips h will have towel about
twice the size of postage stamp ready for you, and
he expects you will have dime ready for him. With
an enthusiasm that in worthier would be COM
mendable he will grab whisk broom and will wear
out couple of dollars worth of clothing in trying
TO impress upon you that he should get the money
Now you do have give money to this boy: but
if you are going to the place day after day. or
week after week. you will find that it will add to your
comfort to respond TO the sign of the outstretched
palm" and stand for the holdup.
The Broadway folks used to say of one restaurant
famed for the elegance of the furnishings and which
has since closed its DOORS that required an expen-
diture of $3.50 to get a drink of whisky OF this
amount 81 went for the rental of evening Clothes for