The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-21
The Practice Of Tipping.
BY JOHN ID. BARRY.

Inc ffaCtlce OF tipping.
| BY JOHN D. BARRY.
| 7 England tipping has been SO long established
that it has crystallizcd into more or less
definite scale. Visitors to country houses know
| just how much they expected to give the wal
tcrs Il really cannot afford to go to England
this year." / once heard a fashionable American
woman say. 'Thc servants of the people l visit
there always expect to be paid in gold"
| Among rich people in this country similar sys-
tenn is growing up. But there are still lovers of
the old fashioned idea of hospitality that would
resent having their guests fee their servants. l
know one OF wealth who not long ago dis
charged servant because of the acceptance of a
tip from guest. When the guest heard of the
matter however, he was so concerned about his
responsibility and he pleaded so hard that the
servant was reinstated. On the other hand, guests
often feel uncomfortable unless they give some
tangible expression of their gratitude for the
trouble servants have taken There are occasions
when not to give tip would be not merely gross
form of rudeness but exceedingly unkind. One
lady that | know who often has people at her
house allows her friends to give her servants lit
lie souvenirs, such books She permits
the passing Of money. She believes that this dis
tnction is difference. But it is difference that,
suspect, the servants resent.
Several years ago was at a hotel in the White
Mountains where a famous American millionaire
came to stay. He travelling in private car
and he had with him several friends as guests.
When, after few days, he and his guests de-
parted, he left the waitress who served at his
table so small fee that it created something like
public scandal. Some of the people in the hotel
denounced him as mean" | also heard other
unpleasant words applied to him. But, as mat
ter OF fact | don't believe that he knew how much
had been given to that waitress Another waitress
told me that the money had been passed to the
girl by the millionairc'S secretary. If there
any meanncss the secretary was probably re-
sponsble. And he might have felt that he had a
right to share the gratuity. For where anything
resembling graft goes all the persons concerned
are likely TO be corrupted.
On a steamer few months ago I witnessed a
scene that caused me some amusement. man
whose acquaintance made consulted me about the
amount OF the fee he ought to give the cabin boy.
told him that | intended to give s.. 81 think
ought to give more" he said, because the boy
did little laundry work for AS couldn't get
any one else to do it he helped me out Of diff
Guilty. So will probably give him S." l hap
pcned to be present when the boy received that tip.
He had evidently expected to be we'll rewarded for
that washing. He looked at the S and then he
glanced at the grip which the gver of the tip
pectcd him to take and carry down to the wharf.
Without touching the grip and without saying
word, he turned and walked away
On another occasion, as | was sitting at
hotel | saw waiter take accent piece that had
been placed on his little tray and quietly turn it
the table where a man had been dining
with a lady. The coin rolled toward the lady
and ratified the marble floor. The lady flushed
and the man looked very uncomfortable. The
waiter had his revenge.
Several years ago. during winter that spent
in Paris, there was agitation in favor OF stop
ping the practice OF giving cab drivers fees drink
money" they called il 1t created great deal
of excitement. Those who favored it were indig-
nantly denounced by both women and men. 1t
was regarded as a shameful way to treat the poor
cab drivers ndcr the circumstances, | suppose
those indignant people were right. The cab drivers
were pathetic figures During the cold weather it
was particularly distressing to see them driving
about in their shabby overcoats. And yet if their
drink money had been abolished they might have
would have been placed on plane OF sclf-respect.
But they evidently felt that they could get more
from sympathy and from vanity accompanying
rce-giving than from justice. Here indeed is an
with vanity. Many people like to be giving
tips even people who naturally stingy. And
such people apt to be particularly generous
in presence OF ladies. Then there those who
enjoy the sensation OF giving, not because they
have to give. but because they wish to be kind
or wish to kind.
There arc besides those who are shrewd
enough to that tipping is, after ALL compare
lively inexpensive way OF securing advantage.
What one gets for fee is really bargain. A
small expenditure wins special favor. devotion,
quick service, and many incidental advantages.
But of course, it is unfair. 1t creates favortism
where in theory there is supposed to be no
favoritism. People will work much harder for !
those who give tips than for those who pay them
good salaries. They may grow used to the good
salaries whereas the gaining of large tips never |
loses its novelty and its inspiration to continued
endeavor In this regard are likely to
be much less shrewd than men. The injustice |
of fleeing makes them give reluctantly and often
stingily Sometimes, indeed they do not give at
all And here they may pay heavy penalty. If
one has theories about the feeling system and takes
a stand against it, there is certain comfort
in feeling that one is doing the right thing. But
il one both expends and rescnts the system at the
same time there is inevitable disadvantage I
To the fleeing system may be attributed very
largely the development of the lunch counter and