THE TIPPING HABIT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3768, 1 March 1913, Page 3

THE TIPPING HABIT.

UNCONTROLLABLE AS THE WIND.

As a much-talked American, Mr A. M'Question, of Boston, was asked about the anti-tipping crusade in America, and its chances of being effective.

“They have as little chance of stopping the tipping habit as of stopping the winds that blow,” said the visitor. “It exists everywhere alongside the wealthy class, and the bigger the bill ;he bigger the tip. That’s the scale on which it is figured out in the big hotels.”

Mr M'Question mentioned a big and world-wide known hotel in New York, where the managing director was formerly the head waiter, and can remember having to tip him handsomely in order to get a decent seat at table. It was the same with the bedroom steward—all long-fingered gentry. there were plenty of hotels even in America where there was no tipping, and somewhere the bell-boy would probably fail down in a fit if he was given a tip. They were places fiequentel by people of restricted means. At one of the leading hotels in Cairo not only is the chief waiter not paid any wages, but actually pays a premium to get the position. It is an extremely wealthy class who frequent Cairo in the season.

Apropos of tipping, Mr M'Question tells a story of a hotel proprietor friend of his who took a pride in his fast trotting horse, which in winter was attached to sleighs, and madegood time over a good snow road. One day he was caught and passed by another trotter, and on lokoing at the driver, recognised in him his own head waiter. "When - they next met, the exasperated hotel proprietor said : “S&y, Jake, you must nave more money than me. Guess, you had better buy an hotel of your own!” It was trotting out the tip-money too loudly that lost "Jake” his position.