South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-13

up howl for a footstool tonight. II
you get anything TO eat. you're lucky.
Hook your heels over the round OF
your chair"
The manager, who was soIicitouslv
going about helping to keep the diners
patient and good-humored, now came
Up to their table
Getting served. sir2"
We've got our order in-but we
don't want to wait here all night.
Having pretty hard time of it?"
The Managers Troubles.
Yes, they all walked out on me
yesterday. Had TO close up last night.
But now we're going to fight this 10 a
iinlsh-no more union men for me-
I'd already signed their contract, Civ
ing them practically everything they
wanted. And here they called a gen
eral strike and walk-out, leaving me
with three hundred people at dinner"
Hard lines" admitted Warren, as
the manager passed on TO talk Of his
grievance 10 other sympathetic diners.
II was almost an hour before their
steak was brought in.
How about salad ?" asked Warren
looking doubtfully at the meagerness
Of the steak and the fried potatoes
Pretty skinny dinner this"
"Pll try and get you some lettuce.
sir. That's all we have"
Now that il was getting late and
the rush was over, the waiter had time
TO serve their steak.
What did those fellows mean"
questioned Warren, "by walking out
when the management here had given
them al they asked fOr?"
"A general strike was called. sir,
they had TO go out TO show their
strength. And they we're right. sir"
with unexpected vehemence. Il was
waiter for six years and it's a dogs
life I'm a salesman now. just help
ing out here tonight because l know
the manager. But my sympathies are
all with the strikers. and in the end
they'll get what they want"
. What do they want? ," ventured
Helen, who had read enough about
the strike to be interested. but not
enough TO know about the details
They want decent food, ma am;
clean food and clean place TO eat it,
! They want clean lockers and clean
uniforms They want to be treated
like men, not dogs! And they want
living wage. No man can support
family on So cents a day-and most
OF EN- have families
rs that all they get" asked Helen,
! "eighty-three cents a day."
That's all, ma'am-$25 a month
and that have to pay back half of
that for breakage and fines"
Getting Pointers.
Dear. that doesn't seem fair" muir
INJURED Helen, when the waiter had
gone, Ito pay them only SO cents a
DAY and then fine them"
But how about the tps?" COM
mented Warren. II notice he was
mighty careful not TO say anything
about that. You don't think they
work in these places just for their
wages. do you?"
"Oh, ask him about the tipping"
urged Helen. He seems very intelli-
gent-Pd like to know what he'd say
about it,"
One does not usually carry on an
extended conversation with the waiter,
but now everybody seemed to be talk.
ing TO everybody else. a common
trouble had brought them together on
q common ground of interest. 1t was
an evening Of information.
So when the waiter brought on some
ii was the best they had, Warren
asked:
How about tips? You say these
men can't support their families on So
cents, but how about the 5 and "a
day they get in tips?"
That's the trouble. sir, mans got
to depend on his tips, and metimeS
ne gets them and sometimes he don't
It's all wrong, sir. The walters don't
want tips-what they want is living
wages so they can be self-respecting
men. No waiter can work in any of
these big hotels and have any self
respect. They're kicked and cuffed
about by the head waiter, the chef and
everybody else. Why shouldn't a
walters work be paid for like any
other work? Why does he have To /
depend on tips thrown at him? -
"Oh, l think he's right" exclaimed /
Helen, as he went after their check. /
They should be paid like any other
workman"
The Public Pays
Well the hotel managerial never /
do it, shrugged Warren, not if they /
can keep on making the public pay the |
walters wages. Imagine any business |
house expecting their customers TO pay |
their employees! But that's just what
these hotel men are doing. AS long |
as the publicll tip their walters
they're not going TO pay them"
Then if everybody should stop tip /
ping. the hotels would have TO pay hv- /
ing salaries
That's "A brilliant conclusion" with /
"a COntemptuOuS shrug at the obvious /
ness of Helens remark And you !
know perfectly well the public's not
going TO stop. People want extra SER
vice and extra attention, and think |
they can only set il by tpping-So |
there YOU are,.
But, dear. il does seem hard If the /
walters really don't want tips and do I
want"
"Oh. if they did get decent sal
aries. I'm not so blame sure but what
they'd be Just as keen after the tips. /
Sounds well TO say they don't want /
tips and all that, but l haven't no. /
ticed any marked distress on their part