The New York herald., 1921-04-03

lump sum for service to the hotel bill.
This varies from 10 to 90 per cent. ac-
cording to the city. the hotel and the
length of stay. When you ask them
why they do not simply increase their
regular charges and then pay their SER
wants enough more to cover the amount
which would come from tips. the answer
is that the employees are so accustomed
to the tipping system that they must
have tips In some form or other. The
plan does have also the merit OF basing
the employees remuneration In some
measure on the amount of work done.
He automatically gets an increase I'm
wages when the hotel is full up and
takes less when there are few guests.
The success of the attempt is some
what doubtful There is no uniform rule
throughout the country. Some OF the
best hotels cling to the old system, and
itching palms are by no means unknown
even where you find the percentage for
sratuities added to you bill. 1t is only
fair to add that in several cases when
| made the experiment the proffered tip
was declined. If the old tipping system
gains the upper hand 1t will be largely
because the traveller insists on il.
And how about passports? Probably
more tales of woe have been told re-
gardir,g passport troubles than about
any other thing. The worst thing about
the passport situation now is the cost.
Aside from that there Is no trouble at
all.
Our Government has seen fit TO in
crease the price to $40. Several other
Governments, apparently on the ground
that 1t would be discourteous to put
Sc wise on a $40 passport. have IN
creased their charges accordingly. This
makes the passport an expensive docu
ment But II is no longer the fertile
source of trouble and delay that 1t was
during the war or even a year ago.
Any tourist agency, or the porter at
your hotel. can do everything that needs
to be done. You need lose neither time
nor patience.
But do not forget that there are
pa ssport formalities to be observed on
arrival and on departure from a coun-
try. Take nothing for granted. Go TO
some one who knows and ask him to
see that everything is in order
Causes of Passport Troubles.
''People are still having passport
troubles, but only when they have been
careless and then try to buff /. through.
On the train on which i left Italy was
q man who had been he'd up twenty
four hours and sent back down the
line because he had neglected to OBJ
tain the necessary permit to leave Italy.
Such cases occur frequently. ard little
sympathy need be wasted on the VIC
Tins. because 1t requires neither time
nor personal effort to get the permit
merely a moments thought instead OF
carelessness.
Even the careless ones, If they are
courteous. are treated with every con-
sideraton and helped out OF their pre-
dicament IL possible.
"On that same train out OF Italy was
another man who had his permit to
leave, but had neglected to secure
Swiss wise. The officials at the border
called his attention to the error-and
then vised the passport themselves.
Passports are still necessary, but
they are no longer source of any an
noyance or delay If one uses ordinary
caution. 1t is still advisable to carry
a few unmounted copies OF the photo
graph which appears on your passport
for use In applying for vises abroad.
The chances are, however, that you will
not need them. l had occasion to use
them only once.
In a word, the obstacles which the
traveller encountered in Europe imme-
diately after the armistice have dis.
appeared. Europe is ready for us and
invites US to come. There is no reason
why we should not accept the invita-
ton"