The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-11-04
TRAVELLING MEN START
CRUSADE ON TIPPING
Tell Hotel Proprietors They Will
Withdraw Patronage Unless
System Is Abolished.

SYRACUSE. N. Y, Nov. 4.-The
commercial travellers are preparing
for war against the tipping system
The Commercial Travellers National
league, an organization OF the officers
Of the associations OF commercial men
throughout the United States, with
executive headquarters in Syracuse,
has sent the following letter signed
by p. K. Dove, president, to the state
ASSOCIATIONS OF hotel proprietors.
THAT part of the public patroniz-
ing hotels, has wearied OF the increas-
ing nuisance of the tipping system
condoned by the hotel proprietors.
Tipping is an unpopular and un-
American development of foreign
origin that never should have taken
root in this country.
The travelling men, forced to ac-
ton in self-protection, fully aware OF
the fact that increased expenses
means decreased salary under pres
ent business conditions finding that
only one way opens to bring the hotel
proprietors TO a realization that they
have underrated the depth of public
sentiment against the tipping abuse
are preparing to compile lists of pri
vate houses where transients can be
accommodated with rooms.
THE hotels in the larger cities are
now mostly run upon the European
plan, with rooms at $1.50 and up pei
day This and the high-priced bills
'ofsfars,N have added an average o.
$3.50 a day to the expenses of th'
travelling man, as compared with for
mer American plan average rates.
Hotel guests are expected TO hanC
out the coin, for every service or at
tention by the hotel help: from the
bell-boy who carries the gripsack o.
an incoming guest to his room anC
hangs on until the rake-off is provid
ed, to the porter who calls a cab ol
carries grip from the doorway u
the bus.
For commercial men with trunks
II is proposed TO establish in the cen
tral section of each city, a loft ol
lofts. divided into light clean show
rooms. Many of the hotel sample
rooms are in damp and unhealth,
easements, as numerous commercial
travellers could evidence by docto
bills.
You can see that we mean bust
ness, but In consideration of self-evi
dent fact that your members have
failed to properly measure the senti
ment against the iniquitous system o
tipping, we will withhold definite &C
ton a reasonable time, and If there
are no signs that the hotel proprie
tors propose TO put their help upon {
self-respecting basis. making then
wage-earners instead of beggars fol
gratuities, no power on earth can pre-
vent our carrying out the program oI
reprisal.
THE commercial travellers of the
United States spend annually at ho
tells, for rooms and meals, three hun
dred and twenty-five millions OF dol
lars.
Tipping OF boys, walters and por
ters, and for checking privileges, etc.
costs annually fifty millions, and is
separated from the commercial. men
under more or less compulsion.
In these estimates travelling aud
itors, adjusters, mechanical experts
inspectors and others. who while
travelling men are not commercial
travellers strictly speaking, are not
included For their outlay add 80 IL
per cent for hotel expenditures and 2C
per cent for tips to the above figures
Another class that would come under
the head OF regular travelers-the the
atrical people-would welcome the
list Of houses in each OF the cities
where translents could find accom-
modations - p. T.. DOVE.
Pres. Commercial Travellers Nationa
League