Evening star., 1927-09-20

A fair degree of sympathy is ex-
tended TO the Brotherhood of Sleeping
Car Porters. whose petition asking
that tips be abolished is before the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
General comment is in agreement with
the position that tipping is an evil.
hut some newspapers maintain that
all attacks upon the system have been
unsuccessful 1t is felt that the por-
ters should receive wages which do
not require supplementary payments.
but an important question which is
raised is as to whether, under such
circumstances, passengers would re-
frain from attempting to buy special
favors.
THE porters object to being hired
with stipulation that they Will re-
ceiye portion of their remuneration
from the passengers. They demand a
living wage" records the San Antonio
Evening News, with the comment:
This plea certainly is calculated to
command much popular sympathy.
Nevertheless, the commission may
draw the line at an attempt to regu-
late tipping. Legislatures have tried
to Danish the abuse by law and have
succeeded in making themselves ridic-
ulous. Unquestionably, the practice
has it's undesirable aspects. 1t is
little worse for the worker who feels
that he<is sacrificing self-respect than
for anybody else. The man who gives
tip may consider that he is paying
for service rendered. The tightwad
who refuses to tip as matter of
principle commands but scant SYM
pathy."
with the effort confined to the
Pullman porters.' states the Boston
Transcript, Question arises as to the
effect upon the public if they should
win their battle. Would the man
whose fare on sleeping car included
compensation for such services as the
porter performed for him rebel when
it came to tipping the taxi driver and
handing quarter to the boy who car
ried his bag to the hotel room? Or
does the public. specially on its
travels, like the tippi. ; custom?
There are those who maintain that it
adds to the joy of life away from
home: that the donor feels glow of
pleasure when he dispenses largess:
that the depletion of the pocketbook
1t may be, IL the petition to
the Interstate Commerce Commission
becomes subject of a hearing, that ex-
pert testimony will be introduced con-
cernng the mental attitude of the
tpper as well as the tippee."
X
A fear that the public may he the
ultimate sufferer is expressed by the
Spokane Spokesman-Review. There
is probability" says that paper. |
that if the organized porters won
their case before the commission and
the Pullman company was required
to pay them living wages it would |
pass the tax on to the travelling pub |
lie. and then. when that new status |
became established. the porters would |
lapse back into their old practices. |
and the end would be higher charges I
for Pullman berths and the eXtrac-
tion of tips as before"
On this same point the Norfolk
Daily News asks: But suppose the
wages of the porters are revised up
ward. Can you visualize Pullman
porter saying, No, sah,' to a prof
fered gratuity?" And the answer of
the News is, Not on your life you
can't Tips would still be offered and
as they are now" Recog-j
IIHiHS tHC LuStOHl oS OIC WHICH, |
but which persists neverthe-
less. because of a human trait that
will not he downed," that when the
Upper is ready and willing to tip one
cannot expect Pullman's George or
any other kind of servitor to decline
the st. Joseph News-Press Declares:
There is no question. that the por-
ters, walters and others who render
public service should be paid an ade-
1uate living wage, figured on the basis
Df service rendered and not upon the
generosity of the public.
Accompanying such wages there
should be rigid instructions that no
lips are to be offered or accepted. But {
how is this tipping nuisance to be
stopped? There is a solid conviction
that it can't be did, or another that
t won't be did"
"By what right" asks the Detroit
News. does the Pullman company.
f the charge is true. inculcate such
,ode in its employees as to frankly and
,oolly place it up to them to collect
he rest OF their salary from the pa
rons of the company? Where else
would such a condition be permitted?
The Interstate Commerce
cannot do less than give
hat the day will hrichtep-thoupb nj