New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-12
Despite the Strain Involved
You Are Implored to
Believe This Be-
cause 1t Is True.

-AITERS in New York City are
M forming a union 10 protect them
Wv selves against the American tip.
IN the other hand, the National League
NJ commercial Travellers, so its president
Informs us. has decided 10 revolt against
q custom that compels Its members. ac-
cording TO what they say is careful est
mate 20 pay out sums aggregatng $50.
40 o9 year The travelling men threaten
= boycott hotels and patronize private
boarding houses, the owners of which are
willing 10 pay their own scrvitors. The
proprictor would seem 10 De in a tight
place with the two other elements thus
uosilizing to push him toward the salary
system.
Before reading any further. perhaps
good plan would be 10 repeat softly to your
self several times:
The walters in New York say tipping
must cease"
This is true story. There is no eaten
il the last paragraph. neither s 1t fable
patterned after 1sop or AIDE.
in a few days the first issue of monthly
publication supported by walters and de
voted To- stamping out the tipping system
will be published in this city. The editor.
formerly a waiter SAYS that 1900 OF the
e0oao first class walters here are behind
him. morally and financially. They are
tired existing upon the petty cash Of the
public They want the proprietor TO pay
them in a lump sum $50 every Saturday
night. instead of So on the first of every
month.
They are not servants. they are sales
men. they say. For centuries. they declare,
they have borne their humilating subjuga-
ton. have been at the mercy Of the diner S
temperament. clankng the while their
chains between kitchen and eating room.
and have received only the condemnation
o. the public for their pains. The man
who Is forming the walters anti-tip union
savs that he and his fellow cupbearers
have a horror OF longer being referred 70
as swart. predatory chiettains half dis
gmsed as seryitors. Pirates of the table
is another expression that he says IS in
common use. and always strikes them Ike
d blow in the face. Subaltern buccaneers
las also become a slang descriptive phrase
for the omnibus boys. who would become
angry perhaps. if they knew what II
meant lie SAYS ne will inform them what
Is meant through his journal.
The organizer Of the walters union, who
Is IN q position 10 know what he is talking
about. declares the walters were never
more serious IN their lives. Then he tells
how their lives have heen filed with sor-
rows privations. hum1liatons, OF an uu-
casing type. The story is as gripping as
9 Russian novel and almost as sad.
Life for The waiter, he SAYS is very I'M
certain. Always he must study where the
tips are the highest. In each country the
TIP varies TN frequency and size. New
York city adopts the high frequency IN
alternating system in tpping-none higher.
Even So. the waters in New York City say
the tipping system must cease.
The movement. you have gathered has a
Moses His name is Joseph Yelling only
thirtv-two years old. and therefore with
enough unexpired estimated longevity, as
the life insurance agent puts H. TO make
him hopeful of leading the walters and the
public to his Promised Land, where the
tin and the cholera are 10 be Stunned with
equal enthusiasm.
Mr. VehHng has been a cook, poet.
painter. head-waiter. in the order stated,
in Europe and America. and now he is a
journalist al No 1881 Broadway He turned
painter because as a cook he contracted a
very bad rheumatism in the kitchen. Al
most every cook does, Mr. Vehling says.
contract rheumatism. though few contract
the painting habit.
But 1 had 10 return to the hotel busl-
ress for a living" he said the other day
lis artist soul blanched a little in the con-
fession. He was sitting in the editorial
room Of The International Hotel Work. .
the publication through which he expects
10 reform the public's attitude toward the
waiter and relieve the public from the